Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Cleaning Out My Closet

Hey! It's been a few years since I did a closet update (check it out, way back in November 2008!). The upper sections with my vintage hats and funky purses are pretty much the same, so I didn't photograph them this time. Check out my "Never Seen" archives if you want to take a close look at all my saved special items.

Lately, I've felt like I had too many clothes, so I did a massive cull of everything I regularly wear (or used to wear). Here's what's left of the shoes:
That's the top two shelves - I've had to arrange three pairs to a shelf to make room for all the heels. When I compared all these shoe photos to the 2008 ones, I counted and only 21 of these shoes have lasted just over 2 years in my closet. That's a pretty high rate of turnover!

The middle section:
I keep my Fluevogs at eye level! I also stash my fabric flowers here and there amongst the shoes, along with all my blogger greeting cards, and keep a lipstick handy.

The lower section of the Tower of Shoes:
There are 48 pairs of shoes on the Tower itself, and an additional 29 pairs of flats/kitten heels, summer shoes and boots on the floor. Do you think 77 pairs is excessive? I know it sounds like a lot, but when I actually look at my shoes it doesn't seem so bad. Ha, I think I have a shoe addiction.

I've tucked the boots away underneath in a flash of optimism - Spring will arrive! Really, it will!

I cleared out a bunch of sweaters and rearranged them on the bottom two folded items shelves:
Um, yes, that is a deodorant. Sometimes I put it on after I've tried on my outfit.

That's my Shelf of Newness (with the big gold cuff - shoot, I meant to wear that with the leopard dress!):
Those are my not-yet-worn items, my blouses, and my long skirts and pants. I only have 6 pairs of dress pants, easily the smallest category of clothes I have.

My dresses got a major weeding:
I'm always sad to say goodbye to dresses, but most of the ones I am getting rid of are ones I've either worn enough times or ones that just don't ring my bell anymore.

My skirts:
Another really tough section to weed out! I love skirts and could easily have double this.

My jackets and blazers:
I gave this quite a major cleansing - I had a lot of duplicates (I don't really need more than 4 black blazers, do I?) and some I just didn't wear.

So what's going to happen to my rejects? I'll be doing what I usually do. I arranged them by category in the library, will let my friends go through them, then take the remainder to the "clothes for store credit" store, and possibly the consignment store for any really good stuff she doesn't take.

Only a couple of my friends have the same size feet as me, so I'll get a major score on my shoes:
Yup, some good shoes there.

My girls always get first dibs and Winesday is at my house this Saturday! I hope some of my pretty dresses go home with them:
Not a great display, ha ha, but this will be a disaster once everyone's tried everything on.

The skirts and pants:
Scarves, hats, gloves, accessories, purses:
And a pile of jackets in the corner.

Finally, all the tops:
Blouses, casual tops, sweaters.

It feels good to have my closet clean! I am looking forward to getting all the old stuff out of here - I don't really have emotional attachments to most of my clothes, so it's not too hard to let them go. I have photographic records of nearly everything on this blog, anyway, so if I miss an item, I can search for it and reminisce.

21 comments:

  1. The Fashionista Creed on shoes: Never apologize, never explain. Seventy seven pairs of shoes is a life-style choice, not an immoral act. :)

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  2. You are so good!!! I have trouble getting rid of clothes. I don;t have any room left, yet I must get more!!

    Nice shoe collection, I probably only have about 40 pairs ofshoes. I think I normally only wear about 10 though, need to start rotating...

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  3. Oh, gotta love this! But, seriously 77 pairs of shoes is not near enough. I know for a fact I have way more. Great job though. I know I should do this before I get settled, but it so hard when I don't know where exactly my life is headed. But...now that I'm exercising and losing weight, that will force me to do it once I get closer to my goal and the bigger clothes start to look ridiculous.

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  4. I love having a clean closet. That is an impressive shoe selection.

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  5. Right now, I soooooo want to live in Western Canada! If nothing goes at the giveaway this Saturday, you could always put the clothes on a plane to MN... just sayin'...

