10 organizing tips to achieve your dream closet
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Oh, what a treat we have for you today! Do you look at this picture and feel pangs of love over the carefully organized rows and piles? Then do you look into your own closet and want to cry? I know I do! Well, turn that frown upside down. Because we have Jennifer Palais, personal organizer extraordinaire, here to share 10 tips to make your closet a space that brings not tears of sadness, but those of joy!
Jennifer believes that when you get rid of chaos, you make room for clarity. If you’re lucky enough to be able to work with her you’ll gain a unique blueprint for how to deal with your stuff and your life so you can function fluidly, live abundantly and create from a strong foundation. But she was kind enough to give us a crash course in the meantime. Here’s Jennifer…
Organize your closet, organize your life
It is almost springtime and that means we spring chicks need to think about weeding out the winter clothing in our closets to make room for the latest summer fashions (and last summer faves)!
This is a process some look forward to and some detest. For the fashion elimination detractors I offer you a new way of thinking about this old task. I find talking transformation makes this process less drag and more dauntless. Because having an organized closet is nothing short of transformational.
When you have a closet full of only what you heart (big category!), what make you money (power “suit”!) and what is useful (spanks anyone?) then you make getting dressed in the morning a snap. I call that transformative (ala Ally Sheedy’s makeover in Breakfast Club)! Actually – anything that nets me 15 more minutes in bed in the mornings I call transformative, but that is another story.
Here are the 10 steps to use to transform your closet into your own personal fashion mecca.
1. The interrogation – Assess item by item. If you have to ask, “Do I need this?” then you probably don’t. When you see something you heart you know it immediately. Trust yourself. Don’t try to talk yourself into keeping something just because Aunt Pattie gave it to you.
2. Key questions. The three killer questions to ask if you are having trouble deciding if this item goes in file 13 is:
Do I love it? (most important question)
Does it make me money? (hopefully you love it too)
Is it useful? (um…Spanks?!)
3. Moment of truth. If you are in the can’t-make-a-decision-to-save-my-life-club ask yourself: When did I last wear it? If president Clinton was still in office when you wore this then it is time to get rid of it. Otherwise…
4. The back burner – If you really can’t decide then place the item for a time in a specific part of your closet. It is the place where old clothes go to die so you have to put a reminder in your calendar for a month or two from now that tells you to go and pull the trigger on whether or not to keep the item. If you haven’t worn it in 6 months then it is time to go. For real. I mean it.
5. Human stained – I suggest you get rid of anything stained but if you are in heart with the garmet, place it in a pile with the other dry cleaning (preferably near the door so you remember to grab it on your way out to the car).
6. Holiness is next to…I suggest get rid of anything with holes or is damaged, but if you must fix it, then it goes in the dry cleaning pile for your tailor to bless.
7. Let go, let god – Let go of anything that doesn’t fit your body right now. I believe that you will lose 10 pounds, but I also believe that when that happens you won’t want to wear this garmet anymore. You are going to want to buy something hot and new! A forward thinking closet is much more conducive to weight loss than having if-I-only-looked-like-I-used-to-look clothes hanging around.
8. The big secret I will let you in on…If you wear clothing that fits you perfectly, (it isn’t pulling anywhere, you can move in it), and it is in perfect condition, (no holes, no stains) then you will have a certain polish even if what you are wearing is super casual. I think it is a French thing – you wouldn’t catch a French woman outside her home in any state of disrepair (at least the kind of French woman we are exposed to in the US!). We can’t be French but we can have a certain polish (even in yoga clothing).
I have touched on this but it never hurts to point out the obvious. Let go of anything that fall into the following categories:
- sweaters that are starting to ball
- faded clothes
- white shirts with yellowed underarms
- anything that pulls
- anything itchy
- anything too tight
- anything too big
9. Hang ups – It is truly transformative when you have all of the same hangers. I suggest these. They are no slip and will allow you to fit more in a small space.
