http://unclutterer.com/discuss/tags/clothing The community for people interested in home and office organizing. en-US Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:25:43 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q http://unclutterer.com/discuss/search.php http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/closet-purging-and-organizing-what-are-your-tips-and-tricks#post-41781 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:34:55 +0000 Ella 41781@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>I'm getting so psyched up about my January goal that I want to get a jump-start on it by starting this thread a few days before New Year's. I'm dedicating the month of January to purging, cleaning, and organizing my closet. I don't want my enthusiasm to fizzle out, so I hope this thread will help keep me pumped. :)</p> <p>Last year I tried to reach for the same goal, but I quickly became overwhelmed. My approach then was to take everything out; sort it into Keep, Repair, Toss, Donate piles; and then put only the good stuff back. It was a total disaster. :( My studio apartment is so tiny that I was completely immobilized when I emptied the closet's contents out into the room. I literally couldn't move and had a claustrophobic panic attack (closetphobic?). I shoved everything back in, closed the doors, and closed my eyes to the problem for a year. </p> <p>This time I'm going with ATAD, and I'll chart my progress daily on our new January 2012 ATAD thread. Fingers crossed that this approach will work!</p> <p>I've read through Erin's articles under the Closets category on the main site, plus several of our forum threads tagged Closets. And I've got a bunch of books on reserve at the library on closet organizing and wardrobe/style planning, which I'll pick up this weekend. </p> <p>Meanwhile, I would LOVE to hear your tips and tricks for purging and organizing. Here's one question for starters:<br /> If you have just one long rod (like I do), how do you organize your hanging clothes... by season, by color, by type (pants, shirts), by style (casual, business, dressy), or by another method...? Do you use any kind of separators? </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/american-clothing#post-23688 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:08:54 +0000 ninakk 23688@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>DH and I are most likely flying to the States in July/August as his family invited us there. Meanwhile, I'm trying to get my wardrobe sorted out as I'm at some kind of turning point, where "nothing" fits with anything else. I will donate some, use other pieces at home and the few remaining ones I'll turn into dishcloths by cutting and knitting. I guess I'm going for a more "grown-up", "classic" look now (think Audrey, Grace and company in their leisure-wear) even though the odd cool t-shirt and crazy brooch or scarf will have to blend well with those.</p> <p>Since it's truly difficult to find a whole wardrobe of organic fabrics in Europe (or it is too expensive for me), I thought the U.S. might become my Eldorado. Do you have any tips on local labels that would be suitable (ecological, maybe no sweat shop stuff going on either)? If not, then I'd at least appreciate some tips on labels that manufacture high-quality clothing that don't wear down immediately. Right now we don't have a dryer, just a washing machine, so that's no problem either.</p> <p>What I want is to have a wardrobe that doesn't scream "contemporary" but will be nice over a few decades. The odd modern addition will happen now and then, but the backbone should be timeless. </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/turning-beloved-t-shirts-intowhat#post-38228 Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:56:29 +0000 Robin 38228@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>I've got t-shirts that are beloved and belong to a certain time in my life. I can't wear them anymore simply because they're a bit small but I still love the graphics. I have carted them everywhere all this time and now I've decided to turn them into something that will beautify my life and serve as a reminder of a time in my life. A non-wearable tattoo. :)</p> <p>I have 4 t-shirts by x-girl. It's a label by Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth and graphics by Mike Mills who is now a director. I have uncluttered my own mind to admit that I WILL NOT PART WITH THEM. So....what could i do with them to turn them into a keepsake? </p> <p>- framed prints?<br /> - sofa cushions?<br /> - stuffed animals???</p> <p>Any and all input is appreciated. Thanks! </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/any-suggestions-for-decluttering-shirts-and-ties#post-25185 Mon, 02 May 2011 06:37:40 +0000 PaulT00 25185@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>My partner and I both used to work in jobs where it was normal to wear a suit and tie every day, and we accumulated a large collection of good quality 'work' shirts and silk ties. That was quite a long time ago...