A few comments have popped both on the blog and in email asking me about how much clothes I have, how do I store them etc. Well, the ugly truth had to come out. Clothes, I may have plenty of but my treatment of them is pretty shambolic. I have been moving back and forth from home so I really haven’t had the chance to get things properly settled in since I am soon moving out anyway. Then there’s the daily routine of actually putting together an outfit which usually results in a pile of clothes heaped up on the floor. Yes, I am in fact a clothes mess. I hope to rectify this problem once I move out and get proper storage but at the moment, my clothes don’t really seem to be getting the TLC they deserve.
Ok, so in my own bedroom, I have a plastic box stowed under my bed which has all my pretty skirts – by pretty, I mean nothing in denim, office-like or any heavy kind of materials like wool or corduroy. From time to time, I like to fold them up and organise them by pattern and colour which would have made a much better photo than this chaotic mess:
Then we come to the wardrobe which is shared with my sister in her room. It’s humongous but when shared and sectioned off, it’s not tons of space. So you see, I don’t really have THAT many clothes! The blacked out bits are the spaces I occupy.
The ‘meaty’ part of my wardrobe – i.e. all the rest of my bottoms that aren’t pretty skirts. So that would be jeans, pants, skirts in thicker materials, shorts and the like.
Then comes my three drawers. The first one has all my stripy tops, casual t-shirts, mostly cotton stuff.
Then comes the dressier stuff, like delicate tops and flimsy things.
The last drawer has become my oddity drawer, things with unusual cuts, weird holes, funny straps – the avant garde drawer if you will.
See how I treat my clothes appallingly? My hanging stuff is crammed into a tiny space by loading one hanger with many many shirts (though I do have different hangers for different types of shirts). This is where all my long dresses go as well.
My favourite part of my wadrobe and also the messiest. The jumper/sweater box. Always lovely to haul out and sort through when it starts to turn chilly.
Finally, another favourite section which is a top shelf of goodies. The dramatic corner with the stuff that’s less worn but probably more treasured like one-off dresses. It’s pretty deep so it’s always fun digging for stuff back there.
So there it all is, my wardrobe mayhem. I’m sure I should be reported to some sort of Cruelty against Clothes charity because even I know they deserve better than this! However, I am hoping it’s more a temporary thing. One day, I’ll have an impeccably organised wardrobe (‘she says wistfully’).
Don’t feel too bad. I’m almost as bad as you (the almost is because half my wardrobe’s back home in Australia in storage boxes) 🙂
Actually, have you ever considered putting together a photo fashion catalogue of your clothing and accessories (that is, each item gets its own photo)?
The reason I ask is because I’m embarking on one! I have far too many clothes, and fairly frequently forget what I have (for example, I didn’t realise I had purchased nine pairs of shoes in six weeks.. I blame the sales.. *still a little ashamed*).
I’m also moving back to Australia later this year, and I’m shipping most of my stuff home, and want a good insurance record of everything that goes. But still, I’d love to have a searchable database for my wardrobe. I’m a bit of a geek, but I’m a bit useless with programming stuff.
I’ve searched the ‘net for a decent wardrobe database program to no avail (there’s one reeeeeeeally bad program you can download for free), so I figure I’ll just make folders for pics of shoes, clothes, pants, tops, etc.
Still – got any better ideas? Tips? 🙂
I’ve had an easier time finding things since I organized my clothes by color (colour) and not type (except bottoms and tops are still separate).
This method seems to work best if you hang most of your clothing. I think even if you layer multiple things onto one hanger it still may work. The only things I put in drawers are underwear, jeans/shorts and some seasonal stuff.
I’ve always had the tinest closests ever and this strategy helps me pick outfits much quicker than before! Also easier to replace clothes on hangers, since you know what color section the empty hanger is in.
That was really interesting. Tell us about your shoe collection next!
Hey susie, i know i dont comment much but i read your blog religiously 🙂 n i love it so much that im starting one on august 1st once im allowed to store more stuff on flickr lol. btw on ure blog earlier bout being discouraged to blog, plzz dont, im new to fashion n would be freakin lost without u n ure underground labels 🙂 anyway, i got this long woolytweedy coat from a thriftshop today n the label says its freddi-gail. from the style of it i’d say its either 1950s or 1980s, but i was wondering if youd ever heard of the label? its in perfect shape so im not sure if its newer than i figured it for or if its a rlly good brand lol. think u could help me find out? email me at strikingtiger144@hotmail.com or comment back on here if u can. thankk u 🙂
Wow, it’s so interesting to peer into other people’s closets…I have the tiniest closet ever, but in a way it’s good because it forces me to be super organized. I also hate wrinkles in my clothes with a fiery passion! Unfortunately the bulk of my vintage dress collection has to be housed in tissue paper and plastic in the attic because there is just NO room…My other dresses, skirts and pants are hung on one side of my closet..My multitude of cardigans are hung on cushioned hangers on the other side of my closet with my “nice” tops, blazers, jackets, etc. Camisoles and tanks are folded and stored on a shelf. Tees, sweaters, scarves, slips, clutches, each have a shelf to themselves.. I sound like such an anal nut, but I just have to have my clothes in a certain place..
Oh and I also have two shelves alone that are devoted to tights. Yes, TWO! Haha.
Thanks for showing your closet. I posted a picture of mine yesterday, albeit without any commentary.
