View Full Version : Fabulous New way To Organize Clothes
I met a woman today who shops at Goodwill four times year. She looks FABULOUS always. She matches, she always wears clothes that fit. Here is her secret: she buys this season's clothes at Goodwill and donates last seasons. No carry over. Four times a year she has a new wardrobe, everything that is wearable goes back.
I'm loving this idea. We are in spring right now, right?
That's a really interesting idea. I wonder what her budget is each quarter and how she organizes it.
rosarugosa
4-15-13, 7:12am
I have a hard time finding clothes that fit me at full retail, let alone thrift, so to employ this strategy, I would have to spend virtually all my time clothes shopping. I also think that my desire to hold onto things I really like is stronger than my desire for new things, so this wouldn't work well for me. I'm not knocking it for anyone else though!
I've had similar problems, rosa. I rarely find what I need at op-shops.
And honestly, my wardrobe is so simple, at this point I just replace as I need to -- and right now, some of those replacements are just having things remade. I have two dresses and a skirt that might need remaking, so I'm talking to a few clothing makers now about getting them done.
It's a great concept, though.
She must know some great Goodwills.
Sometimes I find things that really match well...but its three years apart.
I do the same thing--minus the taking back part. http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/standart/grin.gif
Since much of my hot weather clothes are in need of replacement, I am trying the wardrobe capsule method mentioned in another post. I realized after studying this concept that I often have "nothing to wear" it is because very little really goes with anything else. If I do swing by the thrift store, I now can breeze through as I am limiting myself to things that go with my key neutral color only. Just trying to simplify this work clothes thing...
Life_is_Simple
4-15-13, 11:48am
I do the same thing--minus the taking back part. http://www.kolobok.us/smiles/standart/grin.gif
:laff: I hear ya, sister.
She must know some great Goodwills.
Sometimes I find things that really match well...but its three years apart.
+1 LOL!!
I love this idea! It's almost as though she is "renting" the wardrobe! And she gets a tax write-off for donating the old wardrobe each season (if she itemizes). That's a really cost-effective way to stay current.
I'm moving and this weekend, a friend is coming over to help me go through my entire wardrobe to purge before the move. I am going to try EVERYTHING on and she is going to help critique my clothes. I suspect with her feedback, I'll be getting rid of a lot more than if I did this myself.
My issue is that I tend to wear the same clothes for years, until they become a fuddy-duddy "bag lady" look, so the idea of a whole new wardrobe each SEASON sounds so cool. It would really put me out of my comfort zone, but I'd probably look 10-years younger and certainly feel better.
After I move, I'm going to head down to the nearest GW and check this idea out.
I fall in love with my clothes! And wear them to threadbare status...
What!! Take back my fabulous 50's swing coat, or the gypsy skirt, or hawaiian shirt??? Only when you pry them from my cold, lifeless hands. And, seriously, she must indeed live in a big city with some great thrift shops. When I go thrift-shopping while in larger cities, the amount and price of quality stuff compared to my small, rural town is amazing. But it IT a fun idea (for her)
I have a kind of catch-and-release attitude towards thrifted clothes. It's not as scheduled as this, and the things I love get worn to rags, but I don't feel guilty about wearing something a handful of times & then donating it back if I don't absolutely love it.
Shopping secondhand has taught me a lot about having a very loose hold on most of my possessions -- the vast majority of which could be easily & cheaply replaced should I ever miss them.
Well, she does this in Springfield, IL. We do have some some awesome thrift shops here.
Maybe she does hold onto her most favorite finds, I don't know. I met her while caring for a dying relative at her home, and it wasn't really appropriate to quiz her on her shopping/donating habits. I base my "looks fabulous always" comment on the photos of her through the years displayed throughout the home.
I personally do better with the thrift shop matching issue by mostly sticking with solids and always in my key colors and always with the styles that I know fit me well.
Gardenarian
4-22-13, 3:21pm
Hmm - I'm pretty fussy and when I find a piece of clothing I like, I want to hold onto it. I have clothes from high school (40 years ago!)
But then again, there are no real seasons here to worry about.
decemberlov
4-22-13, 3:58pm
I fall in love with my clothes! And wear them to threadbare status...
yup same here! And being as short as I am, I have a really hard time finding clothes that fit and usually don't find much at thrift stores for myself.
If I find a pair of jeans that fit me just right I'll buy 5 of the same exact pair!!
I fall in love with my clothes! And wear them to threadbare status...
I think it's really good to love your clothes. I wear mine to threadbare status, but not because I love them. I do it because I'm frugal. I'd rather love what I'm wearing than feel practical about it, so I have some work to do in the clothing category.
Sad Eyed Lady
5-1-13, 7:41pm
Somewhat along this line, someone told me that when he and his family go on vacation instead of taking lots of stuff, (say shorts/t-shirts for warm weather), they go to a thrift shop and buy a few things to wear while they are there and then they can donate them back. I thought that was a very good practical idea personally!
Only works if you are of a general midrange size. You should have seen what we went thru to get my husband shorts in Thailand.
SevenSeven
5-10-13, 12:34pm
Oh wow, my GF will love this idea :D....I've had an awesome week of "new lifestyle" discoveries, just got done reading a book on method of loci (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_loci), and now this, cool, I'm remaining excited about the weekend :)
iris lilies
5-10-13, 12:41pm
I really lke this philosophy as stated in the OP. It's do-able here where Goodwill sells tops and bottoms for $3 each.
rgwhitaker
7-13-13, 12:41pm
Thrifting is becoming a huge business in and of itself!
If you look on many of the vintage clothing websites out there, you'll read that they actually do get many of their clothing from places like Goodwill.
Many of the clothes still have their original pricetags on them!
I have a hard time finding clothes that fit me at full retail, let alone thrift, so to employ this strategy, I would have to spend virtually all my time clothes shopping. I also think that my desire to hold onto things I really like is stronger than my desire for new things, so this wouldn't work well for me. I'm not knocking it for anyone else though!
I have similar problems as well. Thank goodness for Talbots, their plus petites sizes, and their frequent sales!
It is a great idea yes, but her budget WOW must be really really great I think :)
I wear pieces that are over 4 year or even older and match them with the new ones. And always everybody told me that I am dressed very good an trendy...
so I think it is not always to have everything new. I think a jeans you bought 6 years ago is still in, because it is a jeans, are I am right? Ok I am a man, I know with women it is completely different :) ....
I'm a woman, and I wear things many years, if they continue to fit and hacent worn out. I ignore trends.
I am not very hard on most of my clothing, and try hard not to be too trendy, just buying classic lines. So, I don't really shop that much, simply rotate my clothes from season to season out of my closet to storage. I wouldn't buy shoes from GW. Mostly my clothes shopping is for underwear, socks and nighties. I do shop at Goodwill for gardening clothing---that is one area where I'm rough on clothes.
I've adopted a habit of wearing an apron when I cook---it saves a lot of my shirts.
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