</p> <p>We now both work from home and the last time either of us wore a formal shirt, let alone a tie, was last year when we went to a funeral. Which means we have a large wardrobe full, plus hanging rails in another room, of used high quality work (i.e. formal) shirts which essentially never get worn but are in too good a condition to just throw out - but if we donate them to a charity shop they will probably just get turned into rags in a lot of cases as they're not 'perfect' enough to resell. They probably cost in excess of £1000 to buy...</p> <p>That's not to mention the 3x20-tie tie hangers full to bursting with multicoloured silk ties!</p> <p>Any helpful suggestions gratefully received, even if they're just 'permission to declutter'! I just have huge difficulty contemplating throwing away or destroying really good quality stuff with a lot of life in it... </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/opinion-poll-clothing-to-get-rid-of#post-21136 Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:37:02 +0000 Arisena 21136@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>Hello everyone, I feel really stuck on this, and need some advice.<br /> Basic situation:<br /> I am a chronic mover, due to school, jobs, family. I used to travel between SF and Washington state every 6 months or so. I started a habit of just getting rid of obvious items and packing everything else up to sort "some other day". That day has finally arrived and now I have a pile of clothing I've been going through.<br /> I have a lot of sweaters and work clothes that my mom-in-law gave me, that I just never sorted through. These are kind of 80s/early 90s short. Like almost belly button short, and don't fit my style. Some are in really good shape, others a little less so (small unobtrusive stains, slight wear). I'm just not sure what to do with them. Right now my options are:</p> <p>1. cut up for rags<br /> 2. sew into soft balls and teddy bears (something I have done before for three nieces and nephew, however, they are now on Guam, so I have no idea who I would give them to)<br /> 3. Goodwill/freecycle/craigslist</p> <p>I'm just torn, I could use them at home, but I know other people would still wear them! Help! </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/how-do-you-know-when-a-bra-needs-to-be-retired#post-38256 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:20:40 +0000 Robin 38256@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>I've never had children, have gone up about half a cup size in 20 years. I can literally wear bras from my teen years (this is NO BOAST btw). </p> <p>I know performance is lacking in a lot of my old bras. How do I know when to throw them out? I need a line in the sand to say "you fit but you're not doing your job anymore". </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/ideas-for-uncluttered-sleepwear#post-39003 Wed, 23 Nov 2011 20:39:35 +0000 awurrlu 39003@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>Hello all - it's been some time since my last posts...</p> <p>Anyway, I was doing a purge of my dresser drawers, and came across a piece of inspiration I had stashed there: a little booklet by a woman who's written some books on minimalism in French named Dominique Loreau. This booklet came with a copy of the French version of the magazine Psychologies, and had a number of tips for uncluttering.</p> <p>One intriguing tip she had was - loosely translated - to skip the fancy nightgowns and pajamas, and use something you can wear as daywear.</p> <p>So, I'm curious: if you were going to have sleepwear you can wear as daywear, what would it be? What would you wear in the winter? What about the summer?</p> <p>My current cold-weather pajamas are a long-sleeved t-shirt and yoga pants. My warm weather pajamas are, well, pajamas.</p> <p>I'm looking forward to reading everyone's suggestions! </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/sewing-buttons-and-repairs#post-36427 Sat, 08 Oct 2011 11:41:40 +0000 toberead 36427@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>Although I know how to sew, I don't do it very often. I will sew on buttons and do minor repairs, but since I only wear my good clothes to the office, I usually don't need to do much sewing. My clothes tend to wear out over years, rather than rip or tear. However, I'm frustrated by the amount of clutter that I accumulate with supplies even for the small repairs.</p> <p>The biggest offender is buttons. Most of my good clothes come with extra buttons (I have a fair number of jackets, shirts and dress pants, for my job), which I appreciate but the buttons are not easy to store. They're often in little plastic bags or attached to paper slips, and they seem to accumulate. Even if I contain them in a box, they're slippery and hard to organize. On the other hand, there's no easy way to label them with the garment they go with, so if I get rid of an item, I end up storing the extra buttons for no reason. Those little tiny bags are too small to label. I also wear a lot of sweaters and they usually come with some colored yarn for repairs - which I feel like I ought to keep but it's even harder to store.