Today we are talking about closest, because when it comes to closets you can never be too organized.
1. Edit and then Edit again: as someone who loves to shop, I understand the challenge of having too many clothes but we all have things in our closet that we don’t wear but keep because it was expensive or you might wear it one day! It’s time to let that stuff go! If you don’t wear it for a full season or 2 at the most, consign it or donate it. An overstuffed closet won’t inspire you to wear more items, in fact it does the opposite! You will just grab the same old things because the rest is a jumbled mess that you can’t even see!
2. Express yourself! Add a pop of color on the walls, line the back of your shelves with a fun paper or get a fancy chandelier to add some pizazz to your closet! You should feel inspired when you walk in to get dressed so organization is key but don’t forget the little extra details to help you dress your best each day!
3. Consider what to hang and what to fold. This sounds like a no brainer but there is a big debate on the hanging vs. folding! For instance, I fold my jeans but I hang the rest of my pants. I hang some of my sweaters and fold others. I don’t hang t-shirts but I do hang “work” tanks…
4. Be flexible…adjust your adjustable shelves: I store my extra adjustable shelves in my closet and when I need an extra shelf I grab it and drop it in. This is why having all of your shelving sections be the same width, comes in handy! For instance, in the winter my shoes are boots and booties so I need more height between shoes shelves but in the summer with more flats, flip flops and sandals, I can add a shelf or 2 and get even more on my shelves! I also showcase my tall boots in the winter and have to remove shelves to fit them in but in the summer, I use that same area for shorts and t-shirts so I bring the extra shelves back for the spring/summer.
5. Organizers in your organized closet? I say yes, to a few kinds! I am a big fan of organizer bins and baskets but I try to stay away from bins you can’t see into and use the open front bins instead. That way you can still stack but you don’t have to remove the bin to access the clothes stacked inside. I do use baskets for my winter accessories like scarves, gloves and hats but I tilt those out to grab what I want for the day.
6. How to sort. I sort by style and colors and hang shortest to longest. For instance, I do tanks and camis then short sleeve, 3/4 sleeve, long sleeves (sorted by weight) then cardigans. And within each section I also sort lightest for darkest by color. For dresses, I also sort by sleeve and dress length. You may want to prioritize by work clothes and weekend clothes…find what works best for you and how you get ready in the mornings.
7. Rotate seasonally appropriate clothes. Even if you have the room to fit your entire 12 month wardrobe in your closet, I’m super jealous by the way…but even you should rotate your closet! That doesn’t mean pack it away to another room if you don’t have to, but keep the current seasonally appropriate clothes where you can see them. Don’t hang a summer tank next to a winter sweater. Or you winter leggings next to your white jeans.
8. Stuff your handbags. I display my handbags so that I can see them to encourage me to swap them out more frequently. If you’ve seen me lately, you know this tactic isn’t working but I will continue to try to swap them out more frequently! And keeping them looking sturdy and upright on the shelves will help. I keep the stuffing that comes in the handbags to stuff back into the handbag when it is sitting on the shelf. This helps the bag retain its shape and its much more attractive than a floppy bag on a shelf. I also use a felt purse organizer which makes swapping my bag even easier! For my smaller handbags and clutches, I keep those in a bin or a basket to keep those organized. I sort those by occasion and season as well.
9. Flip your shoes to fit more on each shelf. I read this handy trick in an article and it was a game changer for fitting an extra pair of shoes on my shelves! If you’ve seen my closet you know shoe storage is prime real estate so the more shoes I can fit on the shelves, the better! Place the right shoe like you normally would but turn the left shoe so it fits into the inner curve or the right shoe….one facing in and one facing out. And you can fit an extra pair on the shelf! (you’re welcome)
10. Don’t forget your jewelry and accessories. Do you have tons of jewelry but end up wearing the same few pieces over and over again? It might be your organization. Don’t keep earrings in a box or a bin where you have to dig to find a match. Display everything so it is hanging or laying as a pair and you can easily grab the ones you want. Same with necklaces. I have all of my necklaces hanging on a jewelry organizer so I can quickly grab what I want to wear for the day. I also have jewelry in a drawer but I’ve got stackable organizers in there as well so I can grab and go! For my belts, I store those hanging on hooks on the side of one of my shelving units in the closet and the rest in a basket.
