Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Guest Post: New Year...Organize the Wardrobe!



How's this for an effective start to the New Year? One project to tackle a huge chunk of the resolutions! My heartfelt thanks to Eve for her phenomenal suggestions!
Happy "Day 2", Toodles!


New Year, New Closet 
As the sound of sleigh bells recedes into the distance it’s time to think about how you’re going to stick to all those optimistic New Year’s Resolutions you’ve just made. Do you know what the top ten New Year’s Resolutions are? See if yours is on the list: 
Drink less alcohol
Eat more healthily
Get fit
Managing finances
Stop smoking
Save money
Get a new job
Get a better education
Take a trip to somewhere new
Lose weight
Sound familiar? Thought so. One of the most useful ways you can hit several on the list at once is to rationalise your closet. 
How?
It is well known that when your personal spaces are organised, it is easier to organise the rest of your life too. You become calmer and more clear thinking, which will enable you to look at the other issues, such as managing your finances, changing your job or planning a journey. You need time to make big decisions in your life – what sort of new job you want, what sort of savings scheme is right for you, where in the world you’d like to go.
Why?
You need a clear out. What was hip last summer just isn’t going to be hip when you hit the boardwalk in summer 2013. You’re going to need room for your new clothes, you’re going to be shopping in the sales, and there probably isn’t enough room in your closet as it is. As our clothes become more and more cramped and crumpled, the clothes we do have inevitably lose their appeal. They can’t be ironed and hung on a rail, but are just stuffed in amongst the other items. 
Lose Weight & Get Fit?
It’s no small undertaking to de-clutter your closet. It will probably take you a day to really sort things through, if you include drawers and the rest of the bedroom. Did you know that housework burns tons of calories? It’s a tenuous link, but every little helps. Think of the fat you’ll be burning as you haul black sacks of old clothes into the attic for storage, or downstairs to be taken to a thrift shop. More seriously, sometimes the fondness we have for a particular outfit can help fire a resolution to lose weight so that it fits again. If you have a little dress that you have happy memories of wearing, why not hang it up outside your wardrobe to help keep your weight loss resolution in your mind and your determination strong.
Save Money
By rediscovering old clothes that you had forgotten you might be able to save money on replacements, which will help with personal finances. An afternoon sorting and pairing stockings and socks will yield more pairs than you imagine. Losing sight of clothes we have in the disorganised chaos is a key cause of duplication. Find it, sort it, throw it. Another way of saving money is to swap items you don’t want with friends. You can always sell clothes on ebay too, use a local second hand clothes retailer, or a site like ClosetDash for the one stop option. All this will help save you money and think more clearly about managing your finances.
Clever Closet Clear Out Tips
Set aside plenty of time for this task. First of all you need a clear space to sort clothes. You need to start four piles for the clothes you sort.
1. Clothes your will definitely keep
2. Clothes to throw away
3. Unsure
4. Thrift Store.
You then need to gather up all your clothes into one pile and start sorting. Keep a reasonable pace up to help you make decisions more quickly. Decisiveness is addictive. Try to keep the ‘Unsure’ pile of clothing as small as possible, and ask yourself, honestly, if your will wear the item with pleasure again. If you haven’t worn it in the last two years it should go, unless it’s a beautiful cashmere jumper or some Chanel boots of course. Some classics need to be worn rarely for maximum impact. Once you have finished sorting the piles deal with them quickly. Don’t leave them hanging around or you will be tempted to change your mind. The ‘Unsure’ pile should be stashed away, and if you haven’t worn anything from it after six months, get rid of it. Decide how you want to sort clothing in your closet and stick to the plan, be it color coordinated, whole outfits, or seasonal.
Helping Hand
If you want a total overhaul and need help with closet organisation, try some of the storage solution websites for ideas on keeping things tidy. Pliio have a good ‘folding and filing’ system for clothes, NeatFreak have a wide range of storage options and IKEA or Muji always provide plenty of inspiration. Be ruthless with your New Year Closet Regime, and see how many resolutions it helps you to stick to.



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