Many of you might know this problem: Standing in front of your closet and all you can think of is: “I don´t have anything to wear”. Well, let me tell you, you´re not alone! In fact, I was one of these ladies with a massive closet and endless choices of wardrobe, but I was extremly challenged to find the matching pieces in the middle of all my unsorted stuff.
Earlier this year my husband and I moved into a bigger apartment. Because most of our furniture was bought when we were (poor) students, we decided to make a fresh start and get rid of everything we had in our old apartment. And while telling you this, I have to be honest: Planning my new closet was the most exciting part for me, because I really wanted to have a roomy closet with lots of space and to have my whole wardrobe organized by categories and colour. This is how I approched the quest of the perfect closet:
1. Inspect And Get Rid Of
There is one rule when it comes to giving your closet a make-over: Take a close look at every single piece you own and ask yoursel “When was the last time I have worn this?” If you can´t remember when or know that the last time you have worn said item was over two years ago, it is better to get rid of it. It is highly unlikely that this piece of clothing (except for ball gowns) will ever be worn by you gain, so it is better to to use the space for some new clothes.
2. Dust & Refold
It may sound like a lot of work (and actually it is), but the best place to start is to remove all items from shelves, drawers, hangers and shoe racks. Dust, vacuum and wipe down all services before you put clothes and accessories back in. Items like scented drawer liners, moth balls, boot shapers, and cloth storage bins will keep clothes fresh and clean.
3. Buy Matching Hangers
Uniformity in hangers is key. Try to find not only the same type of hanger, but the same color as well. In the great words of Joan Crawford: “No wire hangers EVER!” Professional closet organizers prefer wood or felt hangers, but matching plastic hangers will work, as well.
4. Sort Clothing By Type, Then Color
Sorting your clothing by type will just make your life easier — having all the cardigans in one place makes getting dressed in the morning much more simple. Sorting by color is purely aesthetic, but hey, how much better do things look in order of light to dark? Start in the middle of the closet, and hang all items facing inward — so the items on the right side of your closet should all face left, and vice versa. Remove clothing from dry cleaning bags — a good rule of thumb with clothing, is “if you don’t see it, you won’t wear it.”
Also, you don’t need to hang t-shirts, tank tops, gym clothes, lingerie, underwear, hoodies and accessories (like scarves). Fold t-shirts neatly and stack them in a drawer. Ditto for gym clothes like yoga pants and leisure items like sweatpants and hoodies. If it doesn’t wrinkle, it doesn’t need a hanger. Tank tops, underwear, socks and lingerie should also go in a drawer.
5. Sort Shoes By Season, Then Heel Height
After you’ve removed your shoes and dusted your shoe rack, you’re ready to put shoes back in. Shoes are best displayed out of the box, with one shoe facing forward and the other facing back. Boot shapers are your new best friend — they allow you to store boots in the most space-effective way, and look infinitely better than flaccid boots flopped over one another.
MY STYLE
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