Bi-Annual Closet Swap-Over: The Whole Shebang

Holy smokes, Gentle Readers, I've been slammed this week with so many fun things to do, that I've had to push back the Bi-Annual Closet Swap-Over post to.. NOW! 

My next outfit post will be a Three-Fer (Tuesday's outfits, plus Wednesday's) due to general Life Business getting in the way of my writing time. If you're curious to compare, the last Swap-Over was here at the beginning of April/end of March.

Are you ready, my friends? Grab a cuppa and buckle up, buttercups! Here we go! 

Accessories, Belts

I started my Swap-Over on Saturday after brunch, with my scarves and belts, and then did my jewelry. I store my scarves both on this old CD tower (where all the best chi-chi brands live) with the rest in boxes for me to root around in (and Vizzini sometimes sleeps in them). 

BEFORE! I'm a visual person, so I need my things out where I can see them, or I'll forget what I have and then that's just no good. 

AFTER! I dusted, vacuumed and tidied up the area, then unpacked my stored fall/winter scarves and belts.

My big purse-bags live in this corner, plus a shoebox and 3 round hat-boxes for storing all of my belts (I like them gently rolled). I weeded out a few belts/scarves that I don't wear or that no longer inspire me - off to Limbo! 

BEFORE! This is my jumble of spring/summer scarves.

These are in a corner between my closet and my steamer. 

AFTER! So tidy! They won't stay that way for long...

I sorted them by function - the upper box is more outerwear/warm scarves (plus my velvet scarves), then the two lower boxes are roughly sorted by colours. 

The belts and scarves took less than an hour to do, so then I moved onto my jewelry, which I keep in our bedroom. As you can see, I found a spot for the painting that L got for his birthday from Cat and Ross. 

Jewelry

BEFORE! 

I have two big jewelry boxes, plus some dishes and bowls that I store things in by type, eg. large earrings, rings, Brutalist, etc. I know it's a jumble - but I need to see things!

What's in these boxes, precious? 

That's the "off-season" stuff. I've accumulated a lot of jewelry over the years, so I store away non-seasonal things. For example, I split my copper into "with turquoise" and "without turquoise" so I have a mix for each season. I also put away "darker" jewelry, like my brass and Brutalist pewter pieces. 

I unpack that box and bag and...

...it's CHAOS!

The arrow is pointing at a terrified little kitty burrowed under my robe - he does not like Swap-Overs very much. 

As I unpack the fall/winter, I decide what's going away for the season, and pack it up and back in the box it goes. As always, some goes into the Limbo pile. 

My display containers - I've been using amber glassware for years (I collect Indiana Glass Company specifically - that's the darker iridescent one on the lower shelf - the others are not part of that line). It's a good way to actually USE some of my collection. I've also picked up flat dishes for laying out some of my mini-collections. 

I like that I can pick any of these up and dump them out on the bed to paw through. 

The black velvet display has been wonderful for my bracelets and keeping them neat. These all got a good cleaning and then I let them dry/air out on Vizz's scratching post. 

A few pics of the containers in action. 

A bowl of Big Earrings, and a dish of Brutalist pendants. Some of my long necklaces are hanging behind them.

My Gram S's jewelry box holds vintage jewelry, including brooches, copper, amber and earrings. 

The earring tray at the bottom lifts right out for easy perusal.

AFTER! A good dusting, and it's all nice and tidy again. 

I love having a new "wardrobe" of jewelry to play with, and much of this is complementary to my fall/winter clothing. 

A visual palate-cleanser for you before we proceed to the big closet.

A tiny flower and an acorn cap, noted near the driveway. Ah, nature loves a pop of red! 

The Closet

I did my closet Swap-Over on Monday (it was a stat holiday in BC), and I was so grateful to have the extra day, after visiting with my family at Mom's place on Sunday. This part takes about 6 hours - I started at 11am and finished for a late dinner around 6pm, with a few breaks here and there to stretch and eat.

BEFORE! 

I am fairly good at hanging things back up when I'm done wearing them - everything has a home! - so my closet is never really messy. I had it custom-built in 2007 as the original was just a ball light, and a rail and plank shelf on either side, just a completely useless and inefficient space. 

Now, the shelving goes up to the ceiling, but I still have lots of extra room behind and below the rails where I can store off-season things. 

As always, I begin at one side and work my way methodically around to the other, removing anything that is overtly seasonal (100% cotton, 100% linen, bright summery colours), loosely fold it up and stack it on the floor. 

I used to zip and button things up, and fold nice and neatly, but then I got a steamer. Game changer! Wrinkle away, I'll steam you out in 6 months! 

