organize your closet - shirts and blouses

the first step towards a more organized wardrobe is with an organized closet. when your closet has some organization you'll be able to find that putting together outfits are suddenly easier.

the next step is shirts and blouses. if you are like most women you only wear 20% of the clothing in your closet. it's true! most women have full closets with nothing to wear. what about the other 80%? it's just taking up space, collecting dust. if you don't love it and your no longer wear it -- it has to go!

when you only have clothes in your closet that you wear regularly you will have a lot more room and less stress. you might be afraid of letting them go, but let me assure you that by letting go of clothing that you are not wearing will show you what you *are* wearing and it will help you see what you are missing from your wardrobe!

examine each and every shirt and blouse you own and ask youreslf: is it worn out, stained, out of style or too small/big? when was the last time i wore this? toss the shirts and blouses that no longer fill your needs into 3 different piles:

1. give-away. (these are still in good condition that you haven't worn for a long time -- probably a year or more) the real question is WHY? ask yourself these questions as you examine the shirts that you no longer wear:

- does it fit well? if it's too small it should be given away, if it is too big and you don't like it enough to have it altered it should be given away.

- does it look good on you? don't feel guilty about not wearing something that is not right for you. pass it along to someone who will wear it.

- it was on sale and it seemed like a good deal. but you don't like the color, style, fit, etc. and it doesn't make you feel pretty -- refer to above, don't feel guilty.

2. trash. ask yourself: "would i purchase this at the thirft store?" if the answer is "no" then toss it in the trash.

- is it too worn? yes, if it has pilled or faded in color. yes, if the buttons are missing and the stitching is coming undone.

- is it stained and dirty?

3. alterations. (these are shirts and blouses that you would wear with some minor alterations)

- buttons are about to come loose, or already have.

- hemlines have come undone or minor holes that need repair.

- sleeves are too short or too long. (the proper length is at the wrist bone.)

now we need to organize the shirts that are left. how you organize them is up to you. you may want to sort by work, dressy or casual, or by sleeve length (tanks, short sleeves and long sleeves) or even by color (for example: white, cream, brown, black, grey, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue).

as you start to organize your closet take a look at your hangers. trash the wire hangers and replace with plastic tubular hangers.

having an organized closet will make getting dressed easier and finding new wearable combinations easier.