Spring is in the air! There's nothing quite like a little sunshine and warmer weather to motivate us to get out of winter hibernation mode and into spring cleaning mode! While many people focus on giving their home a good deep clean, don't forget about your closet when it comes to refreshing your home!
If you feel like you've got a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear, this post is for you! Don't underestimate what a little editing, re-arrangement and product can do for your closet. It's amazing how much better it feels to get ready each day in a space where you feel a sense of calm and can actually see what you own (and I don't mean in a pile on the floor!)
Here are our top 5 tips for organizing your closet!
Tip #1 - Edit
Take everything out so you can see exactly what you have. If you don't know where to start and feel overwhelmed, the best thing to do is to literally pull everything out of your closet and sort the items into categories (use your bed or the floor to do this). Block out several hours for this task and commit! We promise it will be worth it!
We typically sort clothing into the following groups:
Long sleeve tops
Short sleeve tops
Sleeveless tops
Dresses
Skirts
Pants
Jeans
Shorts (nice)
Athletic wear (tops and bottoms separately)
Sweatshirts and hoodies
Pajamas
Swimsuits
Accessories (scarves, hats, gloves, etc.)
Once you have your groups, it's time to edit! Notice how much of each category you have and really ask yourself if you will wear the items in that pile. Go through piece by piece and get rid of the clothes you no longer use! This is the most important part of the process, so expect it to take some time. The key is to stay focused and committed to going through everything and parring down to only what you need. A simplified closet is a beautiful thing!
Tip #2 - Swap out your clothes for slim matching hangers
Once you've completed the edit, it's time to make your closet functional! The easiest way to elevate your closet is to invest in matching hangers. Just do it! We promise, you'll thank us later! Why not use the cheap plastic ones or the wire dry cleaning hangers?
1. First, the slim hangers will actually save space since they are slim. Each of those little half inches of space per hanger really do add up! We love using velvet hangers for keeping clothes in place but if you don't like velvet, slim wooden ones work well too!
2. Matching hangers just look better. When your closet is aesthetically simple and streamlined, you will not only enjoy getting ready in it but will be more motivated to maintain it!
Our favorite hangers:
Pro Tip: The easiest way to elevate your closet is to invest in matching hangers. Just do it! We promise, you'll thank us later!
Tip #3 - Create Zones in Your Closet
As you hang items up again, create zones where you can easily locate things. Creating zones not only streamlines your space and makes things look tidier, but it also makes things easier to put away at the end of the day!
Remember those categories you sorted into earlier? These are your new zones in your closet!
When hanging shirts, start with sleevless, then short sleeve and then long sleeved ones.
As you put things away, do so in rainbow order if you want an added element of style in your closet! Start with pinks and reds and move all the way to purple, then black, white and patterns at the end. This will naturally draw your eye to the various colors and patterns you are looking for as you get dressed each morning.
Hang dresses on the highest rod you have, and pants on the lowest. Try to avoid hanging things where they drag on the floor if possible (adjust your hanging rod if needed!)
Tip #4 - Use baskets and bins
We typically try to avoid stacking items in piles on shelves and the easiest way to prevent a cluttered mess from happening is to use pretty baskets and bins to contain certain items. We typically use baskets for the following things:
swimsuits
scarves
workout pants (file fold them like you would in a drawer)
pajamas
ballcaps
winter hats and gloves
shape wear
leggings (file fold)
We love using the Container Store Montauk baskets, which are lined and so pretty too!
Don't forget to add a bin clip! These beautiful silver ones come with pretty adhesive labels already printed for you!
Tip #5 - Elevate your shoe storage!
The main goal when organizing your shoes is that you can see them all! Our best piece of advice is to utilize a mix of floor space and shelf space (if available). Group your shoes by style, keeping your fancier sandals and heels together, as well as boots, flats, and athletic shoes too.
When thinking through shoe storage, you may need to invest in some simple storage solutions. We love these simple stackable white shoe shelves that sit easily on the floor or even on a shelf as seen below:
Tip #6 - Make the most of the top shelf!
This is the place to store off-season items, sheets and linens, or items you don't frequently wear or use. Instead of just tossing random items up there, use simple woven baskets to contain each category.
Some of our favorites are these natural colored woven ones from The Container Store or these simple gray ones from Amazon. Make sure you measure the depth of your shelves first, to ensure which size to order.
Having an organized closet can be a game-changer! Taking the time to edit, structure and organize your closet can feel overwhelming at first, but once you've completed the task, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and, quite possibly, be motivated to tackle other areas of your home as well! Happy organizing!
Comments