</p> <p>I don't want to use up a lot of space (and spend a lot of time) organizing sewing supplies when I don't use them that frequently. (I probably sew on a button once every couple of months.) But at the same time, my work clothes are expensive so I want to have buttons and supplies available if I need them. The sewing baskets I've seen are usually way too large for my needs and not very suited to storing things like extra buttons - they're more oriented to serious sewing. I've looked at craft boxes but I still end up dumping the whole thing out any time I need to find a button. Any suggestions? </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/one-coatjacket-for-dh#post-33049 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:51:53 +0000 juliapenguin 33049@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>My DH has four coats/jackets and all four are worn out. He has a leather jacket, a denim jacket, a pea coat and a warm lined cagoule. </p> <p>He's quite sold on the multitasking idea and is willing to consider having just one coat to replace all four, if a suitable garment exists. So he needs something smart enough to wear on smart-casual occasions (we never have formal occasions), but water-resistant and with a warm lining (he's sooooo skinny and feels the cold) for going out walking.</p> <p>Any ideas? We're in the UK, but I guess most online companies will deliver worldwide. </p> <p>Incidentally I have only one coat myself! Mine, however, is really lightweight because I prefer to wear several thinner layers, even in really cold weather. </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/hats#post-31094 Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:26:23 +0000 mskris 31094@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>I love hats. I wear them to church and other various functions (KY derby parties, easter parties, etc.) and as costumes (I belong to a social club with theme parties). I have at least 12 hats, winter and summer. My problem is that they're difficult to store, because they're fragile (they often have feathers or flowers or other decorative elements that can't be crushed), and I prefer wide-brim hats. Right now I rotate them in/out of hat boxes seasonally, with the in-season ones on 2 shelves in my closet (stacked, which isn't ideal). I have purged a few of them (tossed or given to my dd who wanted them), but will probably acquire more in the future. I'd love to display them on a wall or something, but that's not the best way to preserve them (dust, misshapen). Does anyone have any ideas? What do you think of a display of pretty hat boxes in my bedroom (stacked in some fashion)? I don't have a box for each hat, so that would require some spending...which I'm trying to avoid...</p> <p>Thanks for any ideas/inspiration! </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/where-do-you-store-your-shoes#post-28559 Thu, 30 Jun 2011 04:13:41 +0000 lottielot 28559@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>I need inspiration! With a family of 4, a dh with a shoe fetish and pretty much no hallway storage, many of our shoes end up in our dining room, which is the first room after the hallway and also forms the corridor to the rest of the house. Where do you keep your shoes, what happens to the 'wear everyday' ones, do you have any ideas for how to store them accessibly yet not have a massive pile of shoes out in sight in the room where we eat with guests? There are a lot of them which live upstairs in the wardrobe, but still there seem to be quite a lot which gravitate to this room! Any ideas welcome :) </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/are-consignment-sales-worth-it#post-26345 Wed, 25 May 2011 18:07:49 +0000 rebecca3337 26345@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>I'm considering a new venue for decluttering, and wondered if anyone here had any experience to guide me: the consignment sale.</p> <p>I guess the idea is similar to a consignment store... gently used clothing being sold at reduced prices... but the big difference is that I would be responsible for preparing/hanging/tagging all of my own items. At the end of the sale (basically, a weekend event), I get 60% of any sales, with the rest going to the sale organizer.</p> <p>I'm torn: on the plus side, it seems like a better deal than you get at consignment stores; would save me the hassle of doing a garage sale; and because it is a big event there would be a lot of traffic. On the other hand, it seems like a lot of work -- all clothing items must be on hangers, price tags printed out and pinned to the clothing, etc.</p> <p>Has anyone had any experience with this kind of sale? Are the potential earnings worth enough to justify the time involved? Or should I give up the idea of turning this clutter into cash and just donate it all to goodwill?</p> <p>Thanks for any advice! </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/how-many-pairs-of-shoes-do-you-own-and-why#post-24460 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:33:52 +0000 juliarose 24460@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>Alaskan women, please respond!