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If you would rather get dressed blindfolded than actually look at the state of your closet, it is time to gather your courage and open your eyes. Closets are rarely overcrowded because they are too small. Usually, we just have too much stuff. Take advantage of the New Year and create a new space for your wardrobe with these 10 easy tips.
Make A Vow
Resolve to keep only what you really use. Imagine being able to immediately find what you seek each morning without the confused chaos of layers of clothes and too many options.
Toss the Trash
Who hasn’t used their closet to stash clutter when unexpected guests appear? If books, old newspapers and shoeboxes of family pictures have found their way into your closet, return them to their rightful places.
Divide and Conquer
Create four piles. One pile will consist of clothes to keep, one will be for clothes to donate or sell, one for clothes that belong in the trash and one for clothes that deserve a second look.
Dare To Decide
If you haven’t worn an item in the last year, chances are you won’t wear it in the next year either. Do have pairs of “skinny pants” you save for when you lose 10 pounds? Are you holding onto a cool jacket that may never be back in style? If you can’t bear to give something away immediately, put it in a bag. If you don’t wear the item after two months, take the bag straight to your favorite charity.
Don’t Duplicate
If you have a t-shirt collection honoring your favorite team or several pairs of black pumps, ask yourself what you really need. You don’t need to dump things that have sentimental value but try to be rational. Keep one of the t-shirts or the pair of pumps that fit best. Donate the others.
Hang It Up
Invest in an inexpensive set of matching hangers and watch your closet appear magically organized in minutes. Wire hangers may stretch clothes out of shape so buy wood or fabric hangers. Remove all but a couple extra hangers and give your wardrobe room to hang wrinkle-free.
Boxes and Bins
If you are lucky enough to have a budget to hire a closet design company, professionals can help divide your closet space into organized areas. But with a modest investment any closet can look tidy. Invest in shoe organizers and uniformly shaped boxes or bins to hold loose items.
Follow a System
Select a way to categorize your clothes. Coordinate clothes by color or type. Separate work attire from special occasion garments and casual outfits. If space is very limited, sort your clothes by season and store the out of season items in a bin under the bed.
Work in Shifts
Like any thorough editing job, it is most effective to take a pass at the work, take a break and return to the job with fresh eyes. Sift through every shoe, jacket and dress in your closet. Then go through everything a second time, and a third.
Plan Ahead
Track which clothes you wear this year and next year cleanup will be a snap. Divide your closet into worn and unworn clothes. Use a piece of tape to mark the middle of the hanging rack. When you wear an item, hang it to the left of the tape. Unworn items stay on the right. At year’s end, you will see which clothes have gone unused. They go straight in the donation bag.
Editor, 01/18/2012
