Steps to the ultimate wardrobe, part III: pretty, practical or precious?

 All items in one’s closet can be divided into 3 groups. This includes all items from jewellery to the “unmentionables”, from shoes to hats, from coats to pjs. There are various ways to sort the items: pull everything out Marie Kondo-style; go through one shelve/drawer at a time; tag items as you use/see them. The choice is yours. I will only explain how the system works. 

The first group pretty consists of the items whose main value is esthetic. In other words, you’ve been keeping these things because they are easy on the eye notwithstanding the purpose, which some might carry and others not. Here you should place that cute sundress you got on sale at the end of last summer, that splendid hat you wish to wear to the horse race one day, Valentine’s Day-only type lingerie, any jewelry that holds no sentimental value, special occasion shoes— you get the picture. This group is the easiest to edit: if the item is no longer beautiful to you for any reason (out of fashion, wrong size or proportion, damaged), you pass it to the new owner as a giveaway, donation or sale.

Group number two is practical, and it’s all in the name. Pile up here your everyday denim, leggings, sweats, anything you wear for sports, hiking, gardening, housecleaning as well as your warm jackets, raincoats, knitted hats, plain underwear and pjs, socks, casual shoes etc. This group should be the largest, so there are a few reasons for editing: if it no longer fits your body or lifestyle; if you have unnecessary multiples of the same/similar item; if it is visibly damaged — let it go. 

The last group is precious and this one is the hardest to edit, because every item here is dear to you. Here you would include your grandmother’s purse, a scarf that a dear friend brought for you from abroad, pjs you wore on your honeymoon many moons ago, a bride’s maid’s dress from your sister’s wedding, a pin you inherited from someone no longer around, as well as anything by a high-end designer house. Some items might hold purely sentimental value while others might have been purchased as an investment. For this group, consider permanent display options for things you surely will not wear; check for the possible alterations on the items you’d like to be seen in (turning that bride’s maid’s gown into a cocktail dress or slip top?); research the salability for the designer items you no longer want for yourself or your heirs.

I cannot tell you what percentage each group should have in your closet. That depends on your lifestyle, job, age (we collect as we grow, but we dispose as we go), and region. 

Always remember of remaking and repurposing. Sometimes, the best closet assets come out of the things that were considered no longer useful. Just get a professional to look at each item and evaluate its potential!