Last week, during a couple of rainy days, I decided to flip my closet. This takes a couple of days to pull out everything, switch winter things for summer colors, look at every piece to see if it needs mending, donating or trashing, and trying on almost everything I haven’t worn in a while. Read about my whole process in the post What’s In Your Closet? (I’m still using the jewelry trick I figured out on that post). I usually do this earlier in the year, but I let it slide until now. Things change, and when I first published that post I was still working, but the principles still apply. Flipping the closet feels like getting new clothes when spring things have been covered with dry cleaning bags for the past several months. It is interesting for me to note that almost half of what is in this photo has been donated since the picture was taken. Some of it just this week.

I pull everything out and separate into four piles. Keep (which goes back in the closet), repair (if it fits and I love it enough to spend the time), donate (for those things that don’t really fit but are still in good shape), and trash (those stained, worn out, ripped or things with holes that I hang onto for far too long for home comfort wear). In the sewing room, I found two dresses that I pulled last year to rework into tops or skirts, but now will alter to keep as dresses. Good thing I never got to that project!

I did another post last year on Springtime Closet. Here were my criteria for last year’s closet flip, and I managed to stick to all of them. Some of these are still good this year, but I have some other goals as well.
Sew pretty prints for tops or shells.
Find short sleeve, lightweight shrug/cardigans for the sleeveless shells.
Buy/sew only what can be worn at least two other items.
Buy/sew only what will go with what I already own.
Buy/sew only what fits now, not what might fit 10 pounds from now.

Now, my criteria has changed again as I am looking for nice midi or maxi casual dresses, and wide leg pants to cover my knee braces when I need to wear them. I bought this blue midi-dress right before lockdown to use as an “Alice in Wonderland” costume. Unfortunately, the party was canceled and I never wore it. I pulled it out recently to discover that not only does it fit well, it goes nicely with a spring, floral print sweater. Wearing a white belt to define a waist and pull in the soft drape of the dress completes the outfit. I wore it to the quilting day exhibit to work the voting table, and got many complements on the outfit. Plus, no one noticed the knee braces.

Part of reorganizing is seeing what new combinations can be made with what I have. I’ve added some new pieces to the wardrobe since last fall, but haven’t actually looked at the spring things that might go with those. While I was pulling out spring sweaters, I noticed that same blue dress also goes with this one. I’ve had this sweater for several years, but the blues match well.

A pretty sleeveless print dress purchased last fall amazingly went nicely with the teal sweater for late winter, early spring. It also does nicely with a crocheted shrug pulled out from the spring things. I have to have some kind of sleeve to hide my ‘wings’. I am just not comfortable in sleeveless things.

I bought a long, white cotton maxi dress for an event late last year. I wore it with a black shrug and black accessories, and it did nicely for an elegant party where I needed to wear my knee braces to stand on concrete for a couple of hours. Looking at it for spring, I need to add color to keep it from looking like a country wedding dress. I found the teal short sleeve sweater recently and it will do great. The short sleeve black sweater with the lovely embroidery will do well too. I haven’t worn that sweater but one time as it is hard to match those colors, but the embroidery definitely has a spring feel.

The wide leg print pants on the left were purchased last fall. I wore them with a yellow shell and black cardigan, or an orange shell and cream cardigan. Those looks worked great for fall. Pulling out the spring stuff, I discovered this green short sleeve sweater is a perfect match for the green in the print! Once again, two pieces purchased years apart go together nicely. So I have another new outfit, and I haven’t yet spent a dime this year.

This skirt was made in 2014 in one of my first fashion posts when I first started blogging. I wrote about it again in 2023 as I still had it but hadn’t worn it in several years. The print could be styled three ways for three different looks. See the post Rayon Challis Skirt. I did a tutorial on using a blind hem stitch on that post too. Now, I wish I could find it again as I need pretty skirts now, but I think I donated it.

I did a post in 2015 on Shopping and Sewing With A Purpose to guide myself when I am in the mood for something new. At this point, I probably have plenty of short sleeve cardigans. I did a post a few years ago on How to Shorten Sleeves on Ready To Wear, and I still have the white lace one. The black and white stripe went to the thrift store after a few wearings. I just didn’t like the horizontal stripes on my frame.

Another post has the tutorial on how to shorten a skirt when you can’t re-hem it. See Lace Edged Skirt Re-Fashion. I wear this with a grey shell and cream shrug. It doesn’t fit my criteria to keep as it cannot be worn with multiple things in my closet, but I’ll make an exception for that lace hem.

I went through my hats this time, and threw away two hats that were stained and not repairable. I am donating another hat that has a net veil that is just too dressy to wear with jeans. I kept the band from one of the throw-aways, and glued it to another straw hat so I have one that goes with any outfit for car club events outdoors. I still have a wardrobe of hats, probably a dozen or so.

So, my criteria for donating this time includes any top that is too short in length. That was all one could find for a while, but thankfully manufacturers have gone back to the longer length for t-shirts and tops. Anything that doesn’t really fit well and make me feel good wearing it has to go. The rule of “if you haven’t worn it in a year, donate it” applies most of the time, with the exception of party wear. I have several sparkly jackets for elegant party time, or sometimes to wear with jeans just for a bit of glitz at MINI club events. I did pull two to donate, but will keep four as they are still in good shape. I also went through my handbags and bit the bullet to throw away two of them. I loved the styles and hated to have to give them up, but they were coming apart and the handles were a mess. I have pulled two more that will be donated, as I have come to realize that I do not like a purse that doesn’t zip closed. I went through the shoes as well, and pitched out some that had just worn out.

All this will be taken to thrift shops this coming week. I might have to browse a bit while there, as some of my favorite things have come from thrift stores.

When was the last time you went through your closet? Are you happy with your clothes, or do you have a closet full of nothing-to-wear? How do you create something new from something old?