Seasonal Shifts and Wardrobe Change-Ups

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Winter hung on a little longer this year but I think it's safe to say that warmer days are ahead of us. In general most of my wardrobe is fairly seasonless, or at least I can make a lot of things work all year long by layering and re-combining. Sometimes all you need is a pair of tights, a cardigan and a blouse to turn a summer dress into a winter creation. But there are some things that you just can't make work all year long, like heavy knit items, thick cords and certain color combinations. Fall and winter stuff can also take up a lot of valuable real estate in your closet and dresser drawers especially if you have a super tiny closet like I do. So early yesterday morning I devoted several hours to changing out my wardrobe, which meant pulling apart my closet, dresser drawers and storage containers. I'm pretty happy with the results, and thrilled (relieved!) to see some of those warmer layers tucked away.

Here are a few tips for making the most out of a small space and for making seasonable wardrobe change-ups a little more organized.

Always insert a sturdy heavy duty closet rod in your closet. Winter coats and warm fabrics are heavy and can pull down those flimsy closet rods typically found in closets when you first move in. Add soft compartment storage within your closet, like over-the-door shoe organizers, shelving that can be hung up inside the closet and other similar products.

A sturdy shelf above the closet rod is also super helpful for keeping bulkier items neatly arranged. Backpacks can be great places for storing sweaters.

I always keep the packaging from bed linens as well as any dress bags. They are perfect for storing clothing so that everything stays in good condition but also allows you to maximize space.

 Smaller zip-up plastic cases work great for keeping wool scarfs, gloves and leg warmers together so they are ready for next winter (but let's not think about that).

For a small space, over-the-door shoe organizers are really useful not just for storing shoes but for keeping belts and jewelry orderly. On the outside of my closet I keep the shoes I wear most often within easy reach. I also like to keep a few extra shoe bags tugged into the pockets of the organizer so I can easily throw a pair of shoes into my work bag. This is also where I keep the belts I wear most often so that I don't have to go searching for them in the morning. Inside the MoMA bag, hung up on a hook, I keep a variety of fold up tote bags which always come in handy.

I think the final result of all my reorganization yesterday turned out well and will definitely make reaching for my favorite summer pieces a lot easier (more efficient!).

Another bonus about taking the time to reorganize your wardrobe? Finding items you forgot about. I bought this vintage Hawaiian print sundress many years ago and I can't wait to wear it again this summer. This might be the perfect dress to wear for #mypolke.  

 Do you reorganize your closet and/or wardrobe with each season? What are your favorite tips?

"Zip Me Up": The Challenges of Getting Dressed

There a lot of great things about living on one’s own but one thing not so great is not having anyone around to say “Can you please do me up?” My rabbit just stares at me some mornings as I helplessly try to get the zipper done up on the back of my dress. If I flail my arms around too much or begin grumbling, sadly not such an infrequent occurrence when the clock is ticking away, the rabbit usually thumps me…a warning for me to give up and wear something else.

Just as difficult/impossible some dresses are to do up on one’s own, some dresses go on pretty easy but require contortionist moves to get out of. Of course, then the question is not who’ll help zip it up but who’ll cut me out of the dress should it come to that. A prime example of such a dress is the Ihrin shirtdress. While I love the eggplant color and the boxy pleats, the snaps under the arms are ridiculous. Shouldn’t those just be on  a baby’s onesie?

Before I go any further with this, Let me clarify too that I am not talking about tight dresses nor one’s that are too small….apparently designers just forget that we all don’t have a team of people to get us dressed.

A lot of the issues also have to do with design and material choices. The problem I think lies with a combination of the back zip, extra material and/or lining and where the zipper nips in at the waist. Ganni’s Embossed Basket Dress, for example, is made of very heavy fabric and it’s always difficult to get the zipper up past the seam where the material seems to be the bulkiest.

Little hooks only make more of a mockery of the situation. Worse yet are covered buttons and loops half way up the zipper that get in the way while zipping up. Maeve’s Lepidoptera Dress, one of my very favorite dresses, has this exact problem. Getting these dresses on requires someone to hold back the fabric and carefully pinch along the zip so that none of the material catches. And since I don’t have eyes in the back of my head, hooks and buttons are a little tedious. Fear of tearing particularly delicate material (I’m looking at you Kate Spade Striped Kerrigan Dress!) also makes me hesitate to roughly tug on a zipper.

Some dresses just require extra nimble fingers, like Maeve’s Otta Dress http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/clothes-dresses/24066433.jsp. It takes a little extra time to get into this dress thanks to a side zip plus covered buttons with loops. Thankfully, over time the buttons and loops have loosened up so it doesn’t take quite so much dexterity (something I often don’t have first thing in the morning). Also, I’ve discovered that doing the zipper up and then the first and last button makes it easier to get all the other buttons through their loops. Dress strategy.

Q. Should I probably avoid purchasing dresses that require Cirque du Soleil-like moves to put on?

A. Probably. But while that seems like the logical course of action often the dresses I think are the cutest end up being the ones that require a bit more effort to get on. The cute quotient typically wins out.

Fact: I have actually “used” a trip to the hair salon to get a dress done up all the way. No, I didn’t book a hair appointment to get my dress done up but I did put on a dress that I always struggle to zip up in the hopes that my stylist would notice and zip it up the rest of the way. It worked. Sad, I know.

Truth: Whenever my family comes to visit I always wear the dresses that are a pain to fasten….then back into the closet they go until their next visit.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the culprits, shall we?

Buttons, hooks, loops, a zipper and a whole lot of material…oh my!

Delicate fabric, fitted waistline and a heavy zipper = nervous dresser

Thick fabric + flimsy zipper….help!

Caution: To be worn only when you have a bit of extra time to spare getting dressed

Thank goodness for side zips, wrap dresses, button up shirt dresses, pull on styling and other easy to wear dresses….they help give you a rest between all the other days when you struggle.

Who knows, maybe one day I’ll try this little tip or this device (check out the video)…I’m not getting my hopes up that either will work under all circumstances.

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Well, better start doing some stretching exercise….you know, just in case I decide to do battle with a back zip.