Closet organization- but with pictures
May 5, 2022 5:49 PM Subscribe
I took pictures of all of my clothes. What do I do with them to get the optimal browsing experience?
My clothing is one of the things that brings me the most joy In life. Unfortunately, my reach-in closet is not the walk-in size my wardrobe deserves. I have optimized every square inch of space to make it work the best I can. I am always able to find what I am looking for, but it’s not easy to just browse and sometimes I forget I own certain pieces.
I’m now on the other side of a full wardrobe clean-out. I have gone through every article of clothing I own, thinned down the collection, kept the things I loved, and photographed every piece before I put it back. My thought is that having the pictures of my wardrobe allows me to browse in a way my space won’t.
But what do I do with the pictures? I want to have a physical way of flipping through them, not just leave them in albums on my phone or put them on an app.
I thought about getting a photo book because I like the idea of flipping through pages like my own personal catalog. But I want to keep it current. I don’t have a problem adding notes to photo book pages if something leaves the closet, but there’s doesn’t seem to be a great option with adding pages after it’s been printed. I would also like to keep my pictures in the categories I have them in.
I could do a traditional photo album with pocket pages for prints. But I hate how heavy and bulky photo albums are and binder rings are often not great for just flipping though quickly and easily. I do like the idea of pulling things out if I donate an item, or possibly even being able to pull together a visual packing list.
Are there other options I am not thinking of? (Printed like trading cards? Maybe use some sort or recipe box?) Are there photo albums that can hold at least 300 pictures that are still pleasing to flip through? I would prefer to keep this under $100, which is much easier to do with photo printing deals around the Mother’s Day holiday.
My clothing is one of the things that brings me the most joy In life. Unfortunately, my reach-in closet is not the walk-in size my wardrobe deserves. I have optimized every square inch of space to make it work the best I can. I am always able to find what I am looking for, but it’s not easy to just browse and sometimes I forget I own certain pieces.
I’m now on the other side of a full wardrobe clean-out. I have gone through every article of clothing I own, thinned down the collection, kept the things I loved, and photographed every piece before I put it back. My thought is that having the pictures of my wardrobe allows me to browse in a way my space won’t.
But what do I do with the pictures? I want to have a physical way of flipping through them, not just leave them in albums on my phone or put them on an app.
I thought about getting a photo book because I like the idea of flipping through pages like my own personal catalog. But I want to keep it current. I don’t have a problem adding notes to photo book pages if something leaves the closet, but there’s doesn’t seem to be a great option with adding pages after it’s been printed. I would also like to keep my pictures in the categories I have them in.
I could do a traditional photo album with pocket pages for prints. But I hate how heavy and bulky photo albums are and binder rings are often not great for just flipping though quickly and easily. I do like the idea of pulling things out if I donate an item, or possibly even being able to pull together a visual packing list.
Are there other options I am not thinking of? (Printed like trading cards? Maybe use some sort or recipe box?) Are there photo albums that can hold at least 300 pictures that are still pleasing to flip through? I would prefer to keep this under $100, which is much easier to do with photo printing deals around the Mother’s Day holiday.
Stick them in clear pockets and line the entire inner closet door with them?
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:42 PM on May 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:42 PM on May 5, 2022 [3 favorites]
A friend who's a stylist uses Polaroids and photo albums for outfit books.
posted by pinochiette at 6:45 PM on May 5, 2022
posted by pinochiette at 6:45 PM on May 5, 2022
A few of these maybe? They are small photo boxes inside a bigger box. I've got some things from that Iris brand and they are pretty durable for paper based craft activities. I like that it's translucent, so it'll remind you what's in there, instead of an opaque archive box which could have anything stashed away.
Before I got to the part about you wanting it to be physical prints, I was going to suggest an online image host like Smugmug, which lets you do all kinds of tagging and metadata and hotlinking and whatnot, so you can generate galleries by tag on the fly and have the style of those galleries be something you choose to work best on whatever device you're using at the time. It costs money but you get what you pay for, and you can also order prints from them.
