OK, I worked on my side of the closet too. It’s not as pared down as my husband’s, but we knew that wasn’t going to happen, right? I will never be a minimalist and that is ok. I like having a variety.
I got out all my fall-winter tops and sweaters and tried everything on. Some stuff went but not much. Some things are strictly to take camping — almost loungewear but a step above. Those are stored separately. In these pics I’ve put away the one stack of shorts and replaced it with a stack of sweaters. There is one more short stack of bulkier sweaters which will come out in another month when it truly cools off.
There are some sweaters that I think can go, but I’m giving them til the end of the year to see if they get a fair chance at being worn. Some are old but sentimental (a couple that mom got me), and two are old favorite argyle which is a little preppy, but I love the colors and they’re not easy to find now, plus they still look good when I do wear them. One from Esprit has to be 15 years old but it’s still good!
Pic 1 - The shelves hold jeans and pants on the bottom, sweaters and tops on top shelves. I am ordering an extra shelf for this section because these have a lot of extra headroom and I could use the shelf space more efficiently with one extra. For now, each section in the shelves hold, from top to bottom: two stacks of sweaters, one stack of long sleeve tees, one stack of summer-weight pants that also take me into fall (crops and chinos), one stack of joggers, and one each of boyfriend jeans, bootcut/wide leg jeans, and straight/skinnies.
Pic 5 - In the long hanging section, my most summery dresses have gone away into the off-season storage area, and my long jackets have taken their place. Skirts are all there. I may be up for one or two new skirts and dresses next spring as I let go of a few this year.
Pic 2 - All seasons of short jackets and blazers are on the top rail. Yes, there is still a lot even though I culled out a handful of ones that I’m no longer interested in wearing. I’ll see what the upcoming seasons bring before getting rid of more. I am practicing one-in/one or two out for jackets, but really need to be on a jacket moratorium.
Pic 4 - All seasons of tops are on the bottom rail. Black hangers are for knits and tees; light green hangers are for woven shirts and blouses. Brown hangers are trousers, and tan hold vests. I am practicing one-in/one or two out for tops! I could use some fresh summer tops next spring, as I let go of a bunch.
Pic 3 - The shelf under my jackets holds handbags, including clutches and crossbodies. There are too many, and I’m considering letting go of several. They fit in the space fine, but I’d rather have fewer.
Bags are stored up above on top of the shelves, and also hanging on the side of the shelf unit. Out of season boots trade places with summer sandals twice a year and each gets stored in those boxes up high — I have a little foldable step stool to access all that. I also keep special occasion shoes and clutches in boxes up there (pic 7).
Pic 8 - Workout clothes are folded in bins on the floor/bottom shelf. There are a big variety since I have a lot of different activities and seasons to dress for (bike shorts, hiking pants, yoga clothes, etc).
Pic 6 - The shoe wall contains mine and some of my husband’s shoes (he has some shoe shelves on his side of the closet too). This doesn’t show my 4 pairs of tall boots or special occasion shoes, but otherwise, this is all the shoes, and I am practicing a strict one-in/one-out policy on shoes to keep them from getting out of control.
Whew! It’s a lot of work, and I have a lot of stuff. But I made some thoughtful decisions and got to consider each piece carefully. In some cases I kept items strictly for the color because it’s a color I love that is too thinly represented in my wardrobe. I’ll challenge myself to wear these until I find replacements, but it was a really good exercise to take a good look at what I have and where I want to go with my style and my wardrobe.
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