The snowmagedden has started, my coffee is steaming beside me, and to be honest I’m quite distracted about all the productive (and fun) things I want to do this weekend! For me, being snowed in feels like that January 1st I’m-going-to-do-all-these-things-to-make-my-life-amazing high! And one of those goals is creating better systems in my room. You know, where all my stuff is. And while I have a carefree side to me that allows my room to clutter up, when it comes to my closet…well that’s where I’m a bit OCD! So as I work to simplify my life (a goal this year), I thought I’d share three tips that have been game changers in keeping my closet organized!
1. Take Inventory – pull everything out of your closet! And ask yourself these questions about each item:
- Is this a foundation piece or one that requires layers to work?
- Is it comfortable/does it fit? (soft, cozy, not stretched out or too snug, structured/tailored well, etc)
- Would I pack this for a trip or leave it behind? Why?
OCD Moment: It’s key to pull every item out & put it on your bed (or surface). Otherwise, at least for me, it’s more comfortable to just keep looking at something where it’s always been than to actually analyze if it’s still serving its purpose. In order to have a critical eye for each item I hold on to, I have to SEE it out! This also helps identify any duplicates or trends I’m leaning towards!
2. Organize by color – creating new stacks per color family. Then organize by style & cut! For me that means:
- Sleeveless/tanks begin each new color section -> short sleeves -> 3/4 sleeves -> long sleeve shirts (soft sweaters then onto structured button ups) -> bulky long sleeve (sweater or jacket). Repeat.
- Sometimes I don’t have a lot of one color so I organize it with a color family that blends in well.
- Soft transitions are easier on the eye and make your closet seem cohesive. Example: I don’t put orange next to blue. But rather, creams -> grays -> pinks -> greens -> browns -> oranges -> reds -> maroon/deep colors -> blacks.
- Compile stacks to see the color flow & then transition them into your closet! Yay!
OCD Moment: All of your shirts should be facing THE SAME WAY on the hanger! This makes a massive difference & saves you time in not flipping back and forth as you glance through every day. Also, I don’t care so much about matching hangers as I do the ability to stack hangers or swivel the direction of the hook. 😉
3. Fold & stack sweaters by color. Then by bulk.
- Because my closet has a shelf above my hanging bar (what is that even called? – um, the bar thing my clothes hang onto), I stack my cardigan sweaters above that. Any pull-over sweaters that aren’t hung up are folded and stacked (by color) in a drawer or shelf on the left side of my closet!
- Take note of which you wear more and why – for me, I obviously love shades of brown & green!
OCD Moment: Fold everything the same way. For me, I tuck the sleeves inside the button area so that my stack doesn’t become lopsided. Also, bulkiest sweaters go on the bottom – regardless of color. It’s better for a stack to look sturdy than to be falling into each other! So pick your battles. 😉
My Ah-ha! Moment:
I’ve been saying for a while that I think my style is changing. I’m becoming focused more on comfort, quality, & simplicity. But, really, that was just a hunch. It wasn’t until I had packed for three trips in a row before realizing that I was consistently choosing pieces within this cream/brown/olive color scheme. Something just clicked. And when I re-organized my closet a few weeks back, using these three steps, I was really able to SEE where my priorities were stylistically.
In turn, that made purging other items way easier. The argument in my head was no longer, “Oh! I might wear that….” but became more of a practical one, “that doesn’t really go with any of my other favorites because ______(color, style, too fussy, etc)” And just like that I got rid of TWO BAGS of old clothes! *cue confetti!
So for all you East Coast friends, perhaps this weekend holds a healthy dose of organization & new “To Donate” bags as the snow continues to fall. I hope these tips were helpful and that this New Year will be one marked with style that’s easy & consistent with who you are and your priorities!
For more closet organization tips & wardrobe essentials lists, here’s a few favorite links to get you thinking:
- The EveryGirl Essentials: http://theeverygirl.com/feature/fashion-essentials-for-the-everygirl
- The EveryGirl Closet Questions: http://theeverygirl.com/7-questions-to-ask-when-cleaning-out-your-closet
- The EveryGirl for Small Spaces (dreamy): http://theeverygirl.com/8-storage-solutions-for-limited-closet-space
We are all better together, share your favorite tips & links in the comments!
Always,
–Tara M.
2 Comments
One thing a friend did (while I was growing up) that I found interesting was turning the hanger backwards if she had worn something and wasn’t ready to wash it. That way she knew next time what she had recently worn.
That’s one way to keep track of each item! Thanks, Momma!