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The
Clothing Chronicles ================================================
In This Issue: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks again to everyone who dropped me a line about last week's article, "Do You Make the Cut?" http://www.theclothingchronicles.com/archives/213-01262006.htm where I listed several reasons why people don't get hired or promoted. It's always curious to me as to why some articles hit a nerve more than others. The "Accessory Magic" saga continues, much to my annoyance. The last of the illustrations I ordered FINALLY arrived, but they weren't to my satisfaction and I now have to look elsewhere to finish the ebook. <Growl, snarl, snap.> I'll get it to you as soon as possible, hopefully before Valentine's Day. Given all the trouble I've had pulling together this ebook, I've begun to think of some alternate ways of offering information to you. I know some of you like ebooks and some of you don't, but I'm not sure how you feel about some of the other media out there, like DVDs, home study courses, teleseminars, and the like. So could I coax all of you who are interested into taking a few minutes to answer 5 quick survey questions about this? I'll make it worth your while, with two fre.e articles you can collect once you're done, "Forty Does Not Have to Mean Frumpy," by JoJami Tyler, and "When to Shop," by me (hint: February is one of the two best months to shop. Do you know the other?). Your responses are totally anonymous, and it will be open until Friday, February 10th. Just follow this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=393931727613 So what's on tap for today's article? Deciphering which closets are the best size, large or small. Enjoy!
Diana ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Large or Small Closets: Which Is Best? Not long ago, I saw a closet "to die for." It was large, meticulously arranged, and had everything needed for dressing within easy reach. You could literally step out of the shower and into that closet dressed in a towel, and walk out fully dressed, ready to leave the house. Underwear, outerwear, clothes and grooming supplies - it was all there, ready to use. It was utterly amazing. It was also the only truly efficient large closet I've ever seen. Now that may seem strange, because theoretically, the larger the closet, the more space you have to work with. Technically, that's true. But for most women, a larger closet just means more space to fill with "stuff." Large, small, walk in, carved out - it doesn't matter what the closet size, it still gets filled to the brim. Often with clothes that never get worn. Once upon a time when I used to see closet organizing systems advertised in magazines, I'd scoff at the handful of clothing and accessories shown in the picture. "Who could live with so few pieces?" I used to wonder. Clearly no one who liked clothes as much as me, I used to think. But as the years have passed and I've lived in houses with closets large and small, I've come to appreciate the efficiency of a small closet and a small, well-chosen wardrobe. You can't store stuff you don't wear in a small closet because there's no room, and you have to take something out to put something new in. You're also forced to swap out your fall and spring wardrobes every season if you want to get dressed in one room. You don't have to do that with a large closet. No, you can keep all your stuff in there all year long for years and years, adding without a care. It's only when you go to find something you're sure that's in there but can't seem to put your hands on that the trouble starts. Where does it end? With a four-letter word: move. "I love America, and I love American woman," renowned French interior designer Andrée Putman once said. "But there is one thing that deeply shocks me: American closets. I cannot believe one can dress well when you have so much." Isn't it funny that most of the cities known for their fashionable women, like New York, Paris, and Milan, are also known for their small, cramped apartments and teeny, tiny closets? It just goes to show that you don't need a lot to dress well. You just need to be more selective when buying clothes to pick pieces that serve you well. So how can you make the most of whatever you space you have, large are small? By: 1. Going through your closet every six months when the seasons change and getting rid of the stuff you don't wear. 2. Organizing your remaining pieces by garment (all skirts together, all blouses together, all pants together, etc.) and color so that you can see what you have at a glance every time you open your closet door. 3. Making a list of the pieces you need to extend your wardrobe instead of buying haphazardly and on impulse. 4. Weighing each new purchase carefully. Always ask yourself: "Can I wear this with at least three other things in my wardrobe?" If so, buy it. If not, reconsider. Just because you have a large closet doesn't mean you have to fill it to the brim with clothes. Buy only as many pieces as you need to have a functional, lifestyle-appropriate wardrobe, then put the rest of the money in the bank so you can still dress well in your retirement. So which is best, large or small? A small, functional wardrobe with vast opportunities beats a large, limited wardrobe anytime - whatever the size of the closet. If you make your pieces earn their place in your closet, you'll soon discover what well-dressed women the world over have known for years: size doesn't matter. Functionality does.
************** Until next time,
Diana Pemberton-Sikes
http://www.FashionForRealWomen.com ------------------------ Published by:
Top Drawer
Publications, LLC Copyright © 2006 by Diana Pemberton-Sikes All rights reserved. |
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