closet inventory

When I was preparing to move last year, I spent a lot of time going through my closet and getting rid of a ton of it. I hadn't moved more than three miles in any direction in seven years, so I used the 600 mile move across the country as a good time to really sort through everything I owned. I spent months sorting, donating, selling, and giving to friends, and I thought I did a pretty good job of only taking with me what I really wore and used.

I'll be moving again next year, and to prevent another massive clean out during the super stressful time of board studying and moving, I'm trying to be proactive about what I buy and keep in my closet (and surroundings). I've been trying to buy less since I don't really "need" anything, and I've been cleaning more out. There were some things I held on to that I thought I would wear more during the school year, but I just didn't wear them, so I've already donated a giant bag full of clothes after this recent clean out. I wish that I had taken a full inventory last March just to see how much has changed in the last 18 months!

I've been asked in the past how much clothing I actually own, and so being inspired by AJ's and Kimmie's closet inventory posts, I thought I would share a little of my own. Here are all the clothes I own:

So what does that come out to? Here are the numbers:

Tops: 94
Sleeveless: 8
Tees: 21
Long-sleeved shirts: 10
Blouses/Button-ups: 26
Cardigans: 12
Sweaters: 17

Outerwear: 15
Vests: 2
Blazers: 9
Coats: 4

Bottoms: 36
Jeans: 5
Casual Pants: 5
Dress Pants: 8
Shorts: 8
Skirts: 10

Dresses: 23

Shoes: 34
Flats: 17
Heels: 8
Sandals: 5
Boots: 4

This of course doesn't include work out clothes, pjs, or the large amount of college sweatshirts I own (all the red in the back right corner). I'm a little shocked I own 200 pieces of clothing. I would have guessed it was closer to 150. There are still some things I know I'll be getting rid of in the next year, so I'll probably do a one piece in, one piece out rule.

I know many people suggest using thin velvet hangers to make as much room as possible. I won these wooden hangers last year from Alterations Needed (read her review on the petite hangers here) and I think that they work a lot better for me. I like that it spaces my clothes out a bit more, and it leaves me with a finite amount of hanger space - it prevents me from holding out to clothes I no longer wear. I used to organize my closet completely by color - all white blouses, sweaters, and tees together, and so on. I found that organizing by type helps a lot more - they are still organized by color (because I'm a bit of a nutcase) but now within type. So if I want a tee shirt, they are all together. If I'm looking for a cardigan to wear on top of an outfit, I can see the 12 I have available all in one space.

I'm hoping to inventory once a year just to see where I'm at. Questions about anything? Let me know!