Thanks for all your great advice and support on the M-M-Meltdown, I've stepped away from the ledge and have taken steps to corral the kids which have had
no varying results...I'll tell you about it tomorrow. In the meantime I thought we'd have a little light diversion from four closet perfectionists who I profiled last weekend
here. One small really effective thing I learned from them is to put your stuff in colour order.
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| Twirly Girly: Susan Koger of Modcloth uses a electric rotating whirlygig like you see in the drycleaners |
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| Mad Men-esque: Designer Shelley Cahan was suprised how popular this very graphic wallpaper and red roof was |
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| Hollywood regency: Laura Francis (whose aunt dressed all the Hollywood greats) has everything displayed which makes her really consider her purchases: if a piece doesn't look good in here, it gets returned. |
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| Baronial Lair flair: This is designer Ken Fulk's second amazing closet, but he still keeps his clothes in black bags with poloroids of the contents attached. |
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| Ken Fulk's previous closet (read about it here) was out in the open in his loft, a former bondage factory, which was presided over by a stuffed lion. Fulk is on the board of ASPCA but says taxidermy is a "tribute to the animal not a morbid or macabre thing." He also has a giraffe. |
I returned to my closet - arrggh!!! which is basically the place I sling my stuff. I really hope it's not true that you can tell everything about their closet - mine is poorly lit and confused. However I have to say after putting all my clothes in colour order, I was ready, if not quite ready to "shop my wardrobe" as they espouse in all the fashion mags, at least I re-discovered a couple of things I've always liked and never really worn.
I've been cooing over pale pink for some time - especially these gorgiss pink photos over at
Inge's place - and realised I've had a very noice indeed pink shirt for nigh-on eight years. But how do I wear this more casually?
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| Re-dicovered this pale pink eight-year-old Philip Lim shirt. Need to find some way to wear more casually and still be warm (And how can this shirt have curry stains, I didn't even have curry on Saturday night...) |
What's your closet philosophy - Carefully Curated, If In Doubt Chuck It Out or...The More The Merrier?
Damn those closets are bigger than my whole place
ReplyDeleteDon't think I have to worry about such a race
Color coded I can be though
At my show
Is Teal with the blues
DeleteOr Greens
These esoteric questions are teasing me...
Pat - I caught her reading poetry last night, now I know why. She's trying to upgrade her responses to you!
DeleteNow Jody you know we don't have walk in closets with lights in semi detached houses here......BUT now that my kids have left home I use their rooms! I have rails and hang everything up....I am not and have never been a 'take it off and drop it on the floor' kinda gal....and I love having all my (Charity/thrift shop) clothes easy to see. I have way too many clothes and every now and again just take lots of them to the charity shop....
ReplyDeleteyay Libby! Yes have been plotting to use Harley's room as an office, don't tell him. Only 18 months to go!I wonder if Jackson could head off to varsity super early and I could claim a closet there.
DeleteGood to see you are now focusing on the important thing s in life Jody. You could sell your children to science and use the moolah for a closet consultant and have the closet you've always lusted after! Thinking of doing this myself
ReplyDeleteYou can say that again!
DeleteGood to see you are now focusing on the important thing s in life Jody. You could sell your children to science and use the moolah for a closet consultant and have the closet you've always lusted after! Thinking of doing this myself
ReplyDeleteBrilliant you did! Love that you commented - go LE! Do you remember that silk green blouse I loaned off you and plaid skirt for that job interview. Do you know I have been looking for that exact outfit ever since (which scarily is now 27 years later) Let me know if you see it in the "ton.
DeleteChaos, interrupted.
ReplyDeleteI try, but I guess I am not truly a creature of order whatsoever...
I failed to post a pic of my wardrobe but basically it was stuff all over the floor and I was embarrased to show how slack I am...
DeleteI just can't as much as I want to...I am trying to make my closet "fun and exciting" but I don't think I will ever color coordinate...it is hard enough to figure what to wear although I m envious of their efforts. I am just proud when things are ironed so this is above my pay grade but had fun reading the article!
ReplyDeleteI have completely given up ironing sadly. Ashamed to say just send stuff to the drycleaners,
DeleteJust love this! I also do by color and have a little pin board for inspiration in there as well as my jewelry, or I won't wear it. Love to have a pink blouse. It's on my radar..
