HOW TO GET AN ORGANIZED, CLUTTER-FREE CLOSET
How many mornings do you walk in your closet, get frustrated and think, “I have nothing to wear??” Save yourself time and frustration by simply organizing your closet!!
It may seem like a daunting process, but I promise it will be worth the time, energy and effort!
Edit Your Clothes, Shoes & Accessories!
This is the first step and in many cases the toughest one! For many us…getting rid of things seems wasteful. It’s not wasteful… It’s freeing. And, you can rest assured that someone else can use your old clothes.
How Do You Know What Should Go?
I have a list of questions that you can ask yourself to help you through this painful, purging process.
- Have I worn it in the last 2 years – If you haven’t worn a garment in two years, you’re not going to wear it. The exceptions for this are special occasion dresses provided they are classic and I don’t like to part with cashmere, leather or suede.
- Does the garment look tired? – Here are some examples, a sweater that’s faded or balled up, a white shirt that’s no longer white, a t-shirt you’ve had since high school, a pair of pants with holes in them that are not deliberate. Purge the things that look old. If you think they look old, others will too. If you notice stains, put them aside in your cleaning or dry cleaning pile.
- Does it fit? – I know this one seems obvious, but so many garments fit us, but they don’t fit us perfectly. Does the waist gape in the back? Does it seem like you have too much fabric in the chest of your jacket? Are the arms too long? In the case of shoes, are the arches of the heels too high for your feet?? If you think it’s a fit issue an expert can fix, take the garments to the tailor. Otherwise, put them in your giveaway pile.
- Do I look cute in this? – Just because a piece is new… and it fits, doesn’t mean you should be wearing it. If you don’t feel cute wearing it, donate it.
- No more than ONE size up or down. – This is the toughest one for us ladies, if it is more than 1 size up or down from your current size… Get rid of it. Clients will say to me what about my skinny jeans the ones I know I’m going to get back into someday. Listen, I know you will get there someday too. We all like to have goals, but having them hang in your closet as a constant reminder of the fact that you haven’t reached your goal is… depressing!! Get rid of them. And when you DO get skinnier, go shopping!
What Should I Do With All My Castaways?
I think this is a very personal decision. You can donate to a church or family services organization. You can consign higher end or designer pieces. You can also sell your stuff for cash. Whatever works best for you!
- Donate – Pick a church or charity to donate your pieces to
- Sell on eBay
- Trade In For Cash – A store called “Buffalo Exchange” will take some of your pieces in exchange for cash.
- Consign– There are several consignment shops in SA, but make sure your pieces are high end, clean, hanging, pressed
So Now That We Have Weeded Out Our Old, Outdated, Ill-Fitting Pieces, What’s Next?
Once you have finished with editing (the hard part), you can start organizing! This is the fun and easy part.
CLOSET ORGANIZING STEPS
1) Buy Matching Hangers
I always urge clients to buy matching hangers. It’s a small thing that makes a big impact on how organized everything looks. I promise it’s worth the expense.
Is there a specific type of hangers you recommend??
Yes. I really like the crystal hangers from The Container Store. They are inexpensive and a good quality. You can save money by buying them by the case. Order these online to ensure they have the amount you need in stock and then just schedule an in store pick-up instead of paying for shipping. It’ll save you time and money.
I like this type because of the catches on the side to keep your clothes from slipping. They are lightweight, skinny and you can waterfall them which is great if you have a really small closet.
2) Sort By Type & Color
I like to sort by type…for example, sleeveless, short-sleeve, long-sleeve tops, sweaters, jackets, shorts, skirts, pants and jeans. Again it will make it much easier to find the pieces you need, when you need them. Most of us know when we want a short-sleeve shirt versus a long-sleeve top.
Also, you should have some sort of color distinction. I usually sort by the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, then brown, grey, and black. But you use whatever color-coding system works best for you.
3) Put Off-Season Clothing Away
I know that’s tricky here in San Antonio when you have 80 degree days in February, but you’re probably not going to wear your maxi dresses or light, summer jersey dresses in the winter. You can also store most of your sandals and linen clothing. Conversely in the summer, you can store your coats, sweaters, boots, hats… all of your chilly weather gear.
What About Shoes??
I like keeping my shoes out where I can see them and lining them up front to back like this. If you have pets and tend to have more dust in your closet, you may want to invest in some clear shoeboxes.
Jewelry?
For jewelry, you can store in a drawer and get a nice jewelry organizer. I personally like to see everything so I display on top of my dresser in the closet like my very own boutique!
