Closet Organization I: Work in Progress

There are many aspects of my life and living space I’d like to organize – dysfunctional spaces and routines have a unique way of cluttering my brain while simultaneously killing all motivation to do anything about it. Talk about a self-defeating cycle!

Anyways, it’s time to take action. I’m starting up a series of lifestyle/organization projects, the first of which being my wardrobe and closet. This is definitely an area that needs major work. (Next up: my desk!)

I probably like clothes only slightly more than my brother does, and slightly less than my sister (read: somewhere between indifference and caring enough to flat-out nix a lot of what is passed down). I don’t generally jump at the chance to go shopping for clothes, though when the opportunity presents itself I’m glad, particularly when I find something cute. I’ve been struggling to develop my personal style to some extent; making an effort on a Monday usually turns into sweats, a t-shirt and a pony tail come Friday.

My bedroom is under the garage – when we moved here two and a half years ago, the space was storage and my closet was actually a sauna! As you can see, a lot has changed – I have a great walk-in/dressing room space that I’m definitely not taking full advantage of.

Problem areas:

– I don’t love all of my clothes
– Many of my most-loved pieces are worn and need replacing
– I have a big problem finding socks (organizational problem)
– My dresser drawers aren’t organized in any way either

I’ve been procrastinating for ages. Because, uhm… I didn’t have enough hangers. Well today, after my (before-last of the year!) class, I went out and bought a 30-pack of hangers and set to work.

My goals are:
– Make good use of closet space
– Organize dresser
– Define a uniform based on my life, style and comfort
– Keep things on the minimalist side

Clutter makes my brain crazy – I already feel like I own too many pieces of clothing. I’m putting everything on hangers for the time being

The blog INTO MIND has been enormously helpful. Following various ideas from there, I took a look at my lifestyle and put together a main “uniform” based on the seasons. My “uniform” is basically a template – I’m very much a casual, “jeans and a t-shirt” type of person, preferring to let the details do the talking.

By details, I mean mostly that I like accessorizing (most notably with scarves, jackets or cardigans, and cute shoes). My jewellery never really changes; I always wear my Roots watch and my heart-pendant necklace. I have my earlobes pierced (these sport my birthstone jewellery) and three more piercings in my left ear cartilage. For the moment, I keep things simple there with chrome-coloured balls. Make-up is another way I like to “accessorize”, in a manner of speaking; day-to-day I keep things pretty bare, but you can count on me to pull out the liquid liner and mascara when I feel like jazzing things up. 😉

Here’s my basic uniform outline for day-to-day wear:

This list is by no means comprehensive or complete. It’s a (mostly complete) compilation of the clothing currently found in my wardrobe. For the most part, my outfits are bared around the “jeans and t-shirt” idea, with a few style and seasonal adjustments.

– In the fall, I include a jean jacket and scarf, along with a cute pair of ankle boots. Long sleeved shirts (aka, long-sleeved tees) are fair game
– Winter features heavier knit sweaters (my absolute favourite) over tank-tops when applicable
– In the spring, flats come out and scarves make a comeback
– In the summer, shorts replace the jeans (but not necessarily always) and t-shirts reign supreme; hoodies or a lighter jacket make an appearance

What I love most about the basic “jeans + tee” combo is that it’s so easily adaptable. You can keep it bare-bones and casual, or dress it up. It’s as simple as changing the top or adding/subtracting accessories! I’m a low-maintenance person; I want to work towards a casual but polished image. The statement pieces can be used for nights I need to be more dressed up or just feel like making an extra effort with my image.

Because my full-time job is being a student, my casual seasonal uniform is suitable for most of the every day situations I find myself in. That being said, I’m not always at school. I’m often at the gym and plan on getting back into yoga and swimming sometime soon. As a part of the university concert band, I need to have a concert black uniform for performances. Then there’s lounge wear for those lazy days at home (sweats, anyone?), my sleepwear, and the whole underwear situation. Here’s the basic outline for those:

The organization aspect is the thing I’m tackling at the same time as this style-development thing. My closet has three bars. Hanging there will be my extra outerwear, dresses, concert uniform, workwear and my seasonal uniform (so right now, that’d be winter).

My dresser has a total of six drawers. The two small ones at the top will hold socks and underwear respectively. The bottom drawer will hold loungewear; the next one up, pyjamas; the next one up from that will be for gym clothes, and the next one will be extra basics/bras/tank tops and the like. My out-of-season wear will go in one of the drawers beneath my bed; the other drawer is reserved for my old stuffed animals (yes, I’m slightly sentimental 🙂 ).

The other things I’ll be working on:

– Removing/replacing dysfunctional or over-distributed pieces (I have far too many t-shirts from events)
– Streamline my personal style and establish a seasonal color palette
– Organize my shoes

I’ll post an update with the completed wardrobe organization, and probably a separate one on my style because this is quite long already. 😉

Any big organization projects this month on your end?