For cute outfit planning, you could string colorful clothespins on yarn and tie each end on a binder clip that you pin to the wall or a board so you can have your choices up and stand back and look at them as a whole. Add some other dangly charms, hang earrings and jewelry, etc.
posted by Mizu at 7:11 PM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Before I got to the part about you wanting it to be physical prints, I was going to suggest an online image host like Smugmug, which lets you do all kinds of tagging and metadata and hotlinking and whatnot, so you can generate galleries by tag on the fly and have the style of those galleries be something you choose to work best on whatever device you're using at the time. It costs money but you get what you pay for, and you can also order prints from them.
For cute outfit planning, you could string colorful clothespins on yarn and tie each end on a binder clip that you pin to the wall or a board so you can have your choices up and stand back and look at them as a whole. Add some other dangly charms, hang earrings and jewelry, etc.
posted by Mizu at 7:11 PM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
There’s an app called Stylebook that can help you track your wardrobe. I believe you can upload your pics into that and it will allow you to test out combinations and see the last time you wore something.
posted by Fuego at 7:12 PM on May 5, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by Fuego at 7:12 PM on May 5, 2022 [5 favorites]
Best answer: A binder with sheet protectors. Cheap as heck so you're free to write on them with a Sharpie or whatever. Get a color inkjet printer for full-page or photo printing 4x6s, for which there should be a lot of album options. Point being: inkjet printer.
posted by rhizome at 7:48 PM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by rhizome at 7:48 PM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
You can use photo-editing software to gang your photos 4 up on 8.5” x 11”, upload or put on a usb stick and have color photocopies made on white card stock at Kinko’s/Staples/Mailboxes Etc. Call around to get the best price; it might be cheaper if you supply the paper. Kinko’s at least has paper cutters you can use to trim them into individual cards. The advantage of card stock is you can easily write on the back unlike photo paper. Each card will be 4.25” wide x 5.5” tall, store them in a shoebox.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:12 PM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:12 PM on May 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
I second the Stylebook app recommendation. I’ve been using it since 2016.
It’s a pleasure to see all your dresses or coats at once (I have a coat fetish and have limited myself to SIX!)
Unasked-for advice: Don’t despair about the limits of your reach-in closet. Marie Kondo (and I) advise making your wardrobe match its limits. If you find things jammed together, pare down a bit.
posted by BostonTerrier at 5:56 AM on May 6, 2022
It’s a pleasure to see all your dresses or coats at once (I have a coat fetish and have limited myself to SIX!)
Unasked-for advice: Don’t despair about the limits of your reach-in closet. Marie Kondo (and I) advise making your wardrobe match its limits. If you find things jammed together, pare down a bit.
posted by BostonTerrier at 5:56 AM on May 6, 2022
Best answer: I like nouvelle-personne's idea of a binder with sheet protectors. I made a recipie book for my mom this way - it keeps the photos clean and you can easily add, remove, and change the order of the pages.
If color reproduction is important you could send your photos out to be printed on real photo paper. I have toyed with color photo printers at home and the colors were never quite right and they faded quickly.
There are standard three ring binders that you could load with photo sleeves. I'm guessing most clothing is photographed portrait, not landscape, so vertical sleeves might be good. There are also specialized photo binders, some with a six-ring format, with different options for replacement sleeves. The wedding industry uses these a lot for photos so many have nicer looking binders.
If the closet is packed already, could the binder live outside on a small bible or dictionary stand? Or for much less money, a music stand? The classic Manhasset orchestra stand now comes in great colors, and I can report the finishes look really good.
I don't know if you can spare the floor space, but a nicely designed album book on a colorful stand would be a lovely object, and a nice complement your curated wardrobe.
posted by sol at 6:07 AM on May 6, 2022 [3 favorites]
If color reproduction is important you could send your photos out to be printed on real photo paper. I have toyed with color photo printers at home and the colors were never quite right and they faded quickly.
There are standard three ring binders that you could load with photo sleeves. I'm guessing most clothing is photographed portrait, not landscape, so vertical sleeves might be good. There are also specialized photo binders, some with a six-ring format, with different options for replacement sleeves. The wedding industry uses these a lot for photos so many have nicer looking binders.
If the closet is packed already, could the binder live outside on a small bible or dictionary stand? Or for much less money, a music stand? The classic Manhasset orchestra stand now comes in great colors, and I can report the finishes look really good.
