Seeing it All

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I knew there was never going to be a pretty/cheap way of storing all my clothes.  There’s just too much stuff and seeing as our new home was never going to be about concealing our posessions in minimal and neat ways, we were just going to have to bite the bullet and let it all hang out.  With a tight budget and crappy rental furniture (why do landlords give the shonkiest furniture in the world…) I had to go for something a little non-traditional.  Rolling up and stacking all of my dresses/skirts/trousers onto industrial shelving was the only budget way of doing things save for sucking things into scary vacuum packs and stacking them like supermarket meat (*shudder*).

A few weeks in though, my budgeting ways have actually extended beyond my expectations.  Now that I wake up and SEE all of my clothes, I suddenly start putting together outfits with really old things and most importantly, I haven’t felt the urge to buy anything new and with the exception of the local vintage shop, I haven’t actually bought anything for about three weeks which for me is a rarity.  I’ll just stand in front of this monstrosity for a few seconds and something will catch my eye as I’ve rolled and stacked them in a way so that nothing is hidden.  Everything is suddenly looking a whole lot more appealing.  I suppose the same effect would be achieved if I had miles and miles of shiny rails and everything was hanging on them but again, with space/budget issues, this is like the poor man’s version.

On the eve of London Fashion Week when I used to be silly and frivolous and want to buy new things because of a ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ attitude or a trend-chasing mentality where I felt I really wanted something NEW all the time, I’m happy to make do with what I have and go with whatever the rack ejects…  This thread on TFS where questions of ‘When is it ENOUGH?’ are asked, springs to mind immediately.  So seeing as it’s plain-in-my-face that I’m not actually lacking in clothes, I’m taking a bit of a trendless approach in outfits for fashion week.  I’m still pondering my humongous post on the subject of the death of trends, sparked by this indepth JC Report series feature going by the same name.  I go back and forth on the subject and constantly have really disparate takes on all the issues related to a loaded statement like that, but speaking about this particular period of time, without the input of new purchases, I’m perfectly content with the stuff that I do have and revelling in it all again even if it’s not entirely ‘on-trend’ (ah…that dreaded word…).  Shame on me for not being able to go with peg-legged trews, stunning/shocking stilettos and Givenchy-esque dressy blouses…       

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63 comments

  2. Honey is that your CLOSET?
    That is fricking insane!!!! How do you find anything!? *gapes*
    HAHAH 🙂 I love it though. It’s so colourful and artsy.

  3. goodness!! i have something a bit similar on two opposing walls in me bedroom, but i don’t have nearly as much selection as you. can’t wait to see what you pull together for london fashion week though!

  5. Whoa! Is it just me or does it kind of look like you take one thing out and it all falls down? Or is that just me? (No offense.) What’s not just me is the lack of anting new stuff – I was wondering if anybody else had that! I think it’s the backlash to spending the last week of August coveting all the fall stuff . . .

  6. Surprisingly, I’ve rolled all the clothes up in a way that if I take something out, it all stays rather rigid… It is better than the way I used to keep it where I would have to haul out everything just to get one thing at the back of the wardrobe….
    I was thinking of some sort of a screen but right now this cheapie system of mine is making dressing a whole lot more fun…

  7. Holy shit! That’s a lot!
    What about IKEA for some ‘storage ideas’? … you don’t really seem like an IKEA kinda girl though, to be honest.
    The main reason why I suggested IKEA is because you can get good things for a really good price!

  8. ah, lovely, it looks like a christmas party!
    so i remember you some saying that it was time to start honing in on your signature style, could this be the beginning of the process?

  9. The shelving is from Ikea actually…. I was on such a tight budget that even their most basic wardrobe solutions were out of my reach…. or really I didn’t want a conventional wardrobe because that’s what I had before and it made it REALLY difficult to SEE my clothes because of the sheer amount…..

  10. That system looks like it probably works. I can’t see all my clothes, so I end up wearing the same things over & over, unless I make a real effort. Closts are at a real premium here. [NYC]

  11. Holy shiznit! That’s insane! I’ve recently moved and before, during and after the move, I spent a good amount of time pruning my wardrobe! Seeing this just makes my jaw drop! But then again, you’ll need alot of crayons to create a masterpiece, so why not a whole lot of clothes! Thanks for sharing.

