Closet Organization
Is there a more intimidating or thankless project than cleaning out your closet? I have to confess that I usually have it on my To Do list for weeks before I get up the courage and fortitude to tackle the project. Don’t get me wrong, I adore a well-organized closet and am somewhat OCD about keeping it clean day-to-day {bf chuckles}, but a full-on cleaning can be intimidating.
I’ve found that approaching the project with a three-fold plan of attack is what works for me. That and spending days hours on Pinterest drooling over beautifully organized closets to get me in the mood… ❤
- Love It or Leave It – First you need to go through every single piece in your closet and decide whether you want to keep it. Tears optional.
- Share The Love – Once I’ve created a pile of pieces that need a new home I set up a Closet Party with some friends and after that any remaining items will be donated to the Goodwill.
- Live The Dream – Finally, when your closet is filled only with the pieces you’ll be holding onto, it’s time to sort, organize, rearrange, and plan for the future.
Need more details? Read on…
Love It or Leave It:
I become somewhat attached to inanimate objects so after years of carrying clothes that still have the tags on them from one apartment to another, I have had to set rules for myself. If I haven’t worn it in the last year – It has to go. End of discussion.
You may have a home with more storage space or larger closets and be able to keep more clothing and accessories, it’ll be dependent on what you have available to you and how much of a “clothes horse” you are. In general, if you can’t remember the last time you wore something, you probably don’t need to hold onto it. If your shoes are falling apart, you can probably let them go. If a piece has needed hemming or tailoring for as long as you can remember and you still haven’t taken it in, you guessed it, you should probably put it in the “out” pile.
Share The Love:
My favorite thing to do once I’ve created a pile of things that I’m not going to keep is to plan a closet party – I invite some friends over for cocktails or champagne and free reign of my closets. It’s been a tradition for a few years now and I love to include new friends, it’s a fun bonding event. And what’s left over after the closet party gets dropped off at the donations center of Goodwill.
Living The Dream:
Now that you know what you’re working with you can figure out how best to approach the cleaning of your closet. I like to tackle the reorganizing process in three steps:
- First I rearrange by type & color {i.e. pants with pants, solids from black to white, then prints}
- The second step is to consider the season and organize your closet so that the clothes & accessories that you’re wearing now are most readily available. This can mean deploying under-bed organizing trays or boxes to be stacked on shelves out of reach in your closet if need be.
- Finally, after all of that work, I like to take stock of what I have and how it’s arranged and implement some changes to make getting dressed run more smoothly – Like adding accessories holders, changing hangers, or separating work clothes from play.
{All photos from MCLV’s Closet Porn… Board on Pinterest}
You can find some other tips and suggestions in Sincerely Jules’s Details or Cupcakes & Cashmere’s Closet Clean-Up or her Operation Organization: Closet Edition.
So tell me, how often do you overhaul your closet(s)? Do you have a specific process whenever you get started on this project?
Looks of the Week – Workwear Edition
I thought that I’d take our usual Monday Looks of the Week post and specialize it just a bit this week. Rather than including just the street style looks that catch my fancy, this week is going to be all about fashionable looks that you can try out at the office. They’ll run the gamut from power suits for you corporate ladies out there to great separates, and inspiration for working pants and pencil skirts into your work wardrobe.
Frequently my sartorial excitement is focused on my weekend and evening looks – those are the ones that I plan in advance and day-dream about. Unfortunately that can mean that on workday mornings I just throw on a black dress and pumps without giving my choice much thought, even though I’ll be wearing them for 12+ hours.
Sound familiar?
My goal with this post is to inject a little enthusiasm and inspiration into our how we dress for work. Why not add some spice to the pieces and outfits that you end up spending most of your day in?
The Pencil Skirt:
This is SUCH a versatile piece, a building block for an unlimited number of outfits and styles. You can try a retro silhouette, put together a traditional suit look, or spice things up with a printed or brightly colored version for a more fun spin.
Whatever you’re in the mood for!
Think stripes or prints wont work for the office? Think again. A subtle pattern can go a long way.
Don’t be afraid of color! This is a great example of a stylish look that’s fashionable and fun, but still office-appropriate.
The Wrap Dress:
A basic wrap dress is one of my favorites for the office. You can go with basic black, a fun color, or even a print like the one I donned below from Banana Republic during the Mission: Put Together 2012 challenge.
Printed Wrap Dress: Banana Republic, Shoes: Zara & Jewelry: JewelMint, Banana Republic, Forever 21 & Juicy Couture
The Slacks:
When you’re mixing separates like slacks, a button down, and a blazer, you have more freedom to be creative than with a suit or a dress. So take some chances and make the most of it by includes bold hues, mixing colors, or even adding prints & patterns.
Tired of basic slacks? Why not roll the cuffs? Or add a contrasting blazer? Or both? 🙂
This is a gorgeous, colorful look. No need to stick to boring black this Summer, why not draw inspiration from this look and try out some fun colors?
Wide leg trousers can be chic chic chic – Just see how The Glamourai spices hers up!
The Suit:
Luckily the suit has come a long way from its initial inception, we’re no longer constrained to a boring, basic black pants and jacket blazer combination like we were in the past. These days there are an endless number of choices out there and all sorts of different colors, cuts, patterns, fabrics, and silhouettes to choose from.
Head-to-toe color is a great way to stand out. This chic emerald-green suit is phenomenal and I love that she accessorized with white rather than black.
You don’t have to match your suit jacket to your pants, so why not wear slacks with a shell and pair the look with a contrasting coat?
If you need some more workwear ideas check out The Everygirl’s Transcend The Office Dress Code With IFB, Harper’s Bazaar’s Fabulous at Every Age: Workwear Refresh, or my Workin’ That Tee or What NOT To Wear To Work.
Does this inspire you to try something that’s new for you, or add some color, prints, and fresh silhouettes to your everyday work outfits? Did this post give you some fun ideas for how to update your wardrobe?
Moi Contre La Vie 