I don't know if you can spare the floor space, but a nicely designed album book on a colorful stand would be a lovely object, and a nice complement your curated wardrobe.
posted by sol at 6:07 AM on May 6, 2022 [3 favorites]
I would try laminating each picture and making a flip book with a 3 ring binder (each binder ring will hold a photo). That way you can flip each section to make different combinations of clothes.
Top ring of the binder can hold jackets, sweaters, etc. Second ring can hold tops, tanks, etc. Bottom ring holds pants, skirts, dresses, etc.
I couldn't find a pic of a system like this online, but here's a link to a children's book to get an idea of what a flip book would look like. https://mybetternature.ca/diy-dress-up-doll-flip-book/
You could probably do it with cut up photo sleeves as well, but they don't hold up to handling as well as laminating. I use a similar set up for ink/paint swatching for color combos.
posted by jraz at 6:08 AM on May 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
Top ring of the binder can hold jackets, sweaters, etc. Second ring can hold tops, tanks, etc. Bottom ring holds pants, skirts, dresses, etc.
I couldn't find a pic of a system like this online, but here's a link to a children's book to get an idea of what a flip book would look like. https://mybetternature.ca/diy-dress-up-doll-flip-book/
You could probably do it with cut up photo sleeves as well, but they don't hold up to handling as well as laminating. I use a similar set up for ink/paint swatching for color combos.
posted by jraz at 6:08 AM on May 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: But I hate how heavy and bulky photo albums are and binder rings are often not great for just flipping though quickly and easily.
Yes, I would go with a set of post-bound albums (here's a kind of ugly one). As set so each one is not so bulky (Maybe Summer/Winter/All-Season? or Tops/Bottoms/Other?) and post-bound is much more elegant and user-friendly than 3-ring.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:15 AM on May 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
Yes, I would go with a set of post-bound albums (here's a kind of ugly one). As set so each one is not so bulky (Maybe Summer/Winter/All-Season? or Tops/Bottoms/Other?) and post-bound is much more elegant and user-friendly than 3-ring.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:15 AM on May 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
I was coming in to suggest something like what nouvelle personne said above - only maybe instead of lining the inside door, I would get cork sheets and line a wall with them, and then tack them to the cork. That would also make it easy for you to play around with "hmm, I wonder if this top would go with those pants?...."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:37 AM on May 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:37 AM on May 6, 2022 [1 favorite]
I always admired the closet app that the character Cher had in Clueless. Reportedly there are apps like that in real life. By the way, congratulations on organizing your wardrobe. Admirable!
posted by olopua at 8:16 AM on May 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by olopua at 8:16 AM on May 6, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I think my solution is a post-bound album, with full pages of printed photos in sleeves. I believe it will be lighter than prints in pocket pages and I think I can find an attractive album. I LOVE the idea of putting it on a book stand. I have one I’m not currently using that will be perfect! Thanks for the great ideas!
posted by August Fury at 3:25 PM on May 6, 2022
posted by August Fury at 3:25 PM on May 6, 2022
Late to the game but my 3x two cents:
- Another keyword for 'post-bound album' is 'Chicago screw binding'.
- Moo cards could be a good way to quickly make a large number of decent quality prints.
- While thinking about Moo cards, I came across this guy's project to make his digital music collection more tangible, which feels like a relevant digression.
I love this idea, now I want to make my own mix-and-match wardrobe flipbook!
posted by yeahlikethat at 1:18 PM on May 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
- Another keyword for 'post-bound album' is 'Chicago screw binding'.
- Moo cards could be a good way to quickly make a large number of decent quality prints.
- While thinking about Moo cards, I came across this guy's project to make his digital music collection more tangible, which feels like a relevant digression.
I love this idea, now I want to make my own mix-and-match wardrobe flipbook!
posted by yeahlikethat at 1:18 PM on May 9, 2022 [1 favorite]
FWIW there appear to be DIY post-bound album solutions, given the quality-control review the one above got. Being able to replace the hardware is probably the key to longevity, especially if you're flipping through it every day.
posted by rhizome at 1:53 PM on May 9, 2022
posted by rhizome at 1:53 PM on May 9, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by clew at 6:04 PM on May 5, 2022 [2 favorites]