March 2, 2011

Closet Conundrums


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{Top & Belt: NY & Co., Skirt: LOFT, Cardigan: JCrew, Necklace & Tights: Express, Boots: Macys}

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Today I got the keys to my new apartment. Hooray! Today I realized I'm going from 2 extra large closets to 1 teeny tiny closet. Boooo. Seriously though, dow do you people with small closets do it? I need tips and advice STAT. Also, why does my tiny closet have 2 rods for clothes? I'll have to part the curtain of clothes on the first rod in order to get to the 2nd rod of clothes {I doubt that made sense, I'm still confused myself}. All the while bumping my head in the process. This does not seem very functional.


Oh and hey, remember how I was talking about sunglasses and weeding out the photos with my eyes closed? Well, today I opted to forgo the shades and low and behold look what happened. Every time. EVERY TIME!

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Oh and there's plenty more where that came from. Maybe I should just start calling this 26 27 with my eyes closed.

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49 comments:

  1. ugh small closets are so frustrating. I have NO tips for you, but if you find some PLEASE send them my way!

    haha I think everyone closes their eyes here and there but some people do it more often (like my sister, she keeps them open in one out of every 5)

    xo
    Oh! and I love this skirt.

    Melissa

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  2. I have a tiny closet, and I have to share it with my husband. We deal because 1) we don't have that many clothes and 2) we rotate seasonal clothing. Right now my summer clothes are in bins, and I've started folding more clothes than I used to. You could also buy a stand-alone closet. IKEA has some good ones. Hope that helped!

    North Meets South

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  3. Head to the container store - I could spend hours in there finding things to organizer everything. They have organizers for organizers...
    http://www.goodframeofmind.blogspot.com

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  4. I don't think any closet can ever be big enough. You may have to start storing clothes in the kitchen cabinets! :)
    I think the double rods are intended for shirts on top and skirt, pants, etc on the bottom. I had a closet like that once and, yes, it's totally annoying and the tops will always drag on the rod beneath.
    Congrats on the new apartment!

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  5. Loving this entire look! You should get a chest of drawers to put all your folded clothes in it and just use the actually closet to hang all your stuff.

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  6. Woo Hoo for new apt. keys! :) Enjoy this time...you are looking adorable! Lovely blog!

    Liesl :)

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  7. I like the lace and stripes together.

    Congrats on a new apartment!! Storage containers for out of season clothes are key when working with small closets!

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  8. Congrats on the new apartment and I'll pray for the closet issue because I know how you feel! ;(

    That skirt is so pretty and you look wonderful!!

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  9. Ugh I have the smallest closet e-v-e-r! It's awful. I have those wonder-hangers and they work, but I still have everything crammed in! I long for the day that I'll have a large walk in with it's own light :)
    Love that skirt!

    bryanaellen@blogspot.com

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  10. Congrats on your new apartment! And I love, love your outfit. Lace + stripes, and a layered necklace ...it's just perfection. Happy moving. xx v

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  11. The skirt is so pre-tyyy. congrats on your new apartment! Maybe you could store only the current season's clothes in your tiny closet, and the rest stacked somewhere in boxes. And then when the season changes just swap everything!

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  12. girl, I'm not sure what to tell you about the closet issue! my new condo has the same problem - one tiny closet!! I am thinking about getting a nice wardrobe. It's basically an extra closet. I also have a bookcase in my laundry area that shelves shoes.... and, don't tell but there mayyy or may not be sweaters folded in random cabinets. ;)

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  13. mmmmm I love lace! congrats on the apartment! :)
    http://work-it-blog.blogspot.com/

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  14. Lace skirt is beautiful! I need one. I really really need one.

    Not sure what to say about the closet, when I moved the last time I went from a tiny closet to a larger one. I'd say try to put whatever you can into drawers. I know it sucks to fold but that helps a lot. I also utilize the top shelf of my closet for storage too, half boxes and half all of my jeans. Maybe more than half for the jeans. That, and folding up my sweaters and knits really saves my closet from being too jam-packed. Hope that helps a little!

    http://mygrowingobsessions.blogspot.com

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  15. Great outfit! I also went from a large to small closet recently and had to purge (got that from Kendi (:) what I no longer needed. If I hadn't worn it in a year or two, I got rid of it. It was hard, but believe it or not, I haven't even missed those clothes! And Goodwill got two huge donation bags. (:

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  16. Oh you poor dear! I honestly don't know what I ever did without my walk in closet. I think if I ever moved out of my condo I'd have to get a place wtih an extra bedroom just for my clothes! Downsizing is just not an option. Sounds like you need a trip to Ikea or the Container Store. Time to be creative! Good Luck!

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  17. When I had a teeny tiny closet, I bought bins and self-standing shelves to put at the top and bottom of the closet. This allowed me to stack sweaters on top and store workout clothes and t-shirts on the bottom. Get creative... you can get a hanging shoe organizer and use that for shirts/sweaters or even rolled jeans. Also, I stored items that were off season under my bed (more bin buying!) Good luck - I'd love to see the results!

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  18. Congrats on the new place! Sucks about your closets thought - My closets pretty, and I'm not really one to use drawers, except for undies, junky tshirts, and jeans. Things get lost in drawers, I like to see what I have! So I just use one longgg rod with all my clothes hanging in categories - longsleeves, shortsleeves, tanks, cardis/toppers, bottoms, and a wholeee side of dresses. Then I've got 2 long shelves on top of the rod - one gets shoes, one gets sweaters. Voila! Can't wait to move and have a bigger closet though.

