Extending the life of clothes in your closet
There are days when I can stand in my closet staring at the clothes–all hangin’ and folded and stacked–and remain standing there feeling like there’s not a single thing to wear. [Don’t even try to tell me that’s unfamiliar territory for y’all.] Not a single thing–which is unlikely, unreasonable, and unrealistic. Okay: it’s impossible. Here are some ideas about how to keep the feeling of ‘fresh and new’ (love that feeling,) in clothes that maybe aren’t. ~grin~ A post about extending the life of clothes in your closet.
We aren’t talking about laundered when we talk about fresh–just to clear that right up. Right off the bat I’m just assuming that clothes are hanging, folded, and stacked in a NON-stinky state. Although–making sure clothes are clean is a way to extend their life. For real. Simply use the recommended amount of soap when laundering. Not enough soap leaves dirt in your clothes–and–soap residue will attract dirt.
Idea the first:
–>One way to avoid thinking my wardrobe is tired, boring, dull, stale, blah, blah or uninteresting is to set aside a few items for particular seasons–even if they aren’t particular seasonal. There are the obviously seasonal items: thick sweaters, blazers, skirts and boots–but–I’ll add a favorite top or two and maybe a skirt or dress that can be layered to fit the cooler temperatures.
Same with spring/summer. It’s easy to do–and it feels a little like Christmas pulling the storage bag off of the shelf and pulling the stored items out. That doesn’t mean I don’t purchase fantastic finds, because I do. It’s simply a way to rejuvenate my closet without spending a dime.
Idea the second:
–>End-of-season sales.
[There are treasures to be found in many after Christmas sales going on right now.]
I’ll purchase a couple of things, leave the tags on (because it identifies them as new when I take them out of the storage bag–new is fun), and store them away.
[I just completed the wardrobe transformation/switch from definitely warmer temps to colder ones–and found some treasures that I’d forgotten about. It’s delightful.]
Idea the third:
When I put together an outfit that I love for whatever reason–I write it down. There’s an inexpensive, medium-size calendar on a shelf in my closet. (It doesn’t need to be a calendar–those are just convenient–and bound.) And a pen. I’ll quickly scribble the details of the outfit (for example: levis, gray boots, purple cardi, black sequined tee) on the calendar. I’ll mark a star or two by the ones I really love. It’s a splendid reference for days when I want to look put-together but don’t really have the time or the inkling to style an outfit.
[Because I don’t have fabulous outfits every single day of my live long life–I don’t fill up every day with ideas. I’ve used the same calendar for the last three years. It has been unexpectedly great to use as a reference for what to wear during the change of seasons. Fabulous fall outfits are quite forgotten by the time Spring rolls around. Tun-tun-tun-tah–the calendar is a great source.]
Three simple ideas–well four if you include the laundered one–about extending the life of clothes in your closet.
Do you have any tips for extending your own wardrobe? I would love to hear about them.
2 COMMENTS
Charli
10 years agoYou have such great ideas! I think I need to try a few of these. One idea I have is this: visit a generous friend or relative who has fabulous taste and clothing they no longer want or need. Boom 🙂
Teresa Jones
10 years agoThank you! ~grin~ Aaaaand that is a splendid idea. My face and heart are both smiling.