</p> <p>I'm one of those strange women that does not like to buy shoes. When I moved to Anchorage in November I had 2 pairs of shoes - one pair of tennis shoes and a pair of waterproof hiking boots (bought a few years ago during a very wet Washington construction season). The hiking boots have served me well this winter (combined with warm socks), but they're starting to fall apart. I'll need new winter boots for next year.</p> <p>Here's the thing: My boots are very utilitarian and almost masculine. They're great when I go out to the villages or when I'm on construction sites. But when I'm in Anchorage, I frequently found myself admiring the more fashionable, less functional boots other women were wearing. But I don't think those boots will cut it in the rougher terrain I encounter on construction sites and the unpaved roads in the villages. So I'm thinking about buying 2 pairs of winter boots for next year - one pair for walking around the city and another for the rougher terrain I encounter outside of Anchorage. </p> <p>Being from Washington I almost couldn't justify one pair of boots, let alone 2 or even 3 (I'm thinking cold weather boots for winter, lighter hiking boots for my summer hiking &amp; construction work.)</p> <p>Please, either talk me out of it, or tell me what you have and why. </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/a-thing-a-day-uncluttering-your-home-one-thing-at-a-time#post-4940 Mon, 10 May 2010 11:30:19 +0000 eternalvoyageur 4940@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>Welcome to the ATAD challenge !</p> <p>The challenge is about getting rid of one object a day, for... a month ? A year ? It´s up to you how long you want your challenge to last.</p> <p> Whether you give away, trash or donate the object is immaterial, but it must be gone from your life and space. Putting it into storage doesn´t count; though you are allowed to, say, collect the things in a box to donate them at the end of the month.</p> <p> Oh, and you´re also allowed to cheat and fill your quota ahead of time, like throwing out 7 things on Monday, making that a week´s worth of ATAD.</p> <p> By telling us on here what you got rid of today will not only help with the accountability issues, you´ll also help others rethink their possessions (he got rid of his xyz ? Come to think of it, do I really need mine ?)</p> <p> So, what did you set free today ? </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/maintaining-wardrobes-of-multiple-sizes#post-18252 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:57:27 +0000 geekmommy 18252@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>Hello! Just signed up here today...hope to gather some insight/ideas on this topic. First of all, let me say, I understand the arguments AGAINST keeping clothing that is too big or too small for you. Here I'll present my situation and maybe someone can help me decide if I should keep doing what I'm doing, or change something.</p> <p>I have 4 "wardrobes" right now. 1 resides in my closet. The other 3 are in plastic storage bins.</p> <p>Wardrobe 1: I'm 6 months pregnant so my closet contains my maternity wardrobe and some non-maternity items that I can still wear. About 2/3 of the items are mine, about 1/3 are borrowed from my sister and will be returned to her after I have the baby.</p> <p>Wardrobe 2: One set of storage bins (more than one bin) contain the clothes I was wearing before I got pregnant (the "stuff that fits, or did fit, 6 months ago")</p> <p>Wardrobe 3: One bin contains a selection of "too small" clothes, mostly items that I was thisclose to fitting into before I found out we were expecting (but OK, some are an unrealistic size 6 that I'm just keeping around "in case" I ever get that small again --- unlikely.)</p> <p>Wardrobe 4: One large bin contains a selection of "too big" clothes, basically the best pieces that I thought were worth keeping from the time I had my last child, til I lost the baby weight and got to the point that my pre-pregnancy wardrobe fit me. I expect to be wearing this stuff again in the months following the delivery of my baby until I manage to lose enough weight to get back into what I've labelled as "wardrobe 2" above.</p> <p>Last time I was pregnant I gained too much weight too fast, and it took me almost 3 years to get back to a healthy size that I was happy at. This time I have been gaining weight at a slower, more responsible rate, and thus I expect that some of my "too big" items will be too big even after I have this baby, and as such, they will be purged completely because I don't love the idea of keeping too-big clothes around for nothing.</p> <p>However, I'm wondering if there's anything I can do now to cut back on the amount of clothing items I have. My idea was to tackle each wardrobe separately... the maternity stuff is pretty basic and there's not much there to be purged, but when I put something on, and then take it off because I hate how it looks/feels (ie maternity pants that don't stay up, tops that are too tight/loose/stained), those things I'm getting rid of. I was going to be quite aggressive with my "too small" wardrobe because those are the things I am LEAST likely to get full use out of in a timely manner. It's the too big wardrobe that is throwing me off. </p> <p>Maybe I should wait until I'm actually wearing some of it to decide which things to keep? One big problem with wearing the "too big" clothes is that emotionally it sucks to be bigger than you want to be, so the last thing I want in those bins are clothes that I don't love or that aren't at least somewhat flattering.