How to Organize Your Closet in 5 Easy Steps
No matter the current state of your closet, I will help you get it organized so you look at your closet with excitement instead of dread or embarrassment. We all want a beautifully organized closet with clothes that make us look great. Think about your favorite clothing store that is laid out well and and how it makes shopping so much easier. There are many ways to organize your closet, but the end goal is to have a system that makes your closet feel like a store that you pick clothes from every morning. The following steps details how to organize your by type. In the end you will have a closet where e all of your shirts are together, all your pants are together, all blazers together and so on.
1. Purge
The first step is to get rid of the items that no longer serve us. You can do this all at once or bit by bit. You will need bags to hold your unwanted clothes so the piles don’t overwhelm you.
• Separate discarded items into Recycle and Donate bags. The recycle bag(s) are for worn out, torn, stained or otherwise unsuitable items.The donation bag is for items that are in good sellable condition.If you feel that you would like to sell or consign certain clothes, please feel free to create a separate Sell bag.
• Begin the purge by removing all items that are in bad shape (worn out, torn, stained, smelly, etc) first. You don’t need faded t-shirts to wear around the house. All of these items will go into the Recycle bag.
• Then take out items that no longer fit or are dated. Be honest with yourself about if you are keeping the items just for sentimental reasons.
• Finally, take out things that you won’t wear again (or have never worn). Take a look at any items with price tags or still hanging in dry cleaning bags.
• At this point you should only have items that fit and are in good condition. Continue to purge as you go through the rest of the steps asking yourself if you will really wear the item and can you make outfits with it.
2. Take Inventory
Most of us spend money buying the wrong things or buying multiples of the same thing that end up unworn. In order to get a clearer picture of the closet you will want to figure out what clothing items you already have and what you need to buy. Here is a Wardrobe Checklist that will help you take stock.
• Go through your closet with this list in hand, marking off all of the items you own (they must fit and be in good condition). If you have multiples, keep the best 2 and purge the rest.
• Missing items from the list can be added to your shopping list for after the closet cleanup.
• The final goal is to create a functional wardrobe loaded with basics that you want to wear. This will expand the number of outfits you can create without feeling like stuck in a rut. As you take inventory, you may find that there are more items to purge. Please feel free to do so.
3. Upgrade Hangers
Most people have a smorgasbord of hangers in their closet and it can contribute to a chaotic vibe. A well organized closet tends to resemble high-end stores, which always use matching hangers to unify the space. After you have taken inventory of your closet, you will now have an idea of how many hangers you will need for the clothes that remain. You may be able to repurpose the hangers you already have or you can buy new hangers to start fresh. Using the same kind of hanger per section is ideal. There are many types of hangers to choose from and you may have all of the types in your closet.
• Dry cleaning hangers (wire hangers) are flimsy and are not meant to be used for long-term clothing storage. Throw them out or give them back to the dry cleaners at your next drop off. NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!
• Mismatched chunky plastic hangers take up a lot of space. Either get rid of them or stick to one color for a consistent palette.
• Wood hangers are super durable but also take up a lot of space. They work best if you have a minimal closet that looks empty and needs to be filled out. They are also good for hanging heavy items such as coats
Non-slip velvet hangers are the best choice for most closets. They are thin and you can buy them in bulk on Amazon. These hangers not only make things look uniform and pretty, but they also free up space as well.
4. Merchandise Your Closet
Now that you have removed all of your old, worn out items, taken inventory and upgraded your hangers, the next step is to present your clothes in a visually appealing manner. A well organized closet makes getting dressed easier because you know where specific clothing items are. In order to merchandise your closet like a store, you will need to follow their lead.
• Make sure that all items are facing in the same direction. The convention is to have them facing the front of the closet but pick a direction that works and stick with it.
• Hang all like items together and. Group all of your short sleeve shirts together, long sleeve shirts together, pants together, skirts together, etc.
• Coordinate all like items by color also (for example all of your white short sleeve shirts are together, all of the black long sleeve shirts are together, etc).
5. Maintenance
Your closet is FINALLY organized. Maintaining it is another story. Your closet now should have a specific place for every item (e.g. black short sleeve shirts, skirts, etc). Maintaining your closet requires a little bit of diligence on a regular basis.
• Inspect items after wearing or washing for stains, holes, etc. Things that can’t be repaired should be put in a bag for recycling and taken out of the house.
• Items that are dated or no longer fit also be bagged and donated or sold at a later date.
• Put clothes back with other like items after they have been cleaned
I hope this guide has been helpful and you now have a resource to come back to on how to organize your closet. Please leave comments if you have any questions.
Author: Cathy Mekondo
