Spare Time On Your Hands? It seems these days some of us are looking for something to do.
The Blazer Team has just the right thing for you. Here are some tips and tricks to help you organize the most precious and essential pieces in your closet.
The saying goes “easier said than done” but is this really true when you have all the right tools to guide you? The spring clean not only allows you to free up space but ultimately gives you a sense of accomplishment and pride. So as Jacqueline M. Fernandez writes in her novel From Life-Closets to Life-Journeys, “It’s like spring-cleaning for the soul. We all need it…the benefits are incredible.”
Now that we know all the perks, let’s get to the nitty gritty. Here are four steps we believe will benefit you and your closet for the long haul.
Step 1: Commitment
Lets face it. We all have those 5+ year old pieces that we are all just hoping to bring out of hiding. Whether it was handed down to us from our great grandfather or we spent a small fortune to buy it there are countless reasons why we still hold on to these “valuable” pieces (pun intended). One might ask? Are these items really serving a purpose or am I just losing out on valuable space for great new additions?
Step one is the easiest of all. If you’re a Netflix subscriber you’ve certainly heard of the famous cleaning guru Marie Kondo. Her KonMari method checklist suggests first to commit yourself to tidying up. Commitment allows you to begin the process and if you’re an early bird like our consultant Matthew King his ideal way to start organizing and decluttering is to keep track of what has been worn and what has not. He prefers to keep his hangers pointing in the same direction. After wearing an item he puts it back in the opposite direction. This gives Matthew a direct visual of what he has been wearing, what he should keep and what needs to go!
Some of us however prefer the old fashioned way and that is to simply remove all of your clothes including dress shirts,sport jackets, sweat pants, accessories and so on from your closets and drawers. Don’t forget the laundry basket downstairs! Congratulations, you now have an empty closet. Step one, commitment and check mark complete!
Side note: if you’re curious, check out the Marie Kondo website for more inspiration!
Step 2: The Purge
Now before you start rummaging through your pieces to finish as quickly as you started, make sure you’ve given yourself enough time for step two; The Purge. Brian Lalonde, manager at Blazer for Men compiled some thoughtful questions to ask yourself as you start trying things on one by one.
- Does it make me feel good?
- Will I ever wear this again?
- Do I receive compliments when I wear this?
- Is it so tight that I’m showcasing things I shouldn’t be?
- Does it compliment or work with other pieces in my wardrobe?
- How would I feel in this if I ran into my ex? Okay, okay this should be number 1!
Great job guys. The hardest part is over. Sometimes making those concrete decisions to part from pieces you’ve been storing away can be an emotional rollercoaster. Remind yourself that this is all a part of your new organized lifestyle and it’s starting now! At this point you probably have two piles, keep and discard. You might want to consider going through your discard pile and determining what can be donated and what is out right garbage. FYI, if it has stains or holes it should probably go. Now is your chance to take a breather. Box up your donations, get into your classic ‘Stang, top down of course and hit up your local donation centre. Blazer for Men is all about sustainability! So here are a few local donation centres that would surely take these items off your hands.
LOCAL DONATION CENTRES:
Goodwill Retail Store and Community Donation Centre
407A Speers Rd.
Safety Net Children and Youth Charities
1317 Speers Rd, Oakville
(this organization takes old suits and business wear to help set youths up for interviews and job readiness)
Plato's Closet
1317 Speers Rd, Oakville
(you could bring along some of your wives or partners items as well as this consignment store offers both)
Salvation Army
356 Kerr St.
Step 3: The Fundamentals
Now don’t you feel like a weight has been lifted? This next step is equally rewarding. Here you can get all those creative juices flowing and really there is no right or wrong way so long as it makes sense for you and helps to maintain your new organized lifestyle. One of the best ways to maintain a clean and organized closet is to separate by season. If you have more than one closet, or need to separate your closet in half or you have to be a bit more creative and hit up the local department store for a storage box that down-filled parka definitely doesn’t need to be front and centre any longer. Doing this gives you back time and energy when coordinating outfits! All of your spring, leight-weight pieces will have room to breathe.
We move on to something called “essentials.” How many of us have a handful of white button ups? It’s okay! So long as they are still crisp and fit properly they can definitely stay. We recommend keeping items like this in the centre of your closet. Probably between your lightweight sport jackets and chinos. An easy combination that can work any day.
As your spring looks return into their new organized closet consider what looks you need for certain occasions. It helps to keep these pieces hung together or close by so you’re not scrambling on the day of.
- A couple of versatile sport jackets. Check out this new L.B.M 1911 Jersey Print Jacket. The colour is fresh and works with both dark and light wash denim.
- At least one good suit. Should be functional for a formal event as well.
- Two or three pairs of dress pants, chinos or 5-pocket pants.
- A great pair of jeans. A medium wash is most practical but if you have a couple more stylish ones, those will work.
- Three or four belts. A solid black and brown for a dressy look and a woven stretch fabric for a more casual style.
- Two sweaters. A sophisticated knit and a casual cotton for lounging.
- Three or four pairs of shoes. Dress, sneaker and sandal for those cottage days.
- Last but not least; and Brian’s true and tested method, a hot pair of underwear for those special nights.
Step 4: Briefs, Socks & Everything In Between
Having finished off your closet we move on to accessories. If space permits it is ideal if you can keep all those finishing pieces in your closet as well. Step out of your shell and get that label maker out. This way your coloured socks stay separate from your black and whites in one labelled bin.
Some additional suggestions are:
- Fitted boxers can stay separate from their pesky casual counterparts.
- Roll your belts into a clear bin. This way you can see style and colours easily
- Add your shoes to the closet. You might have some shoe shelves in your PAX wardrobe already. This makes creating the ensemble so much easier!
