Yesterday, we discussed going through all of your cool weather clothing and entering it in some type of list.. Today I want to move on to the next step in the process. If you have tons of time on your hands, these first 2 steps can be done together, but for some of us with children, it's hard to find the time between calls of "Moooommmmmm" to dig through your winter gear and write it down, much less try it on.
Nevertheless, let's move on to Step 2:
Try on all of your cooler weather clothing
Doesn't sound hard, does it? At least not until you look at the piles of clothes littering your bed. Anyway, find some spare time and get busy! Maybe only do dresses during one session and then move on to pants the next day. Just make the time to try your stuff on. You will come to a few conclusions:
1. "I no longer care for this item of clothing." Another way to put it would be "What the heck was I thinking when I bought this?" Maybe you bought it because it was so cheap. Maybe you bought it because you saw the trend in a magazine and wanted to join the fashion masses. These are items you need to put in a donation bag immediately.
2. "This no longer fits me the way it used to." Weight fluctuations and body composition changes are just a part of life. If the item means a lot to you and you can't bear to part with it, then put it in a pile marked "Alterations." If the item is disposable (meaning you don't mind replacing it with something that fits better), then put it in the donation bag. There is no reason to hang onto clothing for years and years that you can no longer wear. If you are 100% positive that you will lose those 30 pounds and fit back into your pre-pregnancy jeans, then keep your favorite pair and donate the rest. What you'll find is that if/when you do lose those 30 pounds, you'd rather have a newer more stylish pair of jeans. Do not buy or keep items in your closet that are not in your current size. It's a waste of space and if you're like most people, it's discouraging to look in your closet and see so many things that used to fit and now no longer do.
3. "This is no longer functional." Clothing develops holes, buttons fall off, pant hems get ragged. These are natural results of wearing and enjoying your clothing. Put these items in a pile labeled Repair/Replace. Then decide if it's worth the time and money to make the repair (anyone can sew on a button) or replace (a cardigan with a rip in the sleeve needs to be thrown out; Goodwill will not accept damaged clothing).
4. "I wore this when____________. How could I ever part with it?" Sometimes memories get tied to an item of clothing. The dress you were wearing when your husband proposed might mean a great deal to you and bring back fond memories of that special night when he popped the question. However, you've had 3 children since then and are no longer a size 2. It's time to decide if the sentimentality associated with the dress is worth giving it a spot in your closet. For items like this, it's helpful sometimes to see if you have a picture where you're wearing the item. Keep the picture in a special place and donate the clothing. You can look at the picture and remember that special time without cluttering up your closet with sentimental pieces of clothing.
5. "This looks awesome! I'm so glad I bought it and can't wait to wear it!" For items that make you feel great, that fit right and are in good repair....give a big cheer and hang it up in your closet.
By weeding through all the stuff that doesn't fit, needs to be repaired or you no longer like you can seriously cull your closet to really workable items. I did a major purge last fall and was surprised at the 2 garbage bags of stuff I pulled out to donate again this year. In the "notes" column on your spreadsheet you worked on yesterday, make a note if anything needs to be repaired, altered or replaced. Cross out all items that you threw away or donated. You should be left with a much more workable amount of clothing.
Here's another snapshot of my spreadsheet with some notes typed in for my own reference:
These are my pants...as you see I don't own many. My very favorite wool pants are now too big due to weight loss. I've noted that they need to be altered. The cost of alteration will not be cheap so I'm thinking about replacing them. My polyester capris bought for $5 last fall because I was leaving on a trip and HAD to have black capris are gross and need to be replaced with a pair made from quality breathable material. Then I have 2 pairs of jeans that are ratty on the hem and are now relegated to around-the-house wear or farm trips.
Shopping tip for replacement items - If you have an item that you absolutely love (see camel pants in spreadsheet above) but are no longer sold in stores (my pants were manufactured at least 4 years ago), you can usually find a replacement on Ebay. If you're looking to replace a navy cardigan - well, those can be found anywhere for a good price and made from quality material. But if you're looking for the exact pair of wide-leg, cuffed, lined wool twill trousers that fit like a dream and were only made by one retailer, then your best bet is Ebay. My camel pants originally sold for $158, I believe, and I got them for around $15 last year on Ebay. I'm hoping to find a replacement pair in a smaller size this year for about the same price. It's way cheaper to find a replacement pair on Ebay than to have my current pair tailored to fit again.
Next week, we'll look at Step 3 in our Fall/Winter prep - Make a list of all items needed to fill out my closet or replace previous pieces that no longer fit or are too worn.
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