Yearly dressing capsules ETA an update - YouLookFab Forum

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Yearly dressing capsules ETA an update

frannieb

Veteran

Sorry for all the posts when you have no internet for a week you get to spend lots of time in reflection

when I was young my mom would have us put up or out of season clothes. I got away from that and this is one reason my closet is so jammed - I am going to Bring back the tradition of putting up my out of season clothes. Really in MN why in the world would do I need to have summer dresses hanging in my closet in Jan. Just visual clutter and confuses the dressing.

Thinking of breaking the year into:
Jan-Feb-Mar (coldest) - My heaviest sweaters and wools that really never get worn before Jan because they are just do darn heavy and warm, sweater dresses and such
Apr - May -June - (Springish early summer) - By this point I hate pretty much anything that made the Jan - Feb - Mar - still kind cold in Apr with layers needed - not every crazy overly hot until near the end of June
July - August - okay not 3 months but 2 - I have very casual summer work hours from mid June to mid August
Sept - Oct - Nov -Dec (Fallish early winter not usually crazy cold yet) Back normal work hours - Layers and light sweaters get me through.

By breaking my year into these four chunks of time (based partially on season and work) and reducing the visual clutter in my closet I hope to
1. know better what my closet holes are and shop better - Vivianne file and into mind are my closet inspirations here
2. I have not set number of clothes - so this is not a 33 challenge or anything like that - About minimalism in the sense that I want the right number for of clothes for me and not more then that
3. Wear more of my clothes on a regular basis
4. make getting dressed easier
5. Most importantly I love a completely unique piece of clothing in the sense of a pretty by going this route I make room for pretties by following the concept behind the french 5 piece wardrobe

Thanks for reading and words of wisdom appreciated

Update 1 -

So I just spent 3 hours playing in my closet starting the process - I went to the container store and bought shoes boxes - boxed up all my summer and spring shoes and they are now on the highest shelf of my closet. Why have I not done this before.

next I bought two underbed boxes and sorted two categories out - Apr-May-June and July August - Surprisingly it was really easy to sort - it helps that I have already done a major edit and purge over the summer. 25 hangers cleared out and sorted and a couple more things purged that I had a hard time getting rid of in my initial edit purge phase.

Dressing

15 replies

Latest reply was from Elizabeth P

Staysfit

Veteran

I really love your ideas. They are so clearly thought out. I have nothing to add except I admire your energy. I would be reluctant to change over my closet four times a year. Too much time and work for me. I like the concept, but in practice it would be cumbersome. I plan to follow so I hope you will post about your progress. I couldn't open the link about the french 5 piece wardrobe from Vivienne Files, but it sounds very interesting. Wish I knew more about that!

Anonymous

I have a large closet and don't need to do that, but think it's very practical. The other problem we have where I live is that the temps go up and down. Fall was so cold I went out and bought several warm jackets, thinking we were in for a very cold Winter. Well, this Winter (so far, at least) has turned out to be mild--warmer than Fall was! Go figure. I'm afraid to put anything away, though. Just as sure as I do, we'll get a horrible cold front.

MsMary

Veteran

I think that sounds like a great idea. I live in So Cal where almost everything can be worn year round, but because of space limitations I have moved my summer clothes to the guest room closet and will change them out for the winter clothes in spring. (We've really only got two main clothing seasons here -- coldish and warm.)

Bettycrocker, "putting things away" doesn't have to mean putting them out of easy reach. My out-of-season things are readily accessible in the guest room closet, but they aren't taking up space in my "working" closet in the master bedroom.

And I think the link frannieb was trying to share was this one: http://www.theviviennefiles.co.....meets.html

Anonymous

In my house, every room is occupied by someone, so there is no guest room or guest room closet. Because of that, I'd have to put clothing away, out of reach.

MsMary

Veteran

That makes it harder. When I moved recently I kept a lot of things in wardrobe boxes in the garage while I was camped out in the guest room. If you have room for wardrobe boxes in your attic, basement, or garage, it makes it easier to get to things even if they are "away away." Easier to dig through a wardrobe box with hanging items than a regular box with folded items.

frannieb

Veteran

Great conversation
BettyCrocker
I live in MN and yes during some months we have swings in temp. This november was colder then Dec but really I wasn't going to wear my cold weather sweaters and down jackets - I preferred to layer and save my really cold stuff for Jan. I understand the concern because during Nov and Apr the temps can do some crazy swings.
My thought is if their is a radical swing in temperature my stuff will be easy to get to. I have a couple under bed storage boxes - this works with my bed.

