How to Organize Your Closet
Storing your Clothes and Making the Most of Your Wardrobe Space
A wardrobe jam-packed with clothing is often a drawback rather than a benefit. An organized closet creates a positive mindset and clothes are much easier to find.
In the words of Jacqui Ripley in The Makeover Book (Piatkus 2004), "It's said that clutter stresses us out by creating visual noise. The same can be said for an overstuffed wardrobe."
Women's fashion is not only about what you have but it is also about how you hang it. “Taking care of your wardrobe is just as important as creating it.” says In Style magazine in their article “Wardrobe SOS, April 2007, UK Edition.
How many items clogging up your closet do you actually wear?
If you have followed advice from women's fashion gurus in many of Suite 101's articles or taken tips from fashion books, you will have thought about what styles to have in your wardrobe. You will have tried to create a closet of fewer outfits that include essential timeless and versatile pieces which can be mixed and matched with some on-trend fun fashion styles. When it comes to clearing out your closet, less is definatley more.
Buying quality cuts and fabrics does not come cheap so it makes sense to take care of your pieces in the best possible way, in order to lengthen their life span. This includes how they are hung or stored.
Dos and Don’t for Caring for Your Clothes
Do
- Give yourself and your outfits a makeover by keeping only those which fit you now and make you feel good. Fewer wearable items hanging in your closet are better than lots of never-to-be-worn again outfits which take up space because you are saving them for a “rainy day”.
- Hang your clothes in sections, based on type or color. e.g. long dresses together, blouses and skirts, or blacks, whites and so on.
- Use wooden hangers rather than wire, as these keep the shape of your clothes.
- Store your underwear carefully in drawers. Separate socks from bras etc.
- Buy a wardrobe which is best suited to your needs. A section with double-decker rails, (one above the other) saves space and is a great way of hanging tops and pants.
- Use boxes and baskets to hold shoes, bags and belts. Shoe boxes keep those Jimmy Choos well protected. Alternatively, buy a separate shoe cupboard or fit a shoe rack on the wall or floor. "Stuff toes with tissue paper to keep their shape," recommends Ripley.
- Store handbags in baskets and bins if you don’t have enough shelving and keep them off the floor. Invest in extra canvas hanging shelves if you need more storage space. If you have just forked out a fortune for a Fendi, then it deserves to be treated with care!
- Leave doors to cupboard and drawers partly open when you go away for a period of time. This allows clothing to breathe, preventing against months and mould.
- If wardrobe space is at a premium then use suitcases or airtight storage boxes to pack away your summer clothes during winter and winter clothes during summer.
- Wash cashmere sweaters before storing them away until next winter. Wrap them in cotton covers rather than keeping them in plastic bags. Old cotton pillowcases are ideal for this.
Don’t
- Overfill your wardrobe by stuffing in all your clothes. Says model Angela Dunn from In Style’s “Wardrobe SOS”, “You’ve got to be able to move your clothes along the rack like you can in a shop.”
- Leave clothes in polythene dry cleaning bags that restrict the flow of air around your outfits. Use cotton covers which let your clothes breathe.
- Be afraid to use storage add-ons for your wardrobe. Hooks, racks, specially designed belt hangers and so on all help to provide extra space and keep clothes and accessories in good condition.
- Throw things in great piles at the bottom of your wardrobe, and do not leave your underwear on the floor!
Investing in a few storage aids will save you money and time in the long run. An organized closet gives you a more positive mindset when you open those doors. Outfits are easier to select and your clothing and accessories are kept in a better condition.