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  19. rubbermaid totes. lots of them. and purging. you'll be surprised how many clothes you don't wear (or even remember you have!). Then although it pains me to do so, I split up as best as I can my clothes into seasons, so I don't have a closet with a broken rod from too many hangers. It's hard and sucks at first but you can do it. (we went from having 2 huge closets each to 1 door-size closet to share...yeah, talk about an adjustment)
    Good luck!

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  20. Stripes and florals. One of my favorite combos. Great outfit. Hmmm.... large wardrobe and small space, I have done this many times. I could practically write a book on the subject. Dressers and shelves help. I fold absolutely everything that doesn't need to be hung up, sweaters, tees, tanks, casual skirts that won't wrinkle. Invest in the slim, "huggable" hangers, they help. Oh! Also, you can hang two pairs of pants on one huggable hanger. Under bed boxes for out of season clothing. I have a double rod closet also. I have dresses and rarely worn jackets in the back. Hope this helps.

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  21. Try finding a wardrobe (maybe through craigslist or the pennysaver? I know ikea has some but they are pricey). I know they have some that are pretty much like portable closets. You can customize it to have one rod above the other and you can hang all of your tops, skirts and pants there. You can use your regular closet for dresses or longer items that would bump into the bottom rod. Other than that I would suggest under the bed storage. Try going to Ikea or the Container Store to get other ideas.

    Love the outfit today too!

    Lidi @ Eclectic Flair

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  22. Thanks for the tip about Everybody Everywear - I'm definitely going to join in! And I'm loving the skirt today! :)

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  23. Really adorable skirt!

    www.indcfashion.com

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  24. Congrats on the new place! I don't really know what to tell you about the closet. I have a small(ish) one and I have to share it with my boyfriend. I just make use of every possible space that I can. Whether its on the shelf above the closet, totes underneath, under the bed, hooks to hang things wherever I can, etc. But If you come up with a genius idea, let me know! haha I need help too.

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  25. Congratulations on the new apartment! Going to a smaller closet can be tough, especially if you wardrobe is always growing. My best suggestion would be, if you have clothes that you only wear during certain seasons, in the off seasons, put the clothes away in labeled plastic containers under your bed. Label what is in each one so that you will be able to find clothes if you need them, but this is a great way of keeping your closet organized and condensed when you have a small amount of space!

    P.S. Your outfit is adorable today! Loves it!

    http://kateolmstead.com

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  26. yay fpr your new apartment! How cool. Hope you solve your closet troubles!
    http://cgdn.blogspot.com/

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  27. haha, i hate when i seem to always close my eyes for pictures! these pictures still turned out great! i love thta skirt on you. congrats on your new apartment too!

    cute and little

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  28. Maybe I should stop talking about photos with my eyes closed because today I swear there twice as many! So weird.

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  29. That does help Erica! I think seperating by season and under the bed bins are going to be my saving grace.

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  30. I'm planning on making a trip to the Container Store this weekend. Hopefully I don't get too side tracked, I could spend hours there.

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  31. You know I don't have very many dishes, so you may be onto something with the kitchen cabinets. Come to think of it, didn't Carrie Bradshaw keep clothes in her oven?

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  32. Great suggestion! Thanks Francesca.

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  33. I'm right there with you dreaming for a walk-in closet. Until then maybe I could use my kitchen for extra storage.

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  34. I may have to use random cabinets too! Your secret is safe with me :)

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  35. Samantha - thank you! Lots of great advice. It definitely helps :)

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  36. You know I've been "trying" to purge for a while, a few things here and there. But I think it's obvious that I'm in need of real purge now.

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  37. Thanks Ang! I will definitely be heading to the Container Store. Hopefully I don't get overwhelmed - there's too much great stuff there, you know?

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  38. Thanks Kileen! I'm excited for the move!

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  39. Thanks for the suggestions Kate! I think seperating by seasons is going to be my first move. Hopefully everything will fit at that point. If not, plan b?

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  40. Loving your blog. So glad I found you today! I am a former small closet user and my best advice is to only keep seasonal clothes out. It clears room - sorta in my case but it was the only way I could really see anything in my closet.

    Ramblings of a Small Town Girl

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  41. Ugh, I feel your pain. My closet is TEENSY. I bought those really thin hangers and it helps more than I thought. But I also have to store out-of-season clothes in our basement which isn't the most convenient thing. So I guess if you find a great solution--please share!

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  42. I am your latest follower because I just realized I would wear everything you style. I also enjoy your high-quality photography and overall layout on this blog. Jenna Lyons would be proud!

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  43. ikea is a lil closets dream solution; I really adore that skirt and boot combo its so flirty

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  44. HAHAHA I got a good giggle out of that eyes closed shot. I needed that. It's really cute, actually :)

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  45. Try moving the extra closet rod down below the other one. This is what I did in my close and BOOM! double the closet space. Also, wonder hangers (or the more expensive alternatives) are a life, er, space saver. Try and over-the-door hanger for belts, scarves, coats, robes, etc. Only put items that you wear a lot in the closet. Put less-worn items under the bed, in a dresser, at your parents house, etc. Be creative with storage elsewhere. Extra room in your kitchen pantry--a perfect place for shoes!

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  46. I would try rearranging the rods so that they work better in your closet. If you take Rin's suggestion, you might want to put the lower rod a tiny bit in front of the upper one so that if you have long pieces they won't get stuck on the lower rod. Did that make sense? And you can get one of those hanging shoe organizers with all the pockets to stick on the back of your closet door -- that way there's no crawling around on your closet floor looking for your second pump. Oh, is that just me?

    I would also try to be creative with other storage spaces -- I use the area under my bed for storage, and I have hooks on the back of my door for hanging my purses. They're almost like decoration since they're in a bunch of pretty colors. Good luck, and congrats on the move!

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  47. Is is a back rod and a front rod? Maybe the back rod is for the clothes that are out of season?

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