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Out of the closet: Figuring out what works and what doesn't
by Susan WagnerChris cleaned out her closet this week and had some really good insights into why we wind up with so many of the wrong things in our wardrobes.
I think part of my problem with clothes is buying things I like, but that a) don’t match anything else I own, b) don’t really fit right, or c) don’t fit my lifestyle. Sadly the last one means coming to terms with the fact that as much as I like blouse type shirts for winter I will NEVER wear them. No more telling myself, “Well, maybe I might wear it if . . . ”
No, Chris, when the temperatures are sub zero you will NOT wear that blouse type shirt, no matter where you are going.
Chris also came up with some great suggestions for getting the closet of your dreams. You know, once you've really whittled down what you're going to put in there.
In the comments on Chris' post, Personal Chef to 2 said what many of us think when we look in our closets: "I did a major jean purging before the summer. How sad it was to see my 20’s and much smaller ass being thrown into a bag and given away knowing that even if I starved myself for the next six months they would likely never ever fit again." We hang on to clothes because we are holding on to part of our selves, to that person who wore the smaller size or the shorter skirt. Cleaning out the closet can be hard, because it not only means parting with things we don't wear, but parting with the illusion that we might someday wear those things. It means accepting that our bodies or our lives or our situations have changed.
So how do you figure out what you're wearing and what you're not? When you move from season to season, hang everything backwards, with the hanger hook over the bar the wrong way. As you wear things, flip the hanger over; at the end of the month or the season or the year, you will be able to see what you have REALLY worn. The shirt you toss on every weekend, the suit you pull out for client meetings, the dress you keep because it's perfect for weddings and holiday parties--all of them are important parts of your wardrobe IF you are wearing them. Anything that is still hung backward should go, because you're not wearing it.
The hanger trick will help you see what's working for you because it gives you a visual on what you're really wearing. Some pieces--like your little black dress--will not see the light of day very often (unless you live a fabulous life where you go to LOTS of cocktail parties, in which case can I come visit you? Please?). Other pieces may not be leaving your closet at all just now, for good reasons. If you are in a transitional period--postpartum, for instance, or working to lose weight--you will most likely have things that don't fit right NOW but will fit later. Don't toss them; store them in another closet or under the bed, so that when you go to get dressed in the morning, you are not faced with things that you can't actually wear. Keep your regular closet for the clothes you are going to wear the most and store the other things elsewhere. Remember the goal is to get dressed easily, not stand in the closet in your underwear reminiscing about the last time you were able to zip that fabulous skirt.
Most of us still have one or two (or more) things we just CANNOT part with. Look closely at those pieces. What keeps you from tossing them? The cost? You won't get your money back by keeping them in the closet. Take them to consignment if you like, but don't keep them just because they were expensive. The memories? There's nothing wrong with keeping something for sentimental reasons, but don't hang it with the clothes you're really wearing. Pack it away. SentinelArchiving has some great tips for storing various pieces, including wedding gowns.
Coming Tuesday: giving your basics wardrobe some personality.
Susan Wagner writes about fashion at Friday Style and The Working Closet, and about everything else at Friday Playdate. She wishes the photo were of her closet, but it is not; it's from EasyClosets.com.
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I'm about to do that: take
I'm about to do that: take the clothes I don't wear to a consignment shop. (Size 2 Betsey Johnson skirt? I think I wore that for maybe a minute.) The only thing keeping me from getting rid of the clothing I don't wearis that I paid good money for the designer stuff. Which is better, going with a consignment shop or selling it yourself on ebay? (I've done neither, by the way.)
Five Dollar Camera & Five Dollar Radio
One Word
It only takes one word to tell why I have so much unwearable stuff in my wardrobe: pregnancy! Not the weight gain. Or the new body. But the post-partum brain that thought buying a pair of loud floral capris...to draw attention away from my chest, of course...made perfect sense. I have so many "What was I thinking" clothes in my closet. Well, had. I've got most of them pretty much cleared out now. I think I have one more box floating around storage but the rest of the closet has been sorted through.
I'm keeping a couple of things that I can't wear: a fabulous cream suit, gotta be 10 years old but classic enough to keep, and a beautiful blue sweater with an Indian pattern. I'm losing weight so maybe I'll fit into them soon. But for now, I have so few beautiful things in my closet that I'm saving them. If I still can't fit into them by spring then I'll look towards replacing them. Meanwhile, I've got a date with the mall for the first week in October. My hubby has promised to babysit and I'm going to find myself some new beautiful things that fit me right now.
Re consigning clothes: this is going to seem like a no-brainer but I'm going to say it anyway. Be sure to pick-up anything that doesn't sell in a timely fashion or else it will belong to the store. I've done this twice now.
consignment vs eBay: ideas?
Kathy asked a good question about the best strategy for resale, and I honestly don't know. But I know that YOU do!
Which makes more sense: eBay or your local consignment shop?
Jennifer, you absolutely SHOULD hang on to those really beautiful pieces; store them out of the way, and be sure to keep them safe from the elements. And I will tell you (because I like you) that two weeks after my last baby was born I bought some PeptoBismol pink tapered capri pants, with a high waist and PLEATS, because I was sure they would . . . well, I don't know what I was thinking. But yes, I understand how that can happen.
Friday Style | The Working Closet | Friday Playdate
yesterday
I brought three huge black garbage bags of my clothing to Goodwill. Once I started being honest about what I really wear it was easy. Now can begin all over again with clothes I will actually wear. Or at least that is the theory I am working on.
That's funny, Susan, I had a
That's funny, Susan, I had a pepto bismol pink trench coat. I loved it! But finally I consigned it and darned if that wasn't one of the things that didn't sell. Go figure!
kperfetto, I've got some friends who are regular ebay sellers and I have done consignment, both store and sales. There's pros and cons to both. With ebay, you have some control over price and how the items are presented. You can search for similar items to see how well they sold and how they were photographed. And you have a broader market than a local consignment store. One drawback is that you're a novice seller and have no rating. Ebay sellers live and die by their rating and you may lose some potential customers just because you have no selling history. There's plenty of places to learn about how best to sell on ebay and I'd read a couple so you have an idea of what to do. There's definitely an art to this.
At a consignment store, once you've dropped off your clothing, your job is done. Except for picking up your check and your unsold items. But the store will have a smaller market than ebay and they may not be able to sell your things. Plus, while you own the clothes, they set the prices and choose how the clothes are presented. I'd do some research about the different stores in your area to see what they carry and who their clients are. Maybe stop in without your clothes and shop around and then talk to the owner to see if it's the best place for your things. And be sure to read the contract over carefully. You could try both: start with consignment and if that doesn't work, give ebay a try.