Filed under: Bedroom, Your Home, Storage & Cleaning, Storage & Organization
A clean and well-organized closet = a smooth morning, yes? Photo: California Closets
Unless you are lucky and have a spacious walk-in closet, it's difficult to jam clothes, handbags, shoes, belts, scarves and more into a tiny space -- and still be able to retrieve a day's outfit during the morning rush.
To start with the task of organizing your clothes closet, Carolyn Musher, a New York-based designer for California Closets, suggests taking everything out. (Hint: This is a great opportunity to dust in the corners or wipe down the rods and hooks with a cloth.) Dump the clothes on your bed, on the sofa, across the dining-room table ... where they go is not important. The goal is to see everything in a new environment, where you will better be able to decide what to keep and what to toss.
Here are some tips on how to get started:
A garment rod helps stage the next day's outfit so you can see all of the parts together, and how they will look on you. Photo: California Closets
Not at all expensive, closet organizers will make your life -- and mornings -- a lot easier. Musher recommends a a garment rod (above) or even a simple hook that can be used as a staging area for outfit coordination or to store empty hangers). A jewelry drawer or box to house and organize your baubles is also a must. "Every closet comes with a pole - and we know what to put on that," says Musher. "It's the little things that you don't know where to put."
Arrange by season
Every six months, Musher rearranges her closet so that the current season's items are easily accessible. "People use prime real estate for flip-flops in the winter, for instance," she says. "Keep the things you're using in view." You can always store off-season clothing under your bed, inside plastic storage containers with lids, or in an attic or storage space that you don't access often.
Take the "Do I Really Love It?" test
Ask yourself this about each item. If you truly did love that black studded clutch or Indian-silk top bought on a vacation, you would have worn it within the last year, right? "If you can't remember wearing an item within the last 12 months, resist the temptation to return the item to your closet and instead, donate it. "If you haven't worn something in a year, it's got to go," says Musher.
Let go of clothes not in your size
Whether they were your favorite jeans five years ago when you weighed 15 pounds less, or your best black skirt is two sizes too big, get rid of any clothes that no longer fit. "We tend to hold onto a lot of things we want to fit into again," says Musher, "and years go by and all it does is cover up what you do have."
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Clean your closet out every six months following these sames steps, and you'll pare your wardrobe down to the items you really wear and love. Here's a clever way to figure out if you've worn something: Return everything to the closet so that it hangs with the hanger's hook facing forward. Once you've worn and item, you can return it to the closet facing inwards. All the hangers left facing outwards at the end of six months are your first candidates for the donation pile.