Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Sad Clothes
A lot of my clients have beautiful clothes. Getting to see them, fold them, touch them is one of the perks of my job. Whether or not your clothes are “beautiful,” or “investment pieces,” you have invested in them, and you should get the most you can out of them.
Over the years I’ve learned a great deal about proper clothing storage from my clients: how to care for knits (don’t hang!) and beaded gowns (fold, with tissue!). But one of the best things every client I have (probably including you) can do to take better care of their clothing it to let stuff go. Here’s why:
When your closet and drawers are too crowded, your clothes get crushed. Not only does this lead to the need for extra ironing, but also fabric needs space to breathe. Stuffing things into drawers and closets and under-bed storage boxes and pulling them out creates friction that creates more wear and tear, snags and pulls.
You also forget what you have. Don’t believe it? I’ve seen the look of delight countless times when I unearth some gem that was crammed in the back of a closet or drawer. Even if you technically haven’t forgotten something, if you don’t ever see it, you’ll forget to wear it.
Last week I told a client that by Toy Story logic she has the saddest clothes, because she has so much clothing she can’t possibly wear any of it very much. Truly, it’s better to have fewer clothes so that you can see and appreciate what you have and keep items nicely spaced, so they will be happy, not sad and forgotten in the corner of your closet.