Do you spend more time looking for clothes than actually deciding what to wear? Do your clothes get wrinkled in the closet? Do you have trouble remembering what you have, and end up buying duplicates because you forgot you already owned a red tank top or a cream shift dress?
Here are tips on organizing your closet so your clothes are neat, accessible, and easy to mix and match—making it so much easier to answer that all important question: ‘What do I wear today?’
Divide by season
If you have very small closet space, consider storing out of season clothes in another closet or even a box. Read this article on the proper way to store winter clothes. In fact, it’s better to only have one season’s worth of clothes in your closet, and just rotate them.
Organize your clothes
Save the top shelves and the back of the closet for clothes you only use for special occasions (like that formal evening gown or your beach wear). So you don’t forget them completely, make a list of what you have and post on your wardrobe door. Ex: ‘Formal clothes: 1 black ballgown, 1 old rose beaded bodice.’
That means you can put the items you use daily at eye level. This can include favorite jeans that perfectly fit your body type, your work jacket, your everyday coat. How to order them? Group together skirts, and then pants. Get hangers with little clips so you don’t have to fold them, which will cause unwanted creases. Sort them by color and fabric.
Organize your shoes
Ideally you should have little cubby holes for shoes, but if you don’t have the space for that kind of customized closet space, just install simple shelves or buy ready-made shoe racks. You can also use hanging bags to store sandals and slippers. Heels that are made of delicate fabric live satin or velvet should be kept in their boxes (label them so you know what’s inside). Boots san be stored upright with opposite ends together. It helps to stuff shoe inserts or newspapers to help them keep their shape.
Organize accessories
Store bags upright, stuffed with paper to hold their shape. Necklaces, belts and scarves can be hung on hooks.
Lingerie and delicates
Read this article on how to organize your lingerie drawer.