YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Recurring closet organization

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Recurring closet organization https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:01:05 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php donnat on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517511 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 23:01:04 +0000 donnat 1517511@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I love these closet posts . Most of my stuff, except for the icelandic wool sweaters, and velvet are in my closet. The rest is in a cedar chest in the basement. I just get really bogged down trying to put a season to everything. The really obvious, ok...but lots of sleeveless tops I wear all year. I do move the current things to front and center. Then there is the "doesn't quite fit" catagory. I guess that is another topic. unfrumped on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517498 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 22:19:16 +0000 unfrumped 1517498@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Round and round it has been for me, too , Marlene. I have intended to do a bit of both--I have to store my cashmere and wool in special ways and I have a LOT (too much, the year of attrition is coming!) but I keep finding that the more off-season I allow myself, the more I accumulate. So something is going on, psycho-wise. It is all related to culling and honing in a way, with more strategy, maybe--not just to get rid of things but to see which things are helping with the "in-sight wardrobe" plan, the more versatile plan, more overlap between roles and goals when possible. Marlene on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517467 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 21:24:44 +0000 Marlene 1517467@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh man, I have been going round and round about this topic. I finally came to the conclusion about myself that  I really hate having any of my clothes put away for a season.  I find myself digging through boxes to find the thing I don't have hanging.  In the end, I decided to purge and purge and purge until everything fit into my current closet.  Everything.  The only stuff that is in storage  are the items that are too small and I want them for when I get back into that size.  I do have my very seasonal stuff in baskets up on the high shelf out of the way.  But they are accessible.  But I sort of came to the conclusion that most of my clothes were year-round so I wanted them nearby all year.  It was just too hard to label everything with a specific seasonal label.  I like having everything right there all the time.  E on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517445 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 21:01:04 +0000 E 1517445@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ That makes sense! A lot of my sleeveless blouses are year-round for me, even now that I'm in a true four season climate, because I just vary the topper, bottom, & overall colour scheme. Some of my sleeveless dresses work like that too. Although I'm very attached to season-specific fabrics too (like velvet or corduroy, which I wouldn't wear even if the weather allowed me to during the summer, because it'd feel weird to me), so my closet's a mix. unfrumped on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517421 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 19:58:46 +0000 unfrumped 1517421@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ kerlyn, I hear you on that! I am enjoying "capsule thinking" but in more than one sense, as in, workwear capsules, and even seasonal capsules for coordinating outfits, but am thinking I don't need to limit my visible wardrobe to just a "12-week capsule" which is one approach that works for some people. kerlyn on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517406 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 19:32:51 +0000 kerlyn 1517406@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In my old house (which had small closets), I kept off-season clothing in large rubbermaid bins in the basement.  Now in my newer house, hubby and I share a decent sized walk-in closet.  We got rid of the bins and now keep everything either in the closet or dressers. (We added 2 small Ikea dressers as nightstands).  I really love being able to see everything , and I like being able to easily pull out pieces to layer. As it's not a huge closet, I think it keeps me a bit more accountable as far as shopping goes. When it starts to look a little too stuffed I need to quit shopping and/or get rid of some things!   I guess my system wouldn't work if you're using a capsule wardrobe.  I tend to just pull my warm weather items to the front of the closet in summer, but here in the north I often have to "borrow" from my fall and spring capsules on the cool days. Good luck with your organizing! unfrumped on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517403 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 19:09:32 +0000 unfrumped 1517403@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Well, I'm trying to reduce the holding zone, actually. For seasonal things I found I was working enough with my things  that could do double-duty, say in spring and fall, perhaps with a change of accessories, or combine with pale neutral vs,. dark neutral. Or that those types of items are goals for new purchases. I also found I'm more of a wear-now person and if I like something, I don't like to have to put it away for months, I tend to like to put it through a lot of combinations. E on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517393 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 18:38:10 +0000 E 1517393@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Good idea! Sort of like a more elaborate holding zone. I have enough rack & drawer space to keep everything in the same place year round, just shuffling the order to make the most used clothes the easiest accessible by season. And I have a fairly maximal closet! I feel you on the difficulty of those cold hard numbers re: how many wears each item can get when you have quite a few. But I do love having the colour & texture & print variety. It's a dilemma! Alassë on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517372 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 17:55:23 +0000 Alassë 1517372@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sounds good; please keep us updated on how you like the systems as you go along! Laura (rhubarbgirl) on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517333 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 16:46:35 +0000 Laura (rhubarbgirl) 1517333@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In my new closet (we moved a year ago, I guess I should stop calling it new) I've got two sets of rails - one is full-length and one has two levels. I normally put the dresses on the first, with tops and jackets on the top of the second and pants and skirts on the bottom. As it got warmer this summer I started getting a little nuts about having everything mixed up together - like you say, I theoretically could wear some of the spring/fall stuff especially to work events, and I still need to have it somewhat accessible for when meetings pop up, but on an ordinary day I just won't want to, because it's not as versatile and comfortable in the heat. I ended up pulling out all the summer pieces and putting them on the full-length rail so I could pull from them first, adding in from the other stuff if I needed to. I agree with you that sometimes absence does make the heart grow fonder - I can have items that are perfectly fine and seasonally appropriate, but I'm just not feeling it. Put them away for a month and then pull them out again and they feel novel. Tina on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517332 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 16:44:59 +0000 Tina 1517332@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Thanks unfrumped! You are so good at explaining yourself in written words. I often contemplate some of these same ideas, thanks to you I now have one more. The last one you mention is new to me. rachylou on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517330 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 16:43:51 +0000 rachylou 1517330@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ You have me thinking. I have only one closet in my WHOLE apartment. I definitely pack off-season. But, for example, we are having a March day in July. Today I'm just suffering, but it would be nice to be able to just reach in and bring out something warmer. So my thought: wheeled storage boxes... unfrumped on "Recurring closet organization" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/recurring-closet-organization#post-1517296 Thu, 09 Jul 2015 16:00:56 +0000 unfrumped 1517296@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Beware the long post on organization. The short version is still, “less is more” so you could stop reading now! But, I am trying something a little different for me, for organizational junkies out there. After adding things for summer events, and falling for white pants x 2, I need to review and cull and all that. I still waffle on closet organization in terms of what to keep in main closet vs. store away. Obviously have to moth-proof some deep winter items, and don’t need linen T’s in January. Where I go back and forth is on whether to do that 3-month (or whatever) “capsule” thing with a commitment to those items and swap out completely every few months, vs. what to do with “transition” items or multi-season items. With air-conditioning, I sometimes wonder if I need any “summer” work wardrobe   at all ! Yet I do, mainly for 1) strong attraction to shifting color palette at least somewhat and 2) benefits of having a reasonable selection of washable items (meaning, will I really  wash/handwash this)   in high summer, and 3) lighter toppers really are helpful. My original plan a year or so ago was to keep out all multi-season items year-round. Then I fell off that wagon and started more of a shorter-term focus thinking, keep out only stuff I'm wearing right now. However, I think the reason was because I had too many items, some great and some maybe, and it was too much to keep out,. However, I like and want to repeat more times per season and per year than would be possible with the larger number of items. For example, if I have 20 tops that are seem limited to summer, that’s only 3-4 wears in 3 months. That is not only a resource issue, I actually don’t find fit/quality/versatile happiness items in that many items ! (perhaps I’m not shopping in the right places, thank heavens! I have enough main closet space  to have “for sure seasonal” items on a top rail, and multi-season, “might wear in July in A/C items, might wear on a cool fall day items) on the lower rail, if I don’t have quite as many. Then I can “see”     the next weather system and “shopping season” in advance, since they overlap anyway, and am less likely to buy what may be duplicate/wear-splitting items. The second organizational concept, which is not mine either, but borrowed from blogs, that I want to combine with this, is to focus  the main closet almost exclusively on the definite “yes” items, even if a little behind or in advance of season, so I will definitely wear them more often and less seasonally-restricted,  and use the spare closet/holding zone for all of the “maybe’s”. Then I “shop”  that , maybe focusing on just an item or 2, to see if they can be recombined, keep or toss. I expect this will seem so obvious to others, but it is a shift from viewing the spare closet as mostly a seasonal concept, to more of a division between “yay” and  “maybe .