</p> <p>Oh, and I forgot to mention about the other bin of clothes that are appropriate/convenient for breastfeeding/nursing. I guess we can lump those in with either the maternity (special purpose/limited duration) clothes, or with the "too-big" clothes (again, special purpose/limited duration - hopefully)</p> <p>Anyone have any ideas here? Experiences to relate? </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/grad-school-wardrobe#post-16713 Fri, 31 Dec 2010 18:08:22 +0000 emmylemmy 16713@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>I am ready to let go of my college wardrobe, which is basically jeans and various cheap trendy tops (most of which are fraying, pillin or otherwise displaying their price), plus one (again cheap) black dress that I wear for occasions. All the advice I've found on putting together a basic, classic wardrobe seems to be focused on the 9-5 workplace, which I will not be entering for another 2-3 years. </p> <p>Any advice on putting together an uncluttered wardrobe that is casual but still "grown-up"? Any fellow grad students in a similar conundrum? </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/minimalist-wardrobepersonal-uniform#post-3070 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:18:44 +0000 wintersmom 3070@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>So...I'm trying to clean out my closet and establish a minimalist wardrobe/personal uniform. </p> <p>1) I'm having a hard time letting go of my old clothes, even though I don't particularly like them and they don't fit very well anyway. Any words of wisdom to get me going? </p> <p>2) Has anyone achieved the perfect minimalist wardrobe and/or personal uniform? I'd love to hear about it. </p> <p>Thanks! </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/laundry-saving-idea#post-15433 Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:00:36 +0000 rw86347 15433@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>I work out of the home. So I don't really need to impress those around me with what I wear. This gives me a little more flexibility than others, but this is what works for me.</p> <p>When living in china I remember one of the interns had a beautiful sweater. However I noticed that she wore this sweater everyday for months. And every day the pink and whites were spotless clean! It got me thinking my wear once then wash was over kill.</p> <p>In my closet I have a coat rack. One of those boards that hang on the wall with five hooks. Every night before I undress I look to see if my clothing is really dirty. To be honest 80% of the time my clothing is clean. If it is clean then I hang it on the rack. In the morning when I get up I try and grab from the rack. I usually find that in a given week I will use 7 pair of underware and socks and one pair of jeans and one shirt.</p> <p>It is a great way to save time, money, Easter, soap. And did I mention time?</p> <p>RW </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/where-to-get-rid-of-old-clothes#post-41 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:08:07 +0000 Steph in Seattle 41@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>Just discovered a good consignment shop in my area. The cool thing is, they only let you bring in clothes by appt, and they were full a couple weeks out. It sounds like a bad thing, since it's something I can't get off my to do list for a while. Frustrating, yes. But as I keep doing laundry and organizing, I keep finding clothes that I'm willing to part with, so my consignment pile keeps getting bigger, which means less clutter! </p> <p>I know a lot of shelters are in need of stuff right now, too, with the recession lagging on. Make sure what you donate there is in good condition, so people in need have decent things to wear, too! </p> http://unclutterer.com/discuss/topic/clothing-tips#post-5448 Fri, 21 May 2010 00:17:27 +0000 JamesPiland 5448@http://unclutterer.com/discuss/ <p>-I only buy one kind of sock. Tall, black, athletic cotton. They work for everything since I don't wear shorts. They don't look out-of-place with my formal shoes and suit, and they're comfortable and don't make my feet sweat when I wear them with boots or tennis shoes. I never have to search for matching socks.<br /> -I've been wearing boxers since high school since they were an improvement over the tight elastic briefs I grew up with. But I've recently been wearing bikini briefs and thongs since they make my life much easier when getting dressed for work. There's a stiff dress code at work and anyone who's ever tried to tuck a shirt into pants with boxers and keep everything comfortable and looking clean can tell you it will make you frustrated and uncertain of your appearance when you're done. Especially when wearing a thong, nothing rides, bunches, or rubs. Smaller underwear also takes up less space in the dresser. </p>