ReplyDeleteI do think the the idea of making it pretty like a store motivates me to keep it nice, so I can shop my closet, but many days I just fling things too!
xxKim
Read the article on SF gate. Fun. I tried to leave a reply, but couldn't so I shared it on my Facebook page. x
DeleteHi Kim, sorry you could not reply - I will let them know, thanks for sharing on FB though
DeleteJody, I loved your closet article and have been mulling over the lucite shelves ever since--although it will have to be a hack because I don't have the ability to do the more complicated version. Anyway, I think that pink shirt would look lovely under one of those chunky long oatmeal/gray/or white cardigans that are everywhere.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great suggestion because I love the shirt but I always feel cold wearing it, always need that cardy whereever I go.
ReplyDeletePeople's closets are endlessly fascinating. Only thing I do that might be unique, is that I hang up everything. I have these fuzz covered hangers (that they have actually started selling at Target), and even my cashmere sweaters are just fine hung up. That way I don't forget what I have.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great pink shirt. I would try and find an eight year old Philip Lim catalog to get ideas. Otherwise I would just do a light wool scarf and cashmere cardigan. Or denim jacket. Denim blue and pink are good together.
Beryl hi - I was wondering how to better display my sweaters, many of which get lost in the mess. OK I am going to hang them up now. Both of those options sound nice with the pink
DeleteJust remember what Joan Crawford said "No wire hangers!! No wire hangers!!"
DeleteHaha! In fact i remember the famous socialite Nan Kempner who was termed The Social X-ray as she was so thin, thought to have the largest couture closet in the world said she used wire hangers cause she could cram more in . My goodness looks at this blog I just found which has a post about her in it. http://decadentoldbitches.blogspot.com/2011/06/nan-kempner-original-social-x-ray.html
DeleteWonder whey those words have just spaced themselves out like that? They are obviously on wood hangers and not wire ones...
DeleteI have a large walk in dressing room (well, large to me. It's not quite on the scale that some are you see on Pinterest). When we moved into the house, we'd come from a rental with no cupboard space at all. So I'd become very disciplined and thrown out a lot. In our new house, things swung with room between them. I'm trying to keep that - unless something is really beautiful, if I'm not wearing it it goes out the door.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Beryl above - no wire hangers! I use either padded or wooden hangers depending on what I'm hanging. And I colour coordinate everything in categories. I just think it looks nicer. I also do that with books too. Now you have a window into my strange psyche!! xx
Sounds blissfully well organised
Deleteit would be, except that at the moment there are boxes of wallpaper stacked in the corners waiting to be put up in the extension. Next year it will look good (I hope!!)
DeleteI am slowly decluttering but my biggest mistake is that I keep clothes that are now too small (think the majority of my wardrobe). I know it's stupid but one lives in hope !x
ReplyDeleteAll looks very effective, Jody. A closet when you can actually find things.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and Bear hugs!
Ha, my former boss teased me about needing those rotating whirlygigs like the drycleaners! I try to organize my stuff by colors and seasons but still can't find stuff. I am hopeless.
ReplyDeleteI think your pale pink blouse with jeans, blue, black, white or leather, would be ways to dress more casually? As for warm, I wear a thin wool base layer top under my shirts and/or a puffer vest with.
Need puffer, love puffas, both spellings
DeleteI'd really love any of these closets above, but sadly mine is a wreck. The pole has broken down and I haven't had time to fix it, so all my clothes are slung over the stand, hahaha. Not very pleasing really. I need to get it fixed and get rid of some thing to be honest. It has made me aware that I have a habit of buying things in browns and greys, which has made me feel like an old school headmistress, so I am beginning to fix that as well, haha. But, a closet to find things is just what you need. I like this pale pink blouse and skirt, looks gorgeous & no doubt you look fab in it too :) xx
ReplyDeleteI don't have a closet philosophy although I do have a wardrobe procedure, which I ignore. :)
ReplyDeleteI try to colour coordinate and have the hangers facing the same way but as I use wardrobes in every room - ain't nobody here but me - it gets a little out of hand.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone saw my closet they would probably be scarred for life
ReplyDeleteMORE THE MERRIER!
ReplyDeleteI have no room………I just toss on a chair most of the time…..husband willNOT rent space to me either!He has un-used hanging space!He says I am like a GAS……………..always expanding!!!
Renting space from husband for free: put all evening wear in there, plus bags in a new hanging thing I bought from Bath and Beyond that I saw in Real Simple, now I can't find the link though
DeleteEmail from C: (sorry to non-bloggy people trying to comment, sadly had to take anon comments off)..".I've been a color girl from my days in retail ... makes things so much easier plus I'm constantly editing every time I even think about buying something new. I find I have so many more outfits and options the less I have in there!
ReplyDeleteA giraffe?? Seriously?!
ReplyDelete