Staysfit
It won't be a be a total wardrobe change out except for July and August - For those months I really do have a very different esthetic because of my casual summer hours. Because it is usually just me in the office with my secretary for about 8 weeks.
Also I might end up breaking up the last grouping into two categories
Sept - Oct - Which would represent late Summer or more likely Summer work wardrobe as opposed to July -August which is summer casual
Nov - Dec - Early winter and holiday
There is some crossover here but definitely clothing that doesn't get worn past Oct.

Ms. Mary
Thanks that was the link I was going for.

This is going to be fun returning to a seasonal wardrobe - nothing beats taking Spring and summer clothes out of storage and prepping winter clothes to go into storage.

Dee

Veteran

My mom used to do the same thing for me. One unfortunate side effect of this though was I ended up a huge wardrobe! I had a full dresser, closet, and underbed storage boxes of clothes. It worked when I was a child but storage is much more limited in the small bedroom I now share with my husband.

But if you don't have space issues, I say go for it! I remember being so excited every summer to unbox my shorts and tees for the summer. And it defintely helps keep your seasonal space tidier and easier to look through, especially if you have such extreme seaonal variation.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I have always done a version of this -- switching out my closet for spring/ summer and then fall/ winter. Since joining YLF I have refined the process and now have something closer to what you describe going on. I actually demarcate 6 seasons! Because September is really "summer fall" where I live....and April is sort of "winter spring." I am lucky in that my out of season clothes can go in the hall closet and I do have access in case of temperature swings. I rarely need them, though. I do partial sorts (of the really heavy sweaters etc.) midway through the season but the pants all stay the same. It works really well for me. I am confused and irritated by seeing all the heavy wools when it is very hot, or all the flimsy cottons when it is freezing.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I just started doing a version of this last year. I have a big closet in my house, so it wasn't really necessary, but like Suz I found it annoying seeing the heavy wool in the summer. Plus my wardrobe is growing

My seasons are very similar, except I break out Sept- mid Oct... when the temperatures are still quite warm, but you feel like you "should" cover up a bit more.

I generally only box up and put away (attic for boxes, small closet in office for hanging stuff), the truly seasonal stuff... the sleeveless blouses, summer dresses, and the heavy sweaters. But some of these cross over seasonal pieces get put away in a box on my closet floor, so easy to access when the weather changes - I don't have the energy for a huge closet change over many times per year. It somehow makes the closet seem more functional and cohesive when what you see is likely to be worn, and it also keeps my interest in the clothes more alive. They can "get old" being seen every day and not worn.

frannieb

Veteran

Elizabeth - I so agree with you can get old not being seen every day.

Suz and Elizabeth - I do think as I get closer to the Sept - Oct - Nov - Dec capsule they will get most likely get broken into two seasonal capsules

Today when I woke up it was so easy to get dressed because the only things in my closet were things I can wear in this weather - no moving things or being distracted. I can see this is going to really streamline my dressing.

Susie

Veteran

I do a version of this too. I have a good sized closet and could probably fit everything in (or at least I could before I gave DH more sections in it!) but I don't want to look at the out of season stuff. It feels so much more fresh when I pull it out at the appropriate time.

Our September and even October can be pretty warm but it's nice to start wearing some fall things and move the really summery out. Then as it got colder, the more transitional pieces moved out too and the cashmere and wool moved in. I agree that it does make dressing simpler.

Windchime

Veteran

I also do a version of this and, like Suz, break it into more than four seasonal "capsules" because I want the variety. Also, September here is too warm for fall clothes and much of April is, sadly, too cool for spring clothes, so I do my own seasonal divisions, including a mini holiday capsule (just finished with that one) and "bleak midwinter", which started today and will run through the end of February.

Congrats on the clothes sorting and organizing; you're going to love your organized, functional closet!

Beth Ann

Veteran

Frannie B --- I'm another one who does seasonal wardrobes, although, living with 4 people in 1,000sq feet means I just rotate things to top shelves and the back of the rack when they're out of season!

I plan for:
Deep Winter (now, Jan-Mar)
Cool Spring (March-May)
Warm Spring/Early Summer (May - July 1)
High Summer (Independence Day to Labor Day)
Warm Autumn (Labor Day - Mid October)
Colder Autumn (Mid Oct - Thanksgiving
Holiday! (T-Day - Epiphany, which is tomorrow)

I have one more than Suz, probably because I'm a big holiday dresser! I'm switching to (sigh) deep Winter at the moment. Fortunately, I've upgraded my sweater collection!

frannieb

Veteran

Beth Ann
I love your categories - As I refine I am now going with your categories
Jan -Feb - Mar: Deep winter
Apr - May: Cold spring
June -July -August: Summer casual (driven by my work schedule more then season)
Sept - Oct - Warm Autumn
Nov - Dec - cool Autumn

I love all the ideas and can't wait to play more in my closet this weekend.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I wanna know what Beth Ann wears on July 2 and 3rd