I use Windex on the shiny surfaces, and Murphy's Oil Soap on the wood, and clean as I go. This is what's left after I did the left side of the closet - I kept out heavier fabrics and materials (leather, suede, wool), and darker colours, but also kept a few things that make me happy, like that pink tulle skirt. I find that keeping some bright, vibrant pinks and yellows is very cheering when it's 100% gloom outside. 

That's me in my Klassy pink tee and Adidas track pants. This is sweaty work! 

I toss the hangers into a pile over here beside my Walking Shoes shelf. 

That's only from the one side of the closet - by the time I was done, this pile was massive.

Because I shop all year round, I often buy things off-season, like a wool skirt in June, for example. That all gets shoved back in behind my short skirts. 

I'm about to pull them all down! Look out! Clothing avalanche! 

This is all the new-to-me stuff that I get to wear and enjoy. The plastic bag is the first of three big bags that I filled with things for the Limbo pile. 

Speaking of, I spy a price tag from the Limbo pile - that's the blue plaid wool Arola skirt that was a Regret-Me-Not from the July Limbo sale. It looked so good in pictures, I had to keep it at least another season. 

The short skirts have been gone through, as have the blazers and jackets, and now...onto the shoes! 

I need a ladder to reach the ones up at the top! 

As I remove the shoes and boots from the closet, clean the shelves and then line the shoes up down the hallway...it's quite a visual, isn't it? 

There are 58 pairs of shoes, sandals and boots there. 

Let's not forget these few hiding around the corner, not visible in the above pic. 

I know, I have a lot of shoes. This doesn't include 3 pairs that were stored in boxes in the closet, my archived shoes (for display only, no longer worn), or any of the fall/winter boots, which have not yet been unpacked. 

Unpacked? Where DO I keep all my off-season things anyway? 

At ground level! There are a bunch of bags under the clothes on the left, and a big plastic tub and more bags on the right. None of this gets in the way, and it keeps Vizzini from climbing under my clothes and napping and/or getting trapped in the closet. I store things in Fluevog bags (some plastic, some fabric). I ensure that wools are wrapped inside polyesters to keep them from the moths. 

All those bags are now pulled out. Vacuuming commences, cat hides (he often ventures out at this time to try to sleep in a corner). 

You can see the mountain of hangers in the mirror, but I still ran out - some of the clothes hanging here had to be packed away. 

No more hangers allowed! That's a self-imposed rule - it helps me to rein in my impulses to Keep Everything. If I want to keep shopping (and I do!) then I have to let things go or put them away to make room.

How many bags fit under the clothes anyway? Glad you asked! 

There are 16 bags here, full of fall/winter clothes. Cold weather clothes are bulkier, so more bags - I only had about 8 spring/summer bags to stash back under. 

I opened up one bag at a time, exclaiming and welcoming each piece back as I hung it up and placed it in the closet. And at last, most of the hangers have been used up. 

As I emptied each bag, I refilled it from the folded stacks, and pop it back in the closet. 

Yes, we have a black bear head. Rar! My brother-in-law is a hunter. 

My off-season shoes are stored in flat plastic tubs under the bed - I have three of them. These went back on the shoe shelves first.

Then I loaded them up again with spring/summer sandals and any other shoes that felt like they were warm weather footwear only. Back under the bed you go - see you in April! 

I then cleaned off the top of my lingerie chest (and did a small weed-through of the clothes in there), and removed all my purses, shoes and boots from the Walking Shoes shelf, and gave it a good cleaning. 

AFTER! 

Purses all nice and tidy (a few of them also are packed away for the season), walking shoes all lined up (I also put a couple of pairs into spring/summer). 

This is where the magic happens - I steam out my outfits here, select accessories, sit in this chair to put my shoes on. 

AFTER! The closet, section by section 

Starting on the left, from the ceiling down. At the very top are archived shoes and my small collection of hats, tiara and fascinators. I can see them, but don't access this section much. 

Below that (left to right): 

• Plain chunky sweaters
• Cardigans (only 3 - I'm not really into cardis these days)
• Casual pants

And on the shelf under that: 

• Fancy/patterned sweaters
• Thin/mesh layering tops
• Sporty jackets (these are my new cardigans, ha ha!)
• Special tops (eg. acid-wash vests, bustiers, vests, that sort of thing)

One more shelf, which holds the things I reach for the most: 

• Thin, short-sleeved knit tops
• Black knit tops and sweaters (this is a new pile for me - it made sense, as I'm often looking for a black top)
• Long-sleeved solid-colour sweaters
• A couple of legging-style pants, with a few new-to-me, not yet worn things on top of them. 

