Does the item fit? Clothing in the closet should fit you properly, neither too loose nor too tight. It typically means it is comfortable, not pinching, clothing can button easily, and no red marks left on the skin. It may also mean letting go of items no longer in fashion, such as skin tight skirts you really should not wear to your professional job. It is usually best to let go of “inspirational items” such as the jeans you hope to someday fit back into; trends being what they are the item may well be out of fashion when you do lose the weight. One pair of “fat pants” may be OK to remind you of your weight loss accomplishment. If your weight is fluctuating up or down (such as in growing young adults, pregnant women, or dieters) this may be tricky. Still, get rid or store items that clearly do not fit you. Do I wear this? Have you worn the item in the last year? How often do you wear it: once a week or only once this year? If you have not worn the item in a long time, that may well indicate it is time to let go. Special use items may be OK to keep even if used only periodically. You might have a Christmas sweater, or interview outfit, or formal dress that isn’t used often but still worth having available. Do I like this? If you really don’t like an item, do not keep it. In general, do not hang onto items out of guilt–such as that shirt your father bought you but you just do not like. Do I have multiples of this? Work or school uniforms are one thing. But if you have seven black almost identical t-shirts, that might be a sign to let go of a few. Make a “Keep” pile for the clothes that you will keep and wear on a regular basis.
You can also store clothes that may have sentimental value for you, such as a shirt your grandmother knitted for you, or an old t-shirt from your high school tennis team that no longer fits. Try to keep the sentimental value clothes to a minimum, though. Clothes are meant to be worn, after all. Consider displaying beloved clothing instead of keeping them in your closet. Consider framing your prized concert T-shirt, or creating a shadow box of your Boy Scout uniform and awards, or make a T-shirt quilt of your old marathon shirts. When you’re done sorting through the clothes you will store, put them in a plastic bin or a clear bag marked keep. You can either store them in the back of your closet, under your bed, or in a storage unit or a different part of your home if you have the room.
If you haven’t worn something in over a year and it has no sentimental value, it’s time to donate it. If you have an item that is so worn, covered in moth holes, or faded that you and anyone else will never wear it again, then it’s time to throw it out. If you have a few items of clothing that are just way too small, stop waiting for the day that they will fit and donate them. Donate all of the clothes you don’t need that are in good condition, or give them to a sibling or friend.
If you want to make any changes, such as painting the inside a different color or adding and removing some shelves, do it now.
Organize your clothes by season. If you’ve stored away some of your seasonal clothes, organize your clothes by season just for half the year. If it’s summer, hang up your summer clothes first, followed by your fall clothes. Organize your clothes by type. You can separate your tank tops, shirts, pants, skirts, and dresses. [2] X Research source Organize your work and casual clothes. Separate your work clothes from your casual clothes so you can easily get dressed for work in the morning. Organize your clothes by how often you wear them. You can choose any method of organization, but hang up a few key items, like your favorite hoodie or the pair of jeans you wear all the time, in the most accessible place. If you really want to step it up a notch, you can use differently colored hangers to mark a different type of clothing. For example, you can hang your tops on pink hangers, or your work clothes on green hangers. Colour code your clothes. example in rainbow colours You can also think about installing another pole to hang up your additional clothes.
Don’t waste the space under your hanging clothes. Put a few plastic bins of clothes under the hanging clothing. If you have room for a dresser, consider putting one in your closet. It will save you time and space. Consider installing a closet organizer to find a more efficient way to store your remaining clothes. If you have overhead space, make the most of it. Use it to store bulky sweaters, sweats, and other items that are thick and easy to spot.
Organize them by type. Separate your dress shoes, sandals, and boots. Organize them by how often you wear them. Keep your favorite pair of boots, flip-flops, or sneakers in the place with the easiest access. Invest in a shoe rack to place on the floor of your closet. This will make it much easier to find the pair of shoes you want. Try storing your shoes in your overhead space. This is another easy way to save space. If your closet has a door that opens instead of a sliding door, consider getting a hanging shoe rack. If you have a front hall closet, consider putting the shoes you wear the most often there instead to save space in your personal closet.
Get rid of any papers or items you’ve kept for over a year that have no sentimental value. Consolidate the boxes to save closet space. If your closet is already cramped, consider putting some of the items in a different place, such as putting your old high school yearbooks on the bottom of your bookshelf. If you’ve been using cardboard boxes, trade them up for plastic bins. They will last longer and will be more visually appealing. Label the boxes or bins so you know what’s in them next time you move or organize your things again.
If you find any towels, sheets, or blankets, put them in your linen closet. If you’ve had an old lawn chair or another piece of furniture you don’t really need hanging out back there, it’s time to throw it out. If you’ve had to pick up an item and spend at least fifteen seconds trying to figure out what the heck it is or why you would need it, it’s time to throw it out. Make sure that all of the other items you find belong in the closet and not another part of your home. For example, if you find a box of light bulbs, a box of comic books, or a box of chocolate, ask yourself if those items wouldn’t be more logically organized elsewhere.
Paint your closet a soft pretty color. Add mirrors for sparkle. Hang jewelry and scarves where you can see them – as long as they don’t get in your way. Hang up a small poster or painting that makes you smile every time you open your closet.
From this point forward, try to keep your closet organized as you add to it, or remove and return its current contents. Doing so will prevent you from needing to do another large overhaul on your closet in the future.
