A full closet, with nothing to put on - so you can briefly define the concept of wardrobe chaos. Why does this chaos arise and how to deal with it?
What is wardrobe chaos?
Wardrobe chaos is not necessarily a complete mess, when instead of neat piles and rows of hangers, things are arranged in shapeless clusters, while getting out of closets and chests of drawers and uncontrollably occupying other spaces in the house. Wardrobe chaos may also be present where everything is meticulously laid out and hung on specially designed “shoulders” set. The essence of this concept is not the presence of an external order in the closet. Wardrobe chaos from the outside can look very neat and attractive, and vice versa. The word "chaos" here means the inconsistency and unsystematic selection of things in a single wardrobe, and the word "wardrobe", in turn, is used to mean the totality of all items of clothing, shoes and accessories that a person owns.
"A full closet with nothing to wear!" - so you can briefly illustrate the concept of wardrobe chaos. At the same time, a detailed examination of the contents of the cabinets may well show that the necessary things are present, just remembering them or quickly finding them is not always easy ... Wardrobe chaos is about the order not external but internal, about the logic of choosing things, about finding your own style and even about environmental thinking.
Wardrobe revision
Wardrobe chaos: the main signs
1. There are a lot of things, but the owner does not have the feeling of fully providing all the necessary clothes and shoes: a constant feeling that a lot is missing.
2. At least a third of the things that appear in the wardrobe are not worn actively, but are worn several times and then disappear somewhere in the bowels of the wardrobe (even if neatly folded).
3. The owner no longer remembers some things: for example, you can buy or sew a new skirt, and then find that almost the same thing is hanging, forgotten, in the closet.
4. The unexpected need to pick up a kit for an extraordinary occasion (going to the theater, going to nature, an invitation to an interview, an unexpected trip - for each his own) causes confusion: there is nothing to put on!
5. Unexpected change of weather also catches aback: it is not possible to quickly compile an image adequate to the occasion, mood and weather report.
6. Things appear in the wardrobe rather haphazardly: most of the new things are impulsive, purchases are often made by the will of the mood, decisions are made immediately, without thinking.
Basic wardrobe in English
Comrade "fast fashion"
They started talking about the concept of wardrobe chaos not so long ago. By the way, this does not mean that such a problem did not exist 50 or 200 years ago. It just did not have a separate name, and the scale of its severity has grown in recent years. This is facilitated by the phenomenon of “fast fashion”, fast fashion: clothes are becoming more and more, buying it is easier, trends are replacing each other faster. The accessibility of getting every new thing makes you buy more, and the shelves of home cabinets are filled with various, not always convenient and high-quality, often - incompatible things. So there is wardrobe chaos.
Theory of "Seven Simple Things" by Donna Karan: history and modernity
In fairness, it must be said that it is precisely those who sew clothes for themselves that do more often than others avoid unsystematic and rash replenishment of their wardrobe. But the fact that we sew ourselves, before that we thoughtfully choose a model and materials and pay for them, then - spending time and effort, does not prevent us from buying (sometimes impulsively) clothes and shoes in stores, nor storing unnecessary, nor forgetting about something that was once bought or sewn ... Wardrobe chaos rarely occurs simultaneously, usually its appearance is a process that takes at least a year, and more often - longer. Its presence not only creates problems in the selection of things, but also regularly upsets with this “Nothing to Wear!” How to simplify your life, get rid of unnecessary disappointments and eliminate wardrobe chaos - or signs of the beginning of its appearance?
Slow fashion: what it is and why you need it
How to get rid of wardrobe chaos?
* First you need to state the presence of a problem. If at least half of the signs listed above regularly appear, it is probably time to think about streamlining the wardrobe.
* If you are not ready for too radical steps, you should first go over the wardrobe (throwing away something is optional). It is better to do this at least once every three months, before the onset of the new season. So it will be easier to remember that of the things already exist. This alone will help not to add too much superfluous and not to increase the wardrobe chaos. Another plus is maintaining order.
* If you feel that you are ready for radical steps, with the same regularity (once a season), you can arrange an audit of the wardrobe with the removal of unnecessary things from it. A clear and understandable step-by-step plan on how to disassemble a wardrobe for one of the seasons is here. This plan (with appropriate adjustments) can be used before the start of any season.
* If during the audit you collected seemingly unnecessary things, but your hand does not rise to get rid of them, do not torment yourself! Maybe something got there by accident or under a hot hand. Throwing the right thing along with the unnecessary, you can get an unpleasant experience, which afterwards will interfere with starting a new revision of the wardrobe, and chaos will continue to grow. Is there uncertainty? Put these things aside and check them, for example, after a month or during the next cleaning.
* Try also to approach the solution of the problem not only from the side of practice, but also from the side of theory and ideology. Wardrobe chaos is a fairly common thing today, and there are also a lot of theories on wardrobe ordering, respectively. Read about the different approaches. Here, for example, it is told about the construction of a wardrobe according to the rule of the pyramid. Here - on the preparation of the basic wardrobe. You may be interested in the theory of types according to Kibby (this stylist suggested dividing by types of appearance: for each type, the main signs and signs of clothes that are suitable for this type are described). Perhaps the most convenient and logical system for you is a capsule wardrobe system (a capsule is a set of things of a certain style that combine well with each other and allow you to make harmonious sets). Or the “slow fashion” movement, which contrasts itself with the fast fashion mentioned above, will be close to you (slow fashion is an emphasis on quality, individuality and awareness when choosing things). One way or another, the study of different theories and their analysis will help to look at your life and things in it a little from the side. It is interesting and useful.
* If, in addition to eliminating wardrobe chaos, you want to more accurately determine your style, try to analyze your wardrobe. Choose your favorite and most frequently used items and try to understand why you love them and what unites them. The conclusions made will help to understand the essence of your preferences and determine in which direction to move on. Read more about it here.
Photo: Pixabay, Pinterest, shots from the series "Sex and the City" and the movie "Sex and the City-2"