Less clutter = Mental freedom
Back in 2017, I wrote an article about how many sweaters you should own. I did not anticipate how popular that article would become! Many of you were interested in the sweater closet purge and for good reason.
Less clutter = Mental freedom
As a dress designer, you can only imagine how packed my closet racks are! Its INSANE! This closet purge was well overdue and super refreshing; I suggest everyone do it. Okay, let's strip down to it!
One lady's trash is another's treasure
Go through every dress you own and pull out the ones you have not worn in the last year. This includes the dress your MIL gave you that you stashed far in the back because you couldn't bare to hurt her feelings. Well that dust collector is keeping you from mental clarity and kind of a downer every time you see it. This process should take an hour if you have a small closet and a strong will. It takes days if you sit in your pile of dresses crying "I cant part with youuuu" Let it go Elsa!
I must also note, walk in closets take days. Pace yourself and keep your goal in mind. When in doubt, donate it. Someone else will love the dress more.
Set a realistic goal
My goal - "30 total dresses; 20 for warm seasons + 10 for colder seasons"
Organization is key!
After donating my dresses, the very first thing I did was separate the remaining dresses into 4 categories:
- Color
- Weight
- Length
- Fit
Color
I finished with 4 main color categories. Since I wear neutrals more than colors, I cut down to a few colored dresses. This part should be easiest so do not overthink it. Denim is blue, Teal is green, Pink is red, even orange is reddish, but you get the picture. Just categorize it in the simplest way that works for you.
- Tan / Ivory (9)
- Grey / Black (8)
- Red / Coral (7)
- Blue / Green (6)
Lightweight Dresses vs Heavyweight Dresses
This can be tricky but its very important to own dresses that are light weight for warm months and heavier (or denser) for colder months. If you want to be technical about this, separating by overall fabrications can become confusing. I say this because some cotton knit dresses are light like jersey for summer or thick sweaters for winter. Wool can make a great summer fabric as well as your merino sweater dress. Also leather is back as a great spring dress look. In other words, don't segregate by fabric content.
To keep it simple just think about how they feel. For me, I like thin breezy dresses for spring/summer and soft sweater dresses for fall/winter time.
- Lightweight - spring/summer - breezy thin dresses
- Heavyweight - fall/winter - sweater dresses
Mini Midi Maxi
For this 2-part category, I started with dress hemlines. Ask yourself, do I even wear mini dresses anymore? Am I ever going to get this maxi dress hemmed or keep tripping over it? If your answer is "no", donate the dress and move on. I personally love how midi dresses look on my legs and the maxi style is very bohemian so I have more of this length than mini dresses.
- Mini dresses - above the knee
- Midi dresses - below the knee yet above the ankle
- Maxi dresses - ankle length and lower
Heart on your sleeves
Sleeve lengths are super important for hiding unsightly underarm bags. If this is an issue for you, short sleeves are more important to you than spaghetti straps and tank dresses. In this case, you should donate those types of dresses. Also consider keeping long sleeve dresses for colder months.
- Sleeveless + Tank dresses
- Short Sleeves
- Elbow, Half + Quarter Sleeves
- Long Sleeves
Does it even fit right
It is good to double check that you can still fit these dresses the way you like them to look. If last spring's lightweight, fitted dress is stretched out of recognition, I can teach you how to salvage it yourself. However, if you're 8 months pregnant and planning a major closet purge, than "fit" may mean an entirely new collection for you (depending on your recovery of course)
Bonus tip:
Define your trend
"Oversized", "preppy", "bohemian" are some trends that keep hitting the runways but what's your thing? Choose the few trends that when combined, define your style most. I would describe my personal style as "free spirit mother goddess" You should read up on the latest trends in fashion but I strongly encourage you to have fun creating your own.
*Side note: If pregnant, wait until your doctor signs off for you to return to your fitness routine before buying a whole new wardrobe. After Nyaeli was born, I wore maternity clothes until I could fit my "normal" size again. Remember, recoveries vary for each mother so don't stress about it beauty.
What are some helpful tips you used to categorize your dresses? Your way may be better for some of my readers so please share :D
How Many Dresses Should You Have, How many dresses should I own, ShoptheKei.com