Did you know having a well organized closet will reduce stress, save you money and save time?

How?

I’m glad you asked!

A project like a complete closet revamp can seem overwhelming. But truly, a closet sweep is a simple process. First, decide what you need to get rid of.  Really look at each piece of clothing.  Does it show signs of wear?  If so, put it in a pile.  Does it fit?  If not, it goes in a pile.  The only thing that should be in your closet are things you wear every day (in other words, things that fit, that are current in style, and relevant to your lifestyle).

Let’s break it down into 3 easy steps:

Step 1 – Separate tops from bottoms.

After making your piles, go through your entire closet, and create a space for all of your tops, jackets, sweaters…likewise, create a place specifically for pants, skirts and so on. Dresses should have another area.

With everything separated and neatly on hangers – move on to step-2.

Step 2 – Separate colors.

Go through each section you created in step-1, and separate each item by color. For example, your closet should have all the white items together, and then cream, yellow, green, pink, red, blue, grey, and black.

For patterned or striped items, fit those in with the dominant color in the piece. For example, a white striped blouse would go with the white section. A red tartan plaid shirt would go with the red section and so on.

Got everything sorted by color? Move to step-3.

(I told you this would be easy!)

Step 3 – Separate lengths.

With your shirts, start by organizing the white section by sleeve length. Put all the tank tops together, then short sleeves, ¾ sleeves, long sleeves and then blouses, sweaters and jackets. Do this to each color section, and move on to the pant section.

With pants and skirts, start with skirts, again by length. Then move to cropped pants, casual pants and dress slacks.

Other Tips

Now what to do with those piles? Make a list of things to replace. And with the pile of things that don’t fit – get together with some girlfriends, and have a clothing exchange.

Shoes - There are several schools of thought to how you organize your shoes, and it all depends on how many shoes you have. I organize my shoes by brand in the original box. If you don’t care to keep the original boxes, purchase clear plastic shoe boxes. For boots, get larger boxes. This will allow you to see what shoe is in each box, and organize your collection by color.

Belts / Accessories – Depending on the lay out of your closet, belts should be hung on hooks or on a belt hanger.

Purchase some plastic or woven storage units for things like handbags, shawls/wraps/scarves, and seasonal items like holiday sweaters, bathing suits.

Hangers – One fast way to make your closet look better instantly is to have good hangers. Be sure you have the right kind of hanger with each item. There are specific types of hangers for jeans, trousers, skirts, knit shirts, sweaters and delicates.

Now you have everything organized! Step back and pat yourself on the back! Job well done!

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