February 21, 2009

Sorry, Girls, I’m Staying Home and Organizing My Closet!

Ok, so we get that the whole getting organized thing doesn’t exactly sound like as much fun as lunch with your girlfriends, a fun day date, checking out the new Yankee Stadium, or a host of other ways to spend a day off. But, Megan didn’t put all that work into providing you with fabulous ways to make your closet work harder for you for nothing! I promise you, getting organized will save you time AND money. By getting organized, you’ll know what you have- as in, no random forgotten works-with-everything tops getting lost in that heap of clothes you really did mean to hang up (don’t act like that pile isn’t lurking in your closet or under your bed somewhere). You’ll know what fits, what needs replacing, and what’s missing, so you can keep your shopping list short and sweet. No more asking yourself, “what happened to that top?” and feeling like you need to go buy a replacement. And finally, as Megan said, an organized closet can bring back the glory of the beloved snooze button.

I know, it’s still a daunting chore and you’d rather go to south Jersey and plant-sit for your friend’s Chia herb garden for the weekend. So let’s make it more fun. Here’s how:

-I’ll Help Your Closet if You’ll Help Mine. You know that one friend who will tell you, “That top makes you look like you have 4 chins,” or, “You’re muffin-topping out of your jeans- buy a bigger size!”? Call her, and have her work her brutal honesty on your closet for Megan’s Step 1. She’ll tell you if it’s flattering or not, and she’ll save you a ton of mirror time that you’d otherwise spend debating over a threadbare top you bought in college because it was smokin’ hot back then and haven’t worn since (but you totally would if you had another fraternity kegger to hit up!). So whip up some margaritas, turn up the RuPaul (to inspire the inner supermodel) and get to work! Then let Ms. Pulls-No-Punches flip the script and borrow you to edit her closet another day.

-Dress Up, Anyone? One more point when clearing out your closet- if you’re one to dress up for Halloween, you may be able to use some of your throwaways for future costumes. If any of them inspire you, throw them into a crate or basket that will be specifically for costume pieces. This will save you time and money (and maybe win you a few free drinks in costume contest winnings!) for future costume parties. Think gauchos and vests for pirates, denim, plaid, and gingham for cowgirls or farm girls, or anything sparkly for a fairy look. But remember- ONLY keep the pieces that would actually work in a costume- this isn’t an excuse to keep things you’re attached to but don’t wear and can’t use!

-Throw a “Your Trash, My Treasure” Party. Inspire your friends to get their closet editing done and invite them over for a little trading action. Have everyone bring a few things from their “no” or “donate” piles that are still in good shape. You’re getting rid of it anyway, so why not give your girlfriends dibs on it first?

-It’s Time for your Photo Shoot. Take turns with your friends visiting each other and helping create new outfits with what’s already there- and photograph the ones that work for the Wardrobe Album that Megan discussed. It helps tremendously to get a second opinion or a fresh pair of eyes on your threads. For example, you might see a sundress as just a sundress. One friend might like it layered over a basic tee, another might suggest pairing it with a denim jacket, belting it, adding boots to the mix…the possibilities are endless. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to play stylist and photographer with your friends- it’s like dress-up, but for big girls with purpose ;-). What’s great about this game is that it doesn’t even need to be a scheduled event- a half hour to kill here and there will start multiplying your wardrobe options in no time.

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