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Organising Your Wardrobe
I love clothes – I have lots and lots of them, in fact I’ve started to take over Wayne’s side of the wardrobe! The camphorwood chest is full, the top shelf is full, the drawers are full and my clothes are starting to become a problem.
Most of them are many, many years old – some of them I’ve had since before we were married! When I said I love clothes, I should have clarified that with “I love good quality clothes”!
Most of them have been bought on sale, from factory outlets, have been given to me or I’ve picked them up from op shops, but still, I have a lot of clothes in my wardrobe.
Not a very frugal thing, especially for a Cheapskate!
It's true. We wear 20% of our wardrobes 80% of the time. In fact, many people have thousands of dollars' worth of clothes and still feel that they have nothing to wear. You can control the clothing monster and save money, time and energy with just a little effort and some time.
One of the reasons I have so many clothes is that when I buy something, I will buy the very best quality I can afford. I would rather have only one new outfit a year and wear it for 10 years, than have 5 or 6 new outfits that I only wear a couple of times before they're tatty.
So, when it comes to clearing out the wardrobe, often the first things I throw out are those poorer quality items - on a cost per wear basis, they are very expensive! While price does come into a clothes buying decision, it is the cost per wear that usually swings the purchase for me.
If I spend $200 on a suit, but wear it once a week for 5 years, that's 260 wears, at a cost of just 77 cents per wear! But if I pay $60 for a jacket, and only wear it 12 times, that is a cost per wear of $5! Big difference! Before you buy anything new (or gently used) think about the cost per wear and then decide whether it should be added to your wardrobe.
The first thing to do is clear out unwanted clothing. Consider consignment for items in good shape (e-bay is ideal if they are in great shape), or donate them to charity, sell them at a garage sale, or your children's dress-up box.
You know it's time for an item to go when:
Once you have weeded out unwanted items, it's time to organize.
Use hangers that won't end up in a tangled mess in your closet. Sturdy, plastic hangers for both skirts and dresses really do the trick. You can buy boxes of 30 very strong, flock coated coat hangers from Kmart for $9. The flock coating helps garments stay on the hanger - no more shirts slipping off and landing on the wardrobe floor.
Keep the wire hangers under control by recycling them - take the wire hangers back to the dry cleaner or give them to a local charity for clothing donations.
Assemble complete outfits, including accessories, on one hanger. If you work outside your home, this will make daily dressing and packing for a trip a snap.
Line up shirts on one side of the wardrobe to free up space underneath for items such as a chest of drawers, shoe boxes or shoe stackers.
Hang clothes in groups i.e. long sleeved shirts and blouses, short sleeved shirts and blouses, trousers, dresses, skirts, jackets, coats etc. You can be even more organized and hang them in colours if you’re that particular!
Avoid tumbling jumpers by only stacking them two or three high on a shelf. Consider using shelf dividers in between stacks to keep them extra neat.
Move clothes that don't currently fit, but you're not ready to part with, to another cupboard or storage bin. Everything in your day to day wardrobe should fit, be in season, in good repair and flattering to your figure and lifestyle.
Separate your clothing by season and type (professional, casual, special occasion) to make choosing your outfits easier and error free. Choose a date each spring to put away your winter clothes and bring out your warm weather wardrobe. Do the same in reverse in the autumn. When switching your wardrobe, inventory your clothes. Make notes on what you want to replace or update. Cull the too small, too old, too ugly, too stained etc clothing at this point.
Make sure the clothes you are storing have been laundered or dry cleaned. Even if clothes appear clean, invisible stains can cause permanent spots and attract pests.
Cedar products are handy moth repellents because they last a lifetime and don't produce the odour of old-fashioned mothballs. If your cedar loses its scent, simply sand it for a quick revival. You can get cedar balls to put into drawers and on shelves online – not a cheap investment initially, but they do last forever!
Store dressy shoes, evening bags, and special jewellery together in a clear storage box, so they too are protected and easy to locate when you need them.
Categorize your drawers. Put underwear, socks, panty hose, pants, T-shirts, turtlenecks, costume jewellery, and workout clothes in separate drawers. Weed out as you sort and organize.
Keep your scarves folded in a basket on a shelf for easy access and colour matching. You can also hang scarves on the hanger with the outfits you wear them with.
Keep a packet of baby wipes (Aldi Mamia brand are good) with your shoes and give them a wipe over before you put them away after wearing them. They'll always be clean and ready to slip on and it really only takes a minute. This one little tip can keep your shoes in great shape for years.
Taking some time to sort your wardrobe, and get your clothes organised will show you the blanks and what you need to round out your wardrobe. Then you can choose to make-do with what you have, look for op shop bargains, wait for end of season sales or host a clothing swap with your friends, family, neighbours and co-workers.
Just because we live on a budget, doesn't mean we need to dress in rags; be proud of your budget wardrobe, keep your clothes in good condition and wear your fashion bargains with pride.
