Recently, I spent some time in Amish country. Lancaster, Pennsylvania boasts America’s oldest Amish settlement, where thousands still live a very simple life, as they have for the last 300 years. The Amish have a penchant for organization, as their belongings are few and those they do own are extremely functional. I was particularly struck by their clothing storage strategies which contribute to a strong system of organization. The Amish have no clothes closets, just simple wooden pegs placed along bedroom walls. These pegs hold all of their clothing spread out carefully, so you can view all of the pieces. They own clothing in just a few colors and styles. They wear what they have because they don’t have much and they can clearly see what they own by the manner in which it is hung. Certainly their approach is unique. I am not suggesting we all reduce our wardrobes to just a handful of pieces and no accessories, but I am inferring that we can take notice of their ability to exist with less and their system of organizing the few pieces they do own.
