Closet Cleanout

As I mentioned Tuesday we are living in a bit of a housing limbo.  I could spend my days moping about being unsettled (which I have) but I think with the new year ahead it’s time to start thinking about how I can be using this time productively and start preparing for our new life.

In our new house we will have a pretty large master bedroom closet.  I am pretty darn excited about this.  After college, I moved in with Brandon in the house he owns in Christiansburg, Virginia.  It is in a small town and the home was built in the 50’s.  Closet space in that house left a lot to be desired.  We had small closets in the master bedroom, a tiny closet in the guest room (which held the deer heads that didn’t fit in the living room), and a coat closet that fit about 2 adult coats if you wiggled them in just right, and that was it.  No linen closet, no walk-ins, not even a pantry (don’t get me started on that kitchen!).  Needless to say we are definitely moving up in the world with our new closet space, and I have big dreams for it.

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The one thing I don’t want to do though is to junk up our new space with old clothes that I haven’t worn in ages and won’t ever wear again.  I have been thinking about how to have fun with my closet cleanout process.  So after staring into our current cramped closet full of clothes I decided that I would wear everything in the closet without repeating a top (I just don’t have the bottoms to cover the spread) until they had all been worn, or donated.

So I thought I would put some rules together to help me out (and anyone else that wants to play along)

·         Each top must be worn once for a day (no putting it on for 5 mins then changing, if I don’t like it enough to keep it on, donate it)

·         We are a week away from the start of winter, so strictly summer tops are exempt from the line-up (and are already in a box in my parent’s attic).

·         Cardigans and staple pieces (aka – tank tops) can be re-worn.  These are worn over or under the main top and are just more necessity than anything.

·         New clothes can be added in, but they must go into the line-up and only worn once until you have been through it all. (I am definitely guilty of getting excited about a new piece and wearing the crap out of it!)

·         Keep an extra bag in your closet for those pieces you put on and love but just don’t fit right.  Never underestimate the power of a tailor!  Google some local tailors and make those pieces perfect!

·         Be sure to keep a box in the bottom of your closet to drop in those tops that, as you look at them, you decide you definitely don’t want to wear and drop them for donation at the end of the cleanout. (and no box diving unless you are willing to wear it!)

 

 I am hoping this will really challenge me to come up with some fun styles and also find some great ways to wear old favorites.  And hey, I consider this a jump start on a New Year’s Resolution!

Starting Monday Closet Cleanout begins!!