Most of them are many, many years old – some of them I’ve had since before we were married! When I said I love clothes, I should have clarified that with “I love good quality clothes”!
Most of them have been bought on sale, from factory outlets, have been given to me or I’ve picked them up from op shops, but still, I have a lot of clothes in my wardrobe.
Not a very frugal thing, especially for a Cheapskate!
It's true. We wear 20% of our wardrobes 80% of the time. In fact, many people have thousands of dollars' worth of clothes and still feel that they have nothing to wear. You can control the clothing monster and save money, time and energy with just a little effort and some time.
One of the reasons I have so many clothes is that when I buy something, I will buy the very best quality I can afford. I would rather have only one new outfit a year and wear it for 10 years, than have 5 or 6 new outfits that I only wear a couple of times before they're tatty.
So, when it comes to clearing out the wardrobe, often the first things I throw out are those poorer quality items - on a cost per wear basis, they are very expensive! While price does come into a clothes buying decision, it is the cost per wear that usually swings the purchase for me.
If I spend $200 on a suit, but wear it once a week for 5 years, that's 260 wears, at a cost of just 77 cents per wear! But if I pay $60 for a jacket, and only wear it 12 times, that is a cost per wear of $5! Big difference! Before you buy anything new (or gently used) think about the cost per wear and then decide whether it should be added to your wardrobe.
The first thing to do is clear out unwanted clothing. Consider consignment for items in good shape (e-bay is ideal if they are in great shape), or donate them to charity, sell them at a garage sale, or your children's dress-up box.
You know it's time for an item to go when:
- It hasn't been worn in over a season - exceptions are classic evening wear, sentimental favourites and high quality classics.
- It is permanently stained.
- It is torn beyond repair.
- It was bought only because it was on sale - a bargain is only a bargain when it is in style, fits, and works with what you already own.
Once you have weeded out unwanted items, it's time to organize.
Use hangers that won't end up in a tangled mess in your closet. Sturdy, plastic hangers for both skirts and dresses really do the trick. You can buy boxes of 30 very strong, flock coated coat hangers from Kmart for $9. The flock coating helps garments stay on the hanger - no more shirts slipping off and landing on the wardrobe floor.
Keep the wire hangers under control by recycling them - take the wire hangers back to the dry cleaner or give them to a local charity for clothing donations.
Assemble complete outfits, including accessories, on one hanger. If you work outside your home, this will make daily dressing and packing for a trip a snap.
Line up shirts on one side of the wardrobe to free up space underneath for items such as a chest of drawers, shoe boxes or shoe stackers.
Hang clothes in groups i.e. long sleeved shirts and blouses, short sleeved shirts and blouses, trousers, dresses, skirts, jackets, coats etc. You can be even more organized and hang them in colours if you’re that particular!
Avoid tumbling jumpers by only stacking them two or three high on a shelf. Consider using shelf dividers in between stacks to keep them extra neat.
Move clothes that don't currently fit, but you're not ready to part with, to another cupboard or storage bin. Everything in your day to day wardrobe should fit, be in season, in good repair and flattering to your figure and lifestyle.
Separate your clothing by season and type (professional, casual, special occasion) to make choosing your outfits easier and error free. Choose a date each spring to put away your winter clothes and bring out your warm weather wardrobe. Do the same in reverse in the autumn. When switching your wardrobe, inventory your clothes. Make notes on what you want to replace or update. Cull the too small, too old, too ugly, too stained etc clothing at this point.
Make sure the clothes you are storing have been laundered or dry cleaned. Even if clothes appear clean, invisible stains can cause permanent spots and attract pests.
Cedar products are handy moth repellents because they last a lifetime and don't produce the odour of old-fashioned mothballs. If your cedar loses its scent, simply sand it for a quick revival. You can get cedar balls to put into drawers and on shelves online – not a cheap investment initially, but they do last forever!
Store dressy shoes, evening bags, and special jewellery together in a clear storage box, so they too are protected and easy to locate when you need them.
Categorize your drawers. Put underwear, socks, panty hose, pants, T-shirts, turtlenecks, costume jewellery, and workout clothes in separate drawers. Weed out as you sort and organize.
Keep your scarves folded in a basket on a shelf for easy access and colour matching. You can also hang scarves on the hanger with the outfits you wear them with.
Keep a packet of baby wipes (Aldi Mamia brand are good) with your shoes and give them a wipe over before you put them away after wearing them. They'll always be clean and ready to slip on and it really only takes a minute. This one little tip can keep your shoes in great shape for years.
Taking some time to sort your wardrobe, and get your clothes organised will show you the blanks and what you need to round out your wardrobe. Then you can choose to make-do with what you have, look for op shop bargains, wait for end of season sales or host a clothing swap with your friends, family, neighbours and co-workers.
Just because we live on a budget, doesn't mean we need to dress in rags; be proud of your budget wardrobe, keep your clothes in good condition and wear your fashion bargains with pride.