10 Tips for Organizing Your Closet

My closet is my sanctuary. It's the one place in my house that is (almost) always organized. Even when the rest of my house is full of chaos and in complete disarray, my closet is my zen-like space of calm. 

The reason my closet stays this way is because 1. I respect the clothes. And 2. I have an organizational system that keeps everything neat and clean. And since many of you are in the midst of spring cleaning, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share my top 10 tips for keeping your closet organized:

1. Edit. Before you can organize, you want to clean out and edit what you have (see this post for tips on cleaning out your closet). You want every item in your space to fit and make you feel good when you wear it. 

2. Organize Clothes. Arrange hanging items by style and by color. Keep pants in one section, blouses in another, dresses in another, etc. Then organize by color/style/occasion. For example, I organize my dresses first by color and then by formality of the dress (so I start with all my casual summer dresses and end with formal wear). Organizing like items together makes getting dressed a breeze.

3. Coordinate Hangers. Having matching hangers may seem over the top, but it keeps the closet looking streamlined and can save precious space. My pick are these black velvet hangers (HomeGoods also has similar ones for cheap). Delicate blouses and dresses don’t slip off and their slim shape means you have more room for clothes. Win-win.
4. Hide the Clutter. It's inevitable. No matter how much we organize our closet, we all deal with clutter. Use bins and boxes to keep these items (think sunglasses, belts, scarves, etc.) out of sight.
5. Organize Shoes. Whether you install shelves or store pairs in clear bins, be sure to have an organized space for your footwear (a pile at the bottom doesn’t count). Pick your favorites and display them like art.

6. Utilize Hooks for Accessories. Handbags, jewelry, and scarves tend to get messy, tangled or end up on the floor. Simple hooks either inside or right outside your closet, are great ways to organize accessories without taking up a lot of space.
7. Use Vertical Space. Use the top of your closet for items you don’t need daily access to. Large bins or baskets are great for storing out-of-season items.

8. Make It Pretty. Your closet should be an oasis. Even a small closet should inspire you, not stress you out. If there’s room, add a runner in a fun print or wallpaper as a backdrop for your clothes. The prettier it is, the more likely you'll keep it organized.

9. Invest in a Full Length Mirror. Being able to see how your entire outfit looks is crucial to feeling confident as you walk out the door. Ikea has some great mirrors that look expensive and cost less than $100.
10. Think Outside the Box. Literally. If you have a tiny closet, expand it by using space outside of it. I display my jewelry on the wall right outside the door. Use an armoire for extra clothing storage, a bar cart to hold accessories, or a clothing rack to display a selection of your favorite curated items.

What additional tips would you offer for keeping your closet curated and organized?

7 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Closet

 

Winter is over. You know what that means - spring shopping! But before you do that, you have to make room in your closet with some spring cleaning. It’s a new season and that means it’s time to assess what you have and figure out what is missing. If you wake up most mornings staring at a closet full of clothes but think to yourself, I have nothing to wear, it's time for a ruthless closet edit. Here are my 7 tips for cleaning out your closet with (relative) ease.

1. Schedule TIME. Don’t rush this process. Give yourself a full day, maybe even a weekend. Sort through each piece with a critical eye. Take everything out of the closet. Try things on! The point is to create a closet full of items you truly love, not just tolerate. And love takes time.

2. Bring a Friend. And not your agreeable “yes” friend. Your honest, ruthless friend (and preferably one who shows up with champagne). You want someone there who will give you the hard truth on the items you own. She'll tell you what's flattering and more importantly, what's not.

3. BUT Trust Yourself. I have pieces of clothing that aren’t necessarily the most flattering pieces, but I love them. Friends don’t always understand these pieces and that’s okay. At the end of the day, this is about your own personal style. If you really love something, keep it. Just make sure you wear it.

4. Make 4 Piles. Keep, Edit, Donate, and Maybe. Keep the items you love, fit well, and are in good condition. Edit pieces that need to be tailored, hemmed, resoled, etc. (and actually take them to be fixed!). Donate everything else. Haven’t worn it in over a year? Get rid of it. The more you donate, the more room you have for items you feel great in. Give someone else the opportunity to love an item you now feel so-so about. Look into non-profits like The Salvation Army, Goodwill, Dress for Success as well as women’s shelters for places in need of clothing.

The Maybe pile is not an essential, but if you have hoarding tendencies, it makes letting go easier. Sometimes an item is hard to get rid of until you’ve gone through the entire process. A maybe pile lets you safely put items aside and reassess after you’ve gone through your entire closet and you realize you don’t need 7 striped shirts (guilty). Most of those maybe items will end up in the donate pile when you realize how many other amazing and better fitting pieces you own (and probably forgot about).

via pinterest

5. If it Doesn’t Fit NOW, Get Rid of It. Or at least remove it from your limited closet space. Maybe it’s your 10 pound lighter jeans. Or pre-baby LBD. Whatever it is, if it doesn’t fit now, it’s just taking up precious space in your closet. Plus, it’s probably reminding you of a different time in your life when you were a different size, creating constant anxiety. Embrace your size NOW and find flattering clothes for your current body. Trying to squeeze into too tight pants is just depressing and unflattering. Let 'em go.

6. Don’t Let Sentimentality Own Your Choices. We all have items in our closets that we never wear but we keep because it reminds us of a certain event. Unless it’s your grandma’s vintage wedding dress or something truly special, get rid of it. How many college sweatshirts and fun run tees do we really need?

7. Be a Better Shopper. Now that you have a closet filled with items that fit, are flattering, and you love, keep it that way! Stop buying clothing simply because they're on sale or affordable. It’s better to save up for quality items that work for your figure and your life than buy a bunch of cheap things that sort of work. Pay attention to what ended up in the donate pile. Try and avoid the same pitfalls.

Good luck, have fun, and enjoy your new curated closet!