Week 6 of the Clever Girl Organizing Challenge, All the Clothes, part 3

It’s Week 6!   We’re still in the area of our wardrobes, but we’re moving past the primary parts — the tops, the bottoms, the dresses, the suits, etc. — and moving to the rest: all our accessories.  

What are the accessories you have?

• Shoes
• Socks
• Ties
• Belts
• Scarves
• Costume Jewelry 
• Hats
• Underwear
• Outer wear
• And, so on….

So, let’s get into this… 

Week 6:  All the Accessories to Our Wardrobe

Level 1 Challenge: Sort through and edit all the categories of your accessories in your bedroom/wardrobe. For some of you, this is going to be easy.  For others, you’re dreading this. You know your collection has become larger than your use warrants.  You bought or received items over the years, and, since they’re all small, you didn’t seem to notice that they got lost in the fray, and not used, not worn.  Or, you acquired items to accessorize particular outfits, but no longer own the outfits themselves (maybe you just got rid of it last week). 

How to tackle this one:  Similarly to last week’s approach, this is one that benefits from breaking down into sessions and categories.  Do the socks. Do the underwear. Do the shoes.  FOCUS on one category at a time, and make the decisions.  Have goals about what you think it is realistic for you to own, and ALWAYS remind yourself of your goals, and how you want to live in your space, how you want to FEEL when you go into your closet or dresser to select your outfits.  Make sure you think critically about each category, for example:

Shoes:  Do they fit well? Are they in good shape? Do they hurt your feet? Do you have more of one type than you truly can use or wear or need? Do they match only one specific outfit, and you don’t even wear it any more, or got rid of it?

Socks/Stockings:  How often do you wear this type of clothing? What’s the right amount that feels like a good supply to have on hand? Do you have pairs for all the socks? Do they have holes? Do the stockings have runs? 

Underwear:  How much do you really need? Does it all fit? Is it in good shape?  (You know… would you want to be caught in a car accident wearing them?)  Do they work well under you clothes or do they make you feel self-conscious about how you look?

Level 2 Challenge: Go through outer wear and your coat closet. For those of you in colder climates, not only do you know how valuable your closet is, but you know what’s in there, what you’ve been using, and what you haven’t been using. Have you not been using things because you just can’t find them? Or have you not been using things because you really have way more than you need to have on hand?  Even if you’re not in a very cold climate, if you have a closet for outer wear (or even a collection of outer wear in a regular closet), have you really taken a look at these lately?  Do all the jackets fit? Are they in good condition? Are they your current style? 

(oh, and don’t forget to check the pockets, for all jackets and coats, whether or not you’re keeping them.) 

Don’t have a coat closet, especially because you live in a climate without coats?  It’s Independent Study time for you!  Pick a project on your list that you know you need to get to… or catch up on an assignment that you’ve glossed over in the first 5 weeks. 

How The Challenge Works:
As With Every Week, Your mission:

1) Take on Level 1, and if you’re feeling up to the challenge, Level 2. If you’ve already got those covered, identify a challenge for yourself that you know you should be tackling.

2) Whenever possible, take BEFORE and AFTER pictures. You don’t have to share them with anyone but yourself, but it is a fantastic way to (a) identify clutter that’s become invisible to you over time and (b) truly measure and appreciate your progress. 

3) We’re all about letting things go…  be critical about what you’re keeping and why you’re keeping it.  Always ask yourself these critical questions to help decide if you should hold onto items: 

• Is using this item part of my current life or likely future?
• If I didn’t have this item and needed it for some reason, is it easily replaced or borrowed?
• Can someone else use this more than I seem to be using it now? 
• Am I keeping it for a “maybe some day” or a “just in case” option? How likely is that situation? And am I keeping more in that category than I should, given the space constraints I have?
• Is it part of my past, and holding onto it reminds me of a former self? And am I keeping more in that category than I should, given the space constraints I have?

4) Stay FOCUSED on this task.  Know what FINISHED looks like, and don’t get distracted by other projects or areas of attention that cross your path while you’re on this assignment.  

5) Have a plan on where things will go — give away to someone you know, donate, sell, recycle or trash.  This Challenge isn’t just about creating new piles that don’t have a future!

6) Work in manageable chunks of time and energy. It’s a marathon, not a sprint! 

7) Celebrate and reward yourself for a job well done!