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  6. Wow, I wish I could benefit from that closet cleanout. You have some lucky friends! Good job :)

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  7. Shoes! One can never have enough shoes... oh and shoe racks. ;>)

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  8. You have given me a new goal to strive for...77!! I am not near the goal...so I must get to work!

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  9. I've been feeling the itch to purge my closet, too! How fun to get a peek into yours.

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  10. 77 shoes is a small wardrobe. I have 174 pair! Just removed 18, but I am certain they will be restocked by the end of the summer. I shoe shop at lunch when I am stressed out. I really need to find another distraction@

    At one point before I started purging, I was at 250 pair. Most of them have moved onto the feet of two friends who have the same shoe size.

    Of course, I live in a climate where we wear sandals 10 months out of the year and sandals are far less expensive than boots or close toe shoes.

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  11. Wow, looks like you really got organized. I envy your shoe tower - I wish I had so much space for my shoes! I used to have over 100 pairs of shoes, but now I think I am down to about 50 or so. The most important thing is not the number, it comes down to wearing them.

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  12. Shy, you are so right! I like that, I'm going to have to remember that quote.

    Ponchmor, thanks! I have such a lovely closet, I can't stand to see it get so overcrowded. I do wear all my shoes regularly (I rotate them frequently).

    Alison, you think so? I feel like 77 is a lot. I hear you - I don't know what kind of job I'm going to find, but if it requires different clothes, I'll suffer (hee) and buy more.

    Rebecca, me too - thanks!

    Scary, I don't think that's going to happen, ha ha!

    Thanks, Emma!

    Iris, too bad you are so far away!

    Carole, I agree!

    Pam, that's a goal? Okay, go for it!

    Sal, you must have so many clothes! I know you have at least 77 Tsubos alone. ;)

    Lain, really? Holy smokes, I feel better! Wow, I'm glad I've never worked near a shoe store! This is the most pairs I've ever had.

    Virginia, thanks, it felt good to pare down. I agree - it isn't the number. I got rid of ones I wasn't wearing.

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  13. Its sort of weird when you count the stuff, no? Then you have to acknowledge that something might be well, you know.
    Its very cathartic to clean the closet--I did mine a month or so ago, and its still neat! Oh, yeah, I wasnt here......

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  14. Whoa, I thought I had a lot of shoes...I'm not even close. :)

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  15. Talk about organization !
    I admire that you are able to take SO MUCH out at the same time. I wish I could do that. I do it little by little and give it a lot of thought and then give myself reasons why to toss, this so later on I won´t regret it.
    77 pairs of shoes sounds like enough, I have a little over a 100 and i strive to go below 100. I really do not have space for that many pairs.

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  16. Paula, it is! It doesn't seem excessive until you have a number. Ha! My closet is pretty easy to keep neat - I'm good at hanging things back up.

    Terri, I didn't use to be like this, honest! I used to only have 10-12 pairs!

    Lorena, organizing my closet makes me feel more in control of my life - I have to be ruthless...and then I can go shopping again! :) 100 pairs of shoes seems a lot, but I'd easily have that if I added in the ones I'm getting rid of!

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  17. I really like Shybiker's comment! Amen. I think so many of us apologise for too little, too many, buying shoes (...again). I think if you were them with a good rotation, then 77 is your choice.

    Congrats on cleaning out the closet! It always feels good to purge the under utilized pieces.

    One of my favorite things with my blog is learning to really love my clothes, but not fall to pieces to lose something. New and fun clothes come around all the time, enjoy the ones you own and love now.

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  18. Megan, I do too - and he's so right. I do wear all my shoes and I shouldn't feel guilty for indulging in my hobby. Thanks! It feels good to have it nice and clean again.

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  19. I agree with Shybiker, never explain!

    I have a huge shoe collection too, and I've definitely slowed down on the buying of new ones but I wish I hadn't. I honestly am not wearing most of my shoes from a couple of years ago because they are better suited for dresses than pants -- and I haven't bought enough shoes to go with the pants. You've inspired me to stop denying myself. :)

    And man, I have such closet envy. So much space!

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  20. Thanks, Kristen! I would love to see your whole collection - you have some great shoes. Buy more!

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