Spring Cleaning Parties…fun ideas to have or to share with your daughters and girlfriends

Is your closet ready for your Spring/Summer wardrobe?  Need to make that happen now!

If you are like me there are a few ways to approach a new season….number one is always by hitting the closet (either yours, your daughter’s or even as in my case, a client’s that is asking for your help)  and doing the ever-so-hard edits that must be made as well as the discoveries that lie ahead, amazing what you have in your own fab closet if you take the time to look at it!   I certainly know how I approach closet organizing but invited our MRG contributor Francene to share her insights on how to make it a fun experience and even a party!!! Swap parties are all the rage of the younger set and you will see from Francene just how to do it!

From Francene’s point-of-view…

I guess you are maybe wondering how these words can come together and the outcome is a party?! Seems a bit too good to be true? Well, Francene here today, and I can assure you, it isn’t!

Last weekend I decided to incorporate my spring clean with our home move, hoping it would motivate me to be realistic about what I was keeping and what I could throw out. Will I really wear the tiny little dress I fit into before my wedding day (while I was starving myself )? No I don’t think so, especially since moving to the states and over to H-Town and enjoying the food a little too much! I need to apply this thought even when it comes to my heels. Yes I love them all and yes I think of them as art around my apartment (my husband might not agree), but the gold metallic ones that are agony after only five steps, will I really wear them again? Maybe not! I’m sure there are many more examples of items we all have which are going unused in our wardrobes.

To begin, pull out everything in your closet, and I mean everything! Separate into categories of ‘keeping’ and ‘giving away.’ Scrutinize the items you are keeping and in your head think of 3 upcoming dates you could wear the item. Go through your bags, accessories and heels! Then once you have everything sorted, you will have the fun job of putting all your items you are keeping back in an organized manner! I love to have everything on show. It’s good to have visible options as you will use more of your wardrobe; we all know those items you forget until you come across one day while digging through the mountain of clothing. I like to colour coordinate, organize into clothing types such as dresses, skirts and tops. I like my bags to be in colour order and my jewelry to be in sections, and again, visible.

Spring is here; therefore it’s out with the winter gear and in with the floating, bright beautiful spring/summer items! The thought of sunshine draws us to brighter colours and more daring items. I know I’m not the only shopping victim who has maybe added a couple of cheeky purchases especially after reading My Red Glasses ‘Must Have’ spring features such as gingham and culottes. Winter jackets and sweaters have been successfully stored away in our storage locker for another year – yep I’ve become that person who has two sets of clothing. I’m from Scotland and we are not used to constant warm weather we can rely on!

Nothing makes you feel more organized than when your closet is clean, organized and you know your options. Sometimes it’s not a good thing to have so many. Always think Quality over Quantity; it’s the key. Had you asked me this when I was 16/17, I would have said the other way around! What I love doing, instead of selling everything on eBay hoping it will sell, however at the same time wish someone else could get this organized, as it sounds easy, but once you are rushing about packing the items, finding the nearest post office answering questions on eBay, it becomes a lot less convenient.  My latest tip is a Spring Clean Party!

It’s simple and easy! Invite all your girlfriends round for some homemade cocktails, drinks (my favorite spring drink at the moment is rum, ginger beer and lime over ice with a cherry) nibbles, tunes and Sex & The City in the background (love the older episodes)! Ask them all to bring their unwanted items of clothing, heels or accessories that they are keen to get rid of.

Now hang these up round your apartment and enjoy happy free shopping! Exchange your pieces. This is a great cheaper way to add items to your wardrobe, try on clothes you wouldn’t normally try on and at the same time you are losing your unwanted items, having fun along the way!

One ladies trash is another ladies treasure! The amount of times I used to see my friends throw out clothes and I’d be grabbing them with a passion as I couldn’t bare to see it go to waste! You will also have a captive opinionated audience when trying on – sometimes you need that outsider view!

Now enjoy your girl’s night and My Red Glasses wants to see your new additions! Feel free to comment and send pictures!

 

Images via Apartment Therapy, Digs Digs, and Classy in the City