  12. SO INSPIRING!!! I just came home from Ikea, looking for exactly something like this – sat down with a cup of tea to read your blog before facing more unpacking! I love it – that’s exactly right, when you can see everything at once, all sorts of new ideas come popping out of the closet (literally). What Ikea shelving is it, the one with glass shelves?? I think – no curtain or one of those completely sheer ones…

  13. Thank you, dear, dear Susie!!! I no longer feel alone. My closet and bedroom look very similar to this and have avoided shopping since January. Lately though, I’ve been going through my weekly copy of Grazia folding the corners of pages to mark items I will be hopefully getting in the Xmas sales if indeed I get to make my annual trip to London. Just remember everything old comes back round…. And being the fantastic eclectic individual that you are is on trend enough for any season.

  14. It looks pretty sensible, clean, and efficient to me, after seeing the “wardrobes” in London apartments and houses. I kind of like how it looks.

  16. Dang! You have an insane amount of clothes. My clothes can fit in a tiny five foot long closet! LOL.
    It is great that this new setup has given you more visual access to all the clothes that you own.
    I think eventually that people get over wanting to be overly trendy because they find what suits them and eventually know what they really truly like. And then once they have that down they can branch out into current trends that sparks their interest. I’m sure, after all, that not everyone wants 5 inch tall marni wedges until they see them. But, they can tack them onto their original style if it suits them.
    I’m not sure I am making any sense!

  19. SO MANY CLOTHES!!! How do you know where anything is though? Do you have like a certain shelf for your favorite things or something?

  21. omg, you have lots of stuff… i rotate out my spring/summer and fall/winter wardrobe. storing out of season pieces in clear boxes until i need it again. still my extra room is filling up too…. : (

  22. woah! is that your wardrobe or the storeroom of some clothe shop??!! that’s a lot of clothes (nice ones too!)! how do you find anything?

  23. This is the thing… it is actually an upgrade from how I used to store things in a NORMAL wardrobe… all my dresses would be stuffed into one comparment and if I wanted something I’d have to take everything out and then put it all back in again….
    Things were always wrinkled anyway…there is just no way I can hang up all my dresses because there are so many…
    This way, I have rolled things up, the in the way that I do for packing and whilst something things (silk etc..) will always get wrinkled, others are perfectly fine….
    The top shelf is all skirts, the next shelf is all dresses, the third shelf is all my trousers/jeans and denim/more structured skirts folded up.
    I’ve also ish-colour co-ordinated things so that it goes from yellow-red/pink-blue/purple-grey/green.
    It’s funny how ppl are asking ‘How do you find things?’ when for me, it’s actually waaaaaaaay easier to find something than how I used to store things in my old place….

  25. Sweet Jesus do you have a lot of clothes! I should post a picture of mine one day, so tiny I run out of clothes to wear before the week ends haha~

  26. Oh dear… the thing is that’s not even all of it…there are four boxes on top of the shelf with all my knitwear and unworn jackets…. then there’s a rail with all jackets/coats and some special dresses and then the chest of drawers with all t-shirts and tops with a big box of leggings/tights and another box of slipdresses/skirts…. irk….
    Lucy: The shelving is from the Laxvik range…
    SATC-type walk-ins are just unheard of in London…. especially if you’re renting…. fitted/built in wardrobes are a luxury and the best you can hope for is a wardrobe at all… the one that came with my flat is now my boyf’s wardrobe…. there was just no way ANYTHING was going to fit into that sad little wardrobe…
    I’ll admit it’s not pretty but it serves its purpose…. we long decided that our bedroom was basically going to be my wardrobe and a big bed (at least that’s nice!)….anything nice-looking can go in the living room….

  27. that’s amazing. having all your clothes on display is actually quite a good idea and one that i should use… i can never find anything in my closet.
    love the fairylights!

  29. Oh….my….it’s like a goldmine!! That is actually amazing 🙂 And with regards to the glasses, I did it with an internet postal company. They’re called ‘specsfactor’, and based in Shropshire, I posted it with a print out form recorded delivery, and they sent it back within a week.

  30. Oh my god, that is some closet! I’m sure you could wear a different thing each day of the year and not run out.

  31. I just moved into a new place a new place as well, but I still haven’t bothered sorting out all my clothes. I’ve got some stuff in my tiny closet, and the rest are in 3 huge suitcases and some boxes. So, I solute you for tidying up your wardrobe!!

  32. I’m kind of jealous everything is so neat (and you have so much!) all of the things are sprawled about on the bed, the chair, the table, everything BUT the closet. good on you for the organization.

