Closet Organization

I promise spring is coming…and that means some spring cleaning! What a better place to start than in your closet? It can be overwhelming, but I hope this post answers a few of your questions and guides you. It feels so liberating and GOOD to have an organized closet with items you love and that you feel good in.

Step 1: Purge

Remove items you don’t wear. If you didn’t wear it last season you’re not going to wear it this season. Example: You haven’t worn a sweater yet this fall or winter and you didn’t wear it last fall or winter, get rid of it. The likelihood you’re going to wear it again is next to zero.
Do not keep items you’re going to fit into after your new diet or exercise program. I give you permission to keep a pair of your ‘skinny’ jeans that you may use as a goal to fit back into, but don’t keep multiple items with this as a reason to keep them. In reality, after a weight loss or after having a baby, your body changes and these items may never fit properly again. In a way, you are torturing yourself. Your closet should be a place you go to make yourself feel good, not down about the extra weight you may be carrying for any of life’s crazy reasons. Plus, in a year, styles change, and these items may not be current. Meeting weight goals or body changing goals is a great time to reward yourself with a few new clothing items!
Take a minute to reflect on what you purged. Is there a theme? Was it the quick and affordable Target finds? Items on super sale you didn’t love? Make a note and be more conscious when you are in making those types of purchases again. I know for me, I stopped shopping at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. I liked the instant gratification of coming home with something, but often they are not my favorite items.

Create 4 Piles

Keep – I like this item, I feel good wearing it, it flatters my body.
Donate – Stained, stretched out, not much value to it, not a name-brand.
Sell – Great condition, name-brand.
Mend/Fix – A zipper on a designer pair of jeans or a heel of a great classic pump are items probably worth paying for a fix. A Target or Marshalls purchase, probably not.

Selling Used Clothing:

My favorite ways to sell name brand, great conditioned clothing, shoes, and accessories are Poshmark, ThredUP, and eBay.

Poshmark is perfect for designer or name brand items. That Lululemon tank you don’t love, or that designer pair of jeans that just aren’t comfortable in but are in excellent condition. It is SO easy and you can earn a decent amount for your items.

ThreadUP is really easy. They send you a free, large bag with pre-paid shipping, you load it up and drop it off at a UPS Store. Sometimes they will pay an upfront fee for your entire bag. Other times {or certain items} they will list to sell and when the item sells you get the money {consignment-like}. When utilizing ThredUP, I don’t think you get top dollar for name-brand items, but it is easy and very convenient.

**If you have items that are stained or torn and are not donate-able. Don’t throw them away! Bring them to H&M. They recycle any fabric materials. When you bring items to recycle, H&M gives you a 15% off coupon.

Step 2: Clean

Since your closet is empty from the purging that just happened, take the time to vacuum thoroughly, wipe down shelves, and change/check light bulbs. It never fails, when I clean out my closet, I realize a light bulb has been burned out and I really appreciate the extra light 😉

Using cohesive hangers makes your closet look instantly clean and organized.

Step 3: Organize

Sort clothes into categories when putting them back into your closet. I organize by category then color within that category. These are my categories:
- Tops {sleeveless, button-down, long sleeve}
- Dresses
- Skirts
- Outerwear {jackets, fleeces, cardigans, vests}
- Pants {jeans, dress}
- Sweaters
Use cohesive hangers: Making this one small change can make a huge difference! Two years ago I changed my closet over to the non-slip space saver hangers and I can’t believe what a difference it makes! **To preserve your clothing and keep it in great condition, make sure you are using appropriate hangers for each type of item. Skirt hangers for skirts, a thicker, wooden hanger for suit jackets, and so on.
Hanging shelves: My rule of thumb is to not stack things you’ll be reaching for over your head more than three items high. The stack tends to fall over and always be messy. Instead, try bringing some of your popular folded items {such as sweaters} down to eye level with one of these hanging shelves. I added this to my closet last winter and it has been a game-changer.
Clear Dividers: These can have so many uses! I use mine to organize my purses. These handy little dividers keep them all upright and easy to grab for a night out. They can also be used to keep stacks of folded clothes in place – think little cubbies.
Sc arf Hanger: I love my scarves! I hang my huge blanket scarves on regular hangers, but the smaller ones I put on this handy little scarf hanger. Keeps them looking organized and easy to see.
Jewelry Stand: New for me, is using this jewelry display. I keep my everyday jewelry on it for easy accessibility. I have also used hanging hooks – to display jewelry. It makes it really easy to put things away and it’s easy to get a whole picture of options when deciding what to pair with outfits.
Shoes: Store your shoes one facing towards you one away from you. This saves quite a bit of room! A little trick from my shoe selling days at Nordstrom.

Clear Dividers Help Purses Stay Organized

Perhaps you have a gorgeous custom closet, maybe a closet with little space. I hope you can take one or two of these easy, affordable tips, apply them, and make your closet a little more enjoyable. After all, it’s a place we go to every day. Make it a place you’re proud of and that makes you feel good.

I designed my closet with Cabinet City and had a VERY enjoyable experience. It’s absolutely amazing how you can customize any space with their products. The software Cabinet City uses is so helpful to envision your space, which I found so helpful. Closets {or any space} can be designed within any budget too….they can be really fancy or more basic. Definitely check them out if you’re in the Madison, WI area.