So you want to organize your closet, but not sure where to start? Organizing your closet can be a stressful experience, or it can be a positive and therapeutic one. It is your choice which way you want to experience it. I found some great ideas from an article on MakeSpace that will help you organize your closet a productive and site experience!
Think of when you used to go shopping in the mall. The discount stores were a mess, with clothes all over there place, in no particular order, and it took you hours to find something in your size and color. Yet, at the higher end stores, there were less clothes, nicely spaced out, so you could see everything they have to offer.
How many times have you tried on ten shirts before you found one that you liked? Or you stumbled upon a great outfit that you total forgot you had because it was lost in your closet?
Thinning out your closet will narrow it down to the clothes that you like best, the clothes that actually fit you, and help you find the clothes that you do want to wear much easier.
Step 1: Take Inventory of Your Closet
Start by sorting through the clothes in categories. It is easier to go through clothing groups with similar items, so you can compare them more efficiently. It will also enable you to pick out which items you don’t need quicker. Going through 5 pairs of pants in a row, will help you easily identify which ones need to go, whereas trying on pants every 10 items will make it harder to compare.
Have you worn the item in the least two years? No? Toss it.
Do you love the item or you do you hesitate when putting it on? Not sure? Toss it.
If you ran into someone that you were trying to impress, would you be feel confident or insecure if you had that piece of clothing on? Not confident? Toss it.
Step 2: Develop a System to Organize Your Closet
Hang items by category and color coordinate. Also, use the same hangers and face everything in the same direction, grouping shorter items together and longer items together. These concepts will help you find items easier.
Jeans and sweaters can be stacked in shelves, while tshirts, sleepwear and workout items can be rolled into storage bins.
Empty wall space is usually not living up to its potential. You can hang smaller shelves there or put hooks up for jewelry, purses and other accessories. Another great idea is to hang multiple rods to make use of your vertical space.
Make use of closet storage items. There are shoe organizers, various bin sizes, drawer dividers and so on, to help you maximize the space. Try to use clear bins so you can see what’s in the bins, without having to open them or take them down every time.
Organize you closet how you wear your clothes. Try to organize items in order of how you get dressed.
Step 3: Stick with your System to Keep Your Closet Organized
Since you don’t want your closet to get out of control quickly, try to to implement a one in, one out rule. That means for every new item you get, you have to get rid of another.
Another helpful way to keep your closet in check is to keep a donations bag somewhere in your house. Whenever you try something on that doesn’t fit anymore or you don’t like as much, throw it in the bag. No use keeping something in your closet that you don’t want to wear. Once the donations bag is full, drop it off and start a new one.
Going through your closet should be a fun experience, where you can reminisce about many fond memories from your life. You may even want to give some items that you don’t want to donate to a friend or family member. So plan an afternoon, turn on some music or a podcast, and go through that closet!