BTW, I’m thoroughly enjoying being a regular reader.
And, about Erin’s question, I’m fascinated with all analytical aspects of wardrobe. Unfortunately I don’t have skills. If EITHER of you figure anything out, I would also love to know about it.
Sharing the wardrobe with your sister is great… You can borrow some of her clothes sometimes more easily, no ? 🙂 I wish I had a sister !
My wardrobe is much more organized than yours, but I don’t know if that’s a good thing… It looks like hysteria…
My dream is to have a wardrobe lay-out like Cher in Clueless (the film). I want rotating rails and a computer program that I can search for outfits in. Unfortunately, they don’t exist (unless I had lots of cash to spare on it, I guess). I’m really starting to regret not studying programming at Uni!!
By the way, Susie, what I love best about your wardrobe is that you have so many different prints, patterns, colours, fabrics and styles. It’s so fabulous! In the past two years I’ve become a lot more adventurous with my own style, but when I look at my wardrobe, there are massive proliferations of maybe four or five colours and little else (unless you look at my bags, shoes and accessories.. I acquire them like you do clothes 😉
I think I’m going to branch out into patterned clothing, though — there’s more of it available lately, with nicer prints that I like.. so thanks again for the inspiration! :)))
I’m almost ashamed of my messy wardrobe but you know what, I somehow find my outfits better like this anyway so it wouldn’t really help me to get it super dooper organised.
Erin: I fantasised about a Cher-like wardrobe device too! It would really take me too long to catalogue my entire wardrobe…. though I don’t discount the idea. I may feel inspired some day down the line to do so…. I guess if you get the right photo album program, you could just bring it up when you wanna pick an outfit and do a preset slideshow to get them scrolling along. There’s got to be a way somehow!
And I’m glad you want to embrace pattern! Though having said that, I’m a style schizophrenic so my tastes change constantly which is probably why my wardrobe looks so multi-faceted.
Lady: Yes, though my sister’s style is quite different from mine, we do borrow things from each other.
Closet by IKEA? Lol.
I find myself in the same boat, as I pretty much have a closet with one bar across it for hanging clothes. Thats it, end of story. Everything else is…on my floor. I definitely need to visit the new IKEA store near me.
^Yup… ain’t nothing wrong with good old Ikea…. I do serious bank damage everytime I’m there!
It seems like you have a sensible system of organizing everything, so even though it’s not the neatest, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Thanks for sharing your analysis. I’m starting to run out of room and you motivated me to reorganize my closet soon. I was wired on coffee the last time I cleaned it out, so what’s logical then doesn’t make much sense now.
My small walk-in closet stores clothes, shoes, books and papers. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle since things fit in every nook and cranny. Each hanger holds as many pieces as it can. Work stuff goes on one side of the closet, play stuff on the other, then each category is further subdivided. Since I don’t have a dresser, I have to create extra storage spaces with plastic rolling carts (for my favorite casual tops) and boxes/drawers on shelves (for bulky sweaters). Out of season clothes are stored in suitcases, which are slotted underneath the hanging stuff. I pile on more clothes on top of the cart and suitcases =P
Whoa! I love your closet. Mine looks quite similar, only it contains less clothing! (Boo)
You have alot of cool clothes Susie, I share my room with my sister but have my own closet, I am not that organized and usually leave my clothes on the ground. Ever since my dad built shelves in my closet it has help. I have a place to store my vintage pumps and all of my blouses and jeans.
Ahhh… for years I was super messy with my clothes and just flung them on the ground. Then I bought my first apartment with my boyfriend (no money for clothes for a while unfortunately) and I finally got the closet I always wanted- Ikea, 2 metres wide by 2.5 tall, lovely glass sliding doors and three rails plus shelves and drawers.
I was going to be the world’s most organised person and when I opened my wardrobe, outfits would just leap off their rails, and little cartoon birds would sing and drape silk scarves around me as I got dressed in all my wonderful clothes. Now I did hang everything up and even- in a fit of craziness- folded my undies and paired my socks- but I still can’t find anything in my closet. There’s too much in there, and everything is too random… but I love it all… argh, I need cher’s program from clueless. Someone should make that. I wish I knew how to do it properly… I made an excell spreadsheet with a list of all my clothes and descriptions, but it’s no fun to look at.
I enjoyed your post. You made me think there. Very true.
-mikee
Susie, I don’t know if you will see this message as it is being posted long after your blog entry. Nevertheless, I was googling the name of a coat I bought at a thrift store and came across a similar situation in one of your readers comments. I have a Freddy-Gail “panache” coat, wool/nylon blend. It is in serious need of a new lining, but is really cute and warm. The only place I found it online was one on Ebay for sale and one on another auction site. I couldn’t find information on the era or quality of it. I’m assuming it is pretty good as it has lasted through who knows how many owners before I got it. If you have any thoughts on this brand/coat, I’d appreciate your input. Thanks!
Leah: Stupidly i never replied to Alia who commented on this back in 2006… I’m afraid I don’t know a lot about the brand but it sounds to me like an American brand. I’m really not at all familiar with the brand but I guess if you love it, then it’s not too important… this is a very VERY old post – feels very weird to be commenting on it!
After some Google searching, it seems like it was based in New Jersey…
oooo but aren’t most of them designer?