On the hangers below, midi-length to maxi-length skirts. I kept so many of these out this year, that I had to move my blouses somewhere else! I am a bit of a skirt junkie...

Moving on! This is the next section on the left. 

Costume-y things like my top hat, wigs, a fur muff, long gloves, and odds and ends. The boxes they are sitting on contain some archives, like my Dad's sweaters. 

Below that is my dress rail. Note that all the hangers in these sections have been turned the Wrong Way. As I wear them, I hang them up the Right Way. This is the best way I've found to wear everything in my closet. I don't necessarily get rid of things because I don't wear them in 6 months (or even a year), but it does show me what I don't reach for.

My newest/not-yet-worn items are at the front/closest to the door - this reminds me to wear them first! 

Over to the other side, furthest from the door. At the very top are more costume-y things like hats, and a very cool (and VERY high) pair of Fluevog boots that I've archived. 

I have fewer short skirts now than I've had in over a decade! I do tend to wear them more in cold weather, as I match them up with tights and tall boots. No miniskirts after 30? I say PSHAW to that! 

You'll note that this is where my blouses have gotten moved to. As I've shifted to wearing concert/graphic tees again, my blouse needs have dropped. They are mostly for layering under blazers and looking extra-profesh at the office. 

And boy, do I ever love blazers! Oh, and pants - there are a few "good" pairs on the far left. 

Loads of blazers - I've cleared a bunch out that weren't ringing my bell. And if you noticed that I sort by colour, gold star for you! 

Ready for the Tower of Power? Here are my shoes! 

Way up at the top, near the ceiling are my dressy heels. I might wear these for parties or a special event, but they don't need to take up real estate on a lower section. 

For the first time in a LONG time, I gave up two shelves for some of my bulky sweaters and skirts. I won't be wearing these until it gets colder, and they take up a lot of room, and annoy me when I'm trying to get them down or put them back.

I tend to arrange my shoes with higher heels in the upper areas, and lower heels closer to the floor. 

Each shelf holds three pairs - it's good to see so many old favourites! 

Some of these have been with me for over 10 years. 

And the final AFTER shots - looking in. 

The black triangle is my pirate hat, and the fuzzy blob hanging down at the entrance is my pirate monkey. The chandelier is decorated with a couple more fascinators (Vizzini is fascinated by these, so the name is apt!), and I also have a piece of tile art (it's a poppy) above the mirror.

Hi, Felicita! She oversees the closet.

Looking out at the den/closet room - L worked on the computer and played music while I worked. 

And finally, some shots of my displays. This shelf has the few perfumes I own, my first pair of Fluevogs (now archived), glass beaded belts, and pins and brooches for wearing on coats and jackets. 

Two fancy going-out purses, and my solid copper belt. 

Below that, two more purses, my Craig Morrison "Bug Bag" and the aforementioned "big bags" for things like Winesday, sleepovers and going to Ye Olde Pandemic Park. 

My boxes of belts (and my pink popcorn socks). 

My fall/winter scarves, an original piece of art, and more purses displayed on the wall with clear push-pins. I also have fancy leather gloves on the side of the CD tower and the side of the bookshelf. 

This is Vizzini's food area, so I keep it clean and non-tempting for him (easier now that he's older!). 

A look at this side of the room. The big bookshelf is one of L's shoe storage areas - he also gets the linen closet in the hall, where he has another two dozen pairs. We both store hats on top of it. 

You'll recognize the pine table on the right from my "Stuff" shots. The shelf above that holds my sunglasses and my different frames - I like to change my glasses up every so often - plus a couple more purses. 

I didn't do a swap-over of my coat closet - it's still warm enough that most of my leather and cloth coats are adequate. 

But I did turn the hangers "backward" so that I spread the love around! This is one of our hall closets - I get half, and L gets half. He also has a lot of coats and blazers, plus he gets the main closet in our bedroom. He does a swap-over too - the man has a lot of shirts. 

And last but not least, the hall stand is where I keep our gloves and outerwear (scarves and hats) for actual weather. 

I get the right side, L gets the left. All of my toques, berets and gloves are now ready to be worn! 

Phew, I'm exhausted. I'd better go see how my little traumatized kitty is doing. 

"I'm invisible!"

Oh, do you think so, bud?

"I'm completely hidden in this very safe box."

Okay, that has to be the cutest thing ever! 

My friends, I hope you enjoyed this tour through my Closet Swap-Over process! Please feel free to ask questions - I've been doing this for at least 10 years, as my collection of clothes has grown, so I'm pretty much an expert, hee hee. 

Thank you - as always, Gentle Reader - for visiting my little corner of the blogoverse. See you again soon with outfits to share!