  33. haha that incredible! How can you find anything at all? and how do you keep it tidy, I would get impatient and pull everything out and forget to tidy it away

  35. I’ve taken a trendless attitude recently also. Its made life a lot less stressful and lets face it, trends are for sheep and I ain’t no sheep!

  37. You’re so refreshingly down to earth, I really enjoy reading your posts.

  39. wow this is certainly a point well proven, why can’t they create little pocket holes for each item in a shelf unit! i think you can reach a point where you don’t need to constantly buy stuff by only buying things you love in the first place, i guess the con is that you have to crack the habit first! i look forward to your fashion week outfits, i remember some from a few seasons ago when i first started reading! maybe like most people, i’m happy to delve into trends when i like them, but if i don’t it’s fine to totally ignore it haha!

  40. oh dear. maybe boxes can help here as well?…although you won’t be able to ‘see’ it all then…oh, i would go insane with the ironing and… dusting actually. i’m not made for so many clothes! 😉
    andrea

  41. Bonkers but brilliant – a true installation. I think the more you can see all of your clothes the more you wear them. I’m sticking with all my old faithfuls now I’ve hung them all up. Drawers and boxes are no good you do need to see them all.

  42. Bonkers but brilliant – a true installation. I think the more you can see all of your clothes the more you wear them. I’m sticking with all my old faithfuls now I’ve hung them all up. Drawers and boxes are no good you do need to see them all.

  43. Bonkers but brilliant – a true installation. I think the more you can see all of your clothes the more you wear them. I’m sticking with all my old faithfuls now I’ve hung them all up. Drawers and boxes are no good you do need to see them all.

  44. Bonkers but brilliant – a true installation. I think the more you can see all of your clothes the more you wear them. I’m sticking with all my old faithfuls now I’ve hung them all up. Drawers and boxes are no good you do need to see them all.

  45. Bonkers but brilliant – a true installation. I think the more you can see all of your clothes the more you wear them. I’m sticking with all my old faithfuls now I’ve hung them all up. Drawers and boxes are no good you do need to see them all.

  46. ha! loved the rolled up storage style – that’s my space saving method when i pack! i agree that although it’s a lot to take in it must be easier to dress as you can connect the dots and color coordinate.
    please take a pic of the rest of your wardrobe!!

  48. This.scares.me… but in a good way, honest! In pictures, it looks awesome, but i’m sure in person i would be suffering heart palpatations from the sheer size and amount…!

  49. Ah, I have those shelves in my bathroom to store my towels. I use my spare bedroom as a closet, it is filled with PAX open wardrobes – if you don’t buy the doors they’re a LOT cheaper! This works pretty well for me (and had a lot of fun designing a closet that fits my exact needs) but I don’t have as much stuff as you, and keep seasonal stuff in boxes. I will not roll up my clothes as it would take me too much time ironing them every morning. But going through those boxes every new season it’s always fun discovering those old favourites again, so I kinda know how you feel 🙂

  50. my goodness you have a lot of clothes is that a seperate room for them aswell? my wardrobe is starting to bulge and even entering the boyfriends wardrobe!

  54. I love that wire shelving. Currently I use it for a bar, pantry and clothes storage. and I recently did a post on the Death by Trends, that article really gets you thinking…love the string of lights around the shelves!
    stylenowhere.blogspot.com

  58. I love that some of the reactions here are recs to cover this up when the unexpected bonus (as I think I understand) is you can *see* everything. I think that’s a huge issue for me with my closet in my new apartment–nothing can compare to the walk in (with it’s own window!) that I had at my old place. With sliding doors, no light, and cramped space, even not owning as much as you, I still forget &/or lose things in there. It’s beyond exasperating.

  59. I love how some of the reactions are to cover this up when (as I think I understand) the unexpected bonus is you can finally *see* everything. That’s one of the many things I miss about my old apartment: the walk-in closet with its own window. Even with (probably) the same square feet, with sliding doors, no light, and a narrow space, I forget and/or lose things in there all the time–even though I probably own less than 1/4 of what you have. It’s so frustrating.

  60. Cool idea. I’m going to pull out all my clothes this week so I can get a better look and play with new outfit ideas.
    I care about trends only because I want to know if something I love and have been looking for will be in all the stores.

  61. Wow.. I feel so much better about my clothing pile on the beanbag now – although your’s is far more inspiring obviously, mine results in me just grabbing something from the top of the pile without delving, maybe I need a similar system to remind me just what I own!
    I love the array of colour you have there btw!

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