Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Ahhhhh, Autumn!


When the weather turns cool, it always brings an invigorating freshness, but that's especially true this year, after the hot, hot summer we had in New York City. The chillier temperatures mean we go digging into our "deep storage" for coats, jackets, hats, scarves and gloves.  For many clients we work with, space is limited and so "deep storage" can just mean the back of the closet!  In that case, it's even more important to EDIT once in a while. As you start to pull out those jackets, coats, hats and scarves this year, remember - this is a PERFECT time to reclaim some closet real estate!

One technique to do this is to remove everything from the storage area.  Yes, everything!  As you pull each item out, ask yourself "When was the last time I wore this?  Do I like it?  Do I feel good when I wear it?"  We tell clients if they didn't wear something seasonal last season, the odds are practically none that they will wear it this one. It's time to let it go! Sometimes when you remove everything, you realize you have many more hats or scarves than you could, or do, actually use.  In that case, pick a reasonable number of those items that you can really use.  What is a reasonable number?  There is no true right answer to that question. It depends greatly upon how much storage space you have, and how much of a clotheshorse you are. But as you are editing, you are going to feel it in your gut that things are not right when you tell yourself that thirty scarves is a reasonable amount. Work backwards from there. Pick your favorites first, and let the rest go.

Before the real cold weather hits is a great time to get cool-weather things into the hands of people who can use them- those who are less fortunate and in need of some help staying warm this winter.  Remember- getting rid of some of your things does not mean you are being wasteful! Bag up these excess coats, jackets, scarves and hats, and put the bag by your door as a visual reminder to take it with you the next chance you get to stop by a donation center.  Or, better yet, carry it out today on this beautiful fall day, to your nearest donation center.  We have plenty of them in the City, from Housing Works to Salvation Army to Goodwill, and you can find them by name or zip code using this handy tool from NYC.gov.

In addition to things they don't really use,we often find our clients have clothing just languishing in the closet because it's in need of repair.  Storing an item needing repair in a closet, usually leads to the repair being forgotten.  As you pull out cool-weather clothing, use that process as your trigger and reminder of these items that may need a visit to a dry cleaner or tailor.  Get those items into a bag, label the bag if you have more than one bag needing attention, and put it right by the front door, as a visual reminder to take it and get those long-awaited repairs done.  Or, again, take it out today and get that process underway!  The sooner you get these items into the right hands, the sooner you get to enjoy them again.

Ridding yourself of cold-weather clothes that you don't use or love will free up valuable space in your closet, giving you better, easier access to the things you really do use and enjoy, and also makes room for new things, which we all inevitably acquire.  For the new things, to keep things from getting too crowded, we suggest a simple one-in-one-out rule - for every new thing that comes in, one old thing should go out, to donation if possible, or if it's in poor condition, then just to the trash.  This simple rule works wonders in keeping "stuff" at a manageable level. It is how we keep our own closets organized!
So, enjoy your favorite scarf and sweater again, and a city revitalized and refreshed by the changing season.  And, if you need help clearing out or updating your closets, or any other space, give us a call.  We would love to help.  

Happy Fall! 

-Wendy,
Team Genius

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