How To Sort Your Clothes By Colour? Lessons from the colour blind, Colour Conscious and Creative! Co-ordinated for all year, day and night time, funerals or weddings, Valentine's Day and special occasions
Brides wear white. A simple colour scheme. White dress, white shoes. Co-ordinated. Colour schemes are chosen for the theme of the wedding. That gets the bride into good habits!
My colour blind late uncle Ronald had all his clothes sorted into sets with labels: Blue shirt goes with blue tie. White shirt goes with black tie.
Since he had recently died, I was the executor of his will, this made me very sad. Now, several years on, I can turn this story around. Isn't that great? Yes! He was able to go out, perfectly co-ordinated. His life was in order. At least, his clothes were in order. The handwriting was not his, so somebody else had helped him to organize the colours.
What a useful lesson. I could do the same. You could do the same.
He had very few clothes. Less than a dozen shirts. Less than a dozen ties. In a morning, afternoon or evening, he could have listed all the colours and sorted out the scheme for the rest of his life.
You and I could do the same. I already keep many of my dresses on hangers which have matching colours.
It should be easy to sort my entire wardrobe. Have you noticed how many outfits I have? We have reached more than 300. I have not thrown anything away. Nor given anything away. Admittedly half of it is on one continent and half on another. So only 150 outfits. In the main bedroom and the spare room. Until we get visitors! Meanwhile, how can I sort all of this? If I can do it, you can do it.
Start with black or white. Or both. I started with black, but to make an easy to remember list for a plan of action, I rhymed one and white.
1 One for Whites.
Day one, or hour one, or minute one.
All the whites.
White: leather or something smart, with heels, for evening, flats for daytime: sneakers and tennis shoes (UK plimsolls) and simple jewellery for daytime, such as shells.
2 Task Two. Back to Black
We could start with all the blacks or do this second. Smart satin cocktail wear.
Funeral wear.
Matt black.
Old working clothes for DIY.
Add silver and gold accessories for evenings.
3 Co-Ordinating Colours>
Then our next main dark co-ordinating colour. Darks, lights, or neutrals:
Navy and blues.
Or browns.
Or greys: granite grey.
And beiges or creams.
4 Four is Fun.
The vibrant colors: reds, oranges. Pinks and purples. Mauve.
5 Five, still alive. Soothing Blues.
But Tired. Need a rest. So, then the soothing, cool colours.
Blues, greens, yellows. Turquoise, teal. Baby blue. Sky blue. So many blues - who knew!
Daytime Denim - dark blue and sandwashed blue.
6 Six Is Mix.
Then the mixtures and geometrics:
Leopard skin.
Stripes.
Plaids (checkerboard, tartans).
Circles: discs, . Waves: Moons. Paisley.
Hearts
Hearts for Valentine's Day, your wedding anniversary.
7 Animals, Birthdays, Symbols & Sports.
Animals, People and Messages.
Animals: cats, dogs, horses, birds, butterflies, fishing,
football, golfing, swimming, running, mountain climbing
Badges for birthday boy and girl, hats.
Xmas /New Year's Eve
Santa hat(s), antler headbands, santa and reindeer tee-shirts, ear-rings with trees and flashing lights. (If too many for a hanger, keep in a suitcase with a Santa hat around the handle and a Xmas carrier bag taped to the front so you can find it easily.)
Symbols For Other Festivals
Chinese New Year
Orange, red, cheong sam, festive greetings.
Jewish Festivals
Star of David masks. Menorah masks for shabbat (7 branch candlestick and tee-shirts). Shabbat. Hanukiah (9 branches).
Minimalists
My neighbour, Jay, was a minimalist. She had one set of black for best, for evenings and funerals, which she wore all year. Her wardrobe was almost empty. She had eight sets of co-ordinated clothes. With each outfit, she had the matching hat and shoes. Two jackets, light and heavy, to match everything else.
Hangers
You can paint hangers. In colours. Or with names. Or dates. If you are onto your second marriage, like Liz taylor, the word bride is safer, and the hanger can be used for your second wedding or passed on to a daughter, sister or mother.
The white wooden hangers on Amazon were about 30 US dollars for one and 37 for the pair of bride and groom.
On Lazada I found them at about 17 dollars.
Bridal Hangers
Or buy personalised hangers with the names of your bride and groom, mother of the bride, mother of the groom, father of the bride, father of the groom, flower girl, page boy. Keep everybody organized on the day. Have the socks in a bag, even the rings (if not kept in a safe). Cuff links. Fake flowers, prayer book, hat, headband, or headpiece, shoes underneath or in a bag, watch, necklace, speech, money for tips, cheques, something old and something blue, lipstick, lip balm, water, energy bar, toothbrush and paste, breath freshener, stain remover, sun cream, umbrella or parasol.
In another hanging bag on the hanger: Several printed copies of directions from the register office or church or temple, to the reception. Phone numbers of officiant. Order of ceremony. Name and contact details of catering co-ordinator. Mobile number of house-sitter whilst you are away at the ceremony. Zoom details for relatives overseas - and their numbers to tell them it's starting now.
Make sure you don't have so much heave stuff that you break a plastic hanger, or pull a wire hanger out of shape.
Ebay had Bride hanger from China for about 10 dollars per hanger. Allow time for delivery.
Amazon has several sets and useful feedback from customers.
Davidsbridal had some reasonably priced items. I also liked the set.
You can also buy bride and groom wedding socks. Why? Amusing for the wedding photos. Informs catering staff, reception and others who don't know the family. Handy for instantly informing car park barrier security staff, photographer's assistant, venue concierge, spouses of colleagues, hotel guests who stepped into the wrong room by mistake looking for the funeral tea.
Lots more white bridal hangers on Etsy.
Useful Websites
Bride and groom hangers
Different styles and prices. White hanger with the word bride is cheapest. You can also buy a set of white for the bride and black for the groom.
Lazada
UK mixed colour hangers
https://www.hangerworld.com/mh-cols
https://www.facebook.com/groups/clutterbugadvice/
https://www.brides.com/gallery/wedding-dress-hangers
About the author of this blog post
BIOGRAPHY
Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5
The Author of several books including Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.
Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com
dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com
Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President
Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time
Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;
Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;
Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.
More details from Toastmasters International find a club.
Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.
Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.
Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.
Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.
Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.
Language and speech workshops in Singapore.
Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.
Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.
Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.
Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.
Books by Angela Lansbury
How to be the best man. (Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Wedding Speeches and Toasts.(Ward Lock / Cassell.)
Unforgettable British Weekends.
Poetry Workshop Workbook.
The Tailor and the Spy. (Lulu.)
Larry The Talking Labrador. (Lulu.)
Writing Poetry for fun.
Quick Quotations
Who Said What When
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