 | Stephanie Macera
is president and owner of Fashion Cents Consignment Boutique. Stephanie began her business with her sister and grandmother in 1999. She has 15 years experience working in the retail and service industry, formerly with Cessna Aircraft and Havertys Furniture Company. Fashion Cents consigns with individuals, retailers, wholesalers and artists in Wichita and the surrounding area. After the consignment period, unsold merchandise is given to area donation centers such as The Treasure Chest, YWCA Women's Shelter, Operation Holiday and the Children's Home in the consignors name. Stephanie can be reached at (316) 722-8360. |
Clothing, Shoes & Apparel
2003-05-01 12:39:00
Reorganizing the closet
: I’m sure I am not too different from most women in that I need to clean and organize my closet. It seems like I always have clothes to get rid of, but it's always the wrong season for anyone to appreciate them. Can you suggest seasonal guidelines for organizing?
ANSWER: Most of us get the 'pleasure' each season to rotate our clothes from storage, which means we to have to deal with both seasons at once during the switch. Tedious as it may be, this is the best time to ask yourself key questions about the clothes you are removing AND replacing. "Do I wear this often? Does it go with more than one other outfit? Does it fit properly? Is it flattering?" BE HONEST and ruthless as you examine your clothes. Your first reaction is the right one. Separate clothes as you go into KEEP and REJECT. Leave the clothes on the hangers. Remember, most of us wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. Your pile of rejects may be larger than the pile you keep. Don't be alarmed! You are doing yourself a huge favor, not to mention opening the door to shopping for replacements. Holding onto items that you never wear only clutters prime closet space. Keeping things too long causes problems later when they are dated and no one else wants them either. If you haven't worn it once in the past year, get rid of it! Your next step is to evaluate the items that you don't want. Condition is the key. If you know an item is too worn or needs repair, it is not a candidate for the keep or give-away pile, but may still be useful as a donation to nearby thrift shop. Cover the give-away items with garment bags, dry cleaner bags or in a pinch, garbage bags in manageable groups. Identify these items by marking either GIVE-AWAY FALL 03, or THRIFT SHOP FALL 03, etc., before placing in storage. As you bring in your spring items, repeat the process. You may want to consider resale either through garage sales, church bazaar, fund-raisers or shops that specialize in clothing resale. Many nonprofit groups would be happy to receive clean, quality, fashionable clothing. Repeat this process seasonally, and you are on track for regular seasonal organization. Tip: Color-code your hangers. Blue = Fall, Yellow = Spring, Red = Winter, Green = Summer. As the season progresses and you find you are not wearing items, place them to the rear of your closet until the time comes again for seasonal reorganization.
