Is organizing your closet on your to do list? You plan to get rid of those clothes you never wear so you’ll have more space and feel better every morning. You plan to pull out all the junk you’ve crammed in there and clear some walking space. You would love to walk into your closet every morning and feel amazing in a clean space, but somehow organizing your closet never makes it to the top of your priority list.
My Own Closet Story
Organizing my own closet is often on my list to do. But I walk into my closet with the intent to “organize” it and this is how it tends to go…
I walk in.
I look at this one shirt that I haven’t worn in 2 years.
I think I really should try it on to make sure I don’t want it. Maybe it will look incredible and I haven’t worn it because I didn’t remember how great it looked.
I don’t feel like trying it on at the moment.
I look at another shirt. I wore it to baby dedication for my youngest daughter (who’s 8). I have worn it since but it has been awhile. I think, “Hmmm, it is still stylish. I could wear it under a jacket or something. It matches this one skirt perfectly. I don’t know what to do.”
This is too hard. I should invite a friend over who would honestly tell me that I should get rid of that outdated thing…
I leave my closet and decide to “organize” it later.
I KNOW I am not the only one. Maybe your experience is a little different but it ENDS the same way…the closet doesn’t get organized!
You could try this approach next time you want to organize your closet. I have personally found the most success using this approach in my own closet.
Organize by Color.
Pull all the white things out of your closet.
Lay them on your bed.
Go through each one and decide what you want to keep. Actually try things on in order to make sure they fit and look good on you. Think about a complete outfit using this item to be sure you have something to wear with it.
You can replace your old, mismatched hangers to my ABSOLUTE favorite slimline, velvety hangers.
Place all the white clothes back into your closet on one end. I like to sort the colors by tanks, short sleeve, and then long sleeve.
If you have time, choose another color to organize. Otherwise come back the next day and do yellow. Then do orange. Then do another color, and another. Move on to shelves and the floor.
If you have shelves, you can still organize by color. Pull out all the same color items. Try on items you are unsure of. Be realistic! Ask a stylish friend if you should keep the item. Purge AMAP (as much as possible), refold, return to shelf, etc. OR organize by pile – all tanks (or jeans, sweaters, T-shirts, etc) come out, go on the bed, get tried on, etc…
Organizing by color allows you to do a little each day. It keeps you from being overwhelmed. At the end of the process you will have your closet visually appealing because it will be organized by color.
What Could you Move OUT of your Closet?
If you have piles or boxes pull ONE box or one pile out at a time to go through. Sort the items. Get rid of as much as possible. Put each item AWAY before you move on. If something doesn’t have a place to go, make one.
- Designate a tub “memorabilia” and put the items in it. This could be for all the college t-shirts you can’t part with. Or, maybe you’ve stashed kids’ memorabilia in your closet. Mark a box “kid’s memorabilia” and put everything in it for now.
- Put all the papers in the file cabinet or a file tub or box.
Designating homes for these items doesn’t mean they will stay there forever but you have to start somewhere. Later you can go back to the memorabilia bin(s) in order to make tougher decisions and decide how you will organize it.
Be Realistic
If you have a pile that has been in your closet, covered in dust, for a long while, ask yourself why? Is it really important enough to keep? Have you looked at it recently? Why not? What wold happen if you got rid of it? Is there something in it that is special enough to display? If not, why keep it?
Get started today. Take 15 minutes and go organize your white clothes.
Set a goal to have your closet organized by the end of the month. One color a day.
I never thought about breaking down the project by color, but I’ve seen people with 6 black skirts and a dozen pairs of black trousers, so it would probably work very well for them!
Yes, it is great for someone that doesn’t have time to tackle organizing the entire closet and for those that are overwhelmed at the thought of organizing their closet.
It gives focus (only one color) and accomplishment (completion of the color). 🙂