10. Like with Like – Congratulations! I’m so excited – you are in the zone. You have only items that you heart or need. The final touch is to put like with like; which is the essence of all organization. That is tops with tops, pants with pants and so forth. It is like Sesame Street – which one of these doesn’t belong?
11. Color coding – Liar liar black pants on fire! I know I’m in trouble because I said 10 steps. But this 11th step is a bonus step (not essential but helpful if you can maintain it). The bonus step is about color-coding. Within each category in your closet hang items from the darkest to lightest i.e. skirts from darkest to lightest, tops, etc. This is so helpful because if you get all of your black pants together and you have 15 pairs then you can spend on something else you really need next time you shop. It can help you create outfits too.
The transformation you see will not only be in your closet, it will be in your schedule, your energy you’re your pocketbook. You’ll be able to get dressed in record time and with little angst (time and energy) and see the gaps in your wardrobe (money).
Saving money, time and energy is nothing short of transformative!
Oh man, I need to print off a copy of this and post it on my closet door! What a great bunch of tips, I think I know what my weekend project will be. Thanks!
Oh how I need to do every single thing on this list… My closets are looking rough!
I’m inspired! I’m at that bad place where I’ve put on that newlywed weight and while I’ve accepted it enough to buy better fitting pants, I just can’t let go of my old smaller jeans.
Or that t-shirt from college.
Or that cute skirt that I got on sale and I just haven’t had a chance to wear yet…
But this sounds like a great plan! Instead of freaking out halfway through and never finishing, I can just go step by step and see the progress. I know what I’m doing this weekend!
I started to do this yesterday. I had 3 trash bags full of clothes that I gave away to charity. The sad thing is I need to weed out even more….
It was nice to get a lot of it out of my closet though. I feel like I need to go shopping now that I have some room in there!
I just cleaned out my closet, and it still looks full of items that dont’ belong.. I should have had this to be my guide. Thanks for sharing such helpful tips!
This is magical!! Organization is a huge problem in my house. My goal is to make a dramatic change before the in-laws visit from out of town in May. Thank you Jennifer Palais. I will eagerly use your tips. But how fun would it be for you to come to my house and just do it for me?
These could not come at a better time for me! I’ve got a big closet, which is both good and bad. Good because I get to have a lot of stuff (yay!) Bad because it can get so messy that cleaning it or getting it into any kind of organized shape is really daunting. Also, because it’s big, I have tons of areas (i.e. piles of things that I put up dealing with till later) Clothes that don’t make into the hamper, because the hamper is covered in clothes, a work out clothes pile, dry cleaning pile, sewing pile, bags of makeup, 100 pairs of flip flops…most of the time I just run in and grab what I need or throw what I don’t need on it’s correct pile. I am desperately seeking a clean, organized closet.
And my god, I think 75% of my clothes are things I haven’t worn in YEARS. Gulp.
I think it’s time I conquer this. I feel like I’ve got the tools to now. Thanks Jennifer!
.-= stef´s last blog ..LypSyl lip balm review =-.
Stef, I am in that same 75% boat, and frankly, it’s a little depressing. I know I will never have a pristine, organized closet like the one in the photo, but I would definitely feel uplifted by getting rid of some of my excess. Jennifer, thanks for the inspiration!
My biggest problem is letting go of the stuff with holes and stains. Probably this is because I’m a mess and I spill coffee on my shirt the first day I own it, or snag a sweater on some jewelry the first day I wear it. Maybe if I told myself I have to get rid of it if something happens to it, I will be more careful. Hmmm. But, you’re absolutely right: I never end up wearing it again if I do rip or stain it (and I’m aware of it). Knowledge is power…off to the closet to do some weeding.
I’m thrilled these tips are coming in handy! I hear you sherrishera about how hard it is to let go of beloved items…it feels good once I do it though and something else wonderful always comes in!
Melissa, I love what you say about not trying to have a pristine closet. It is great to see such a space (so beautiful!) but just as great to make improvements (no matter how small) in your own closet that help you function better day to day. It is all about progress and the process.
The sheer volume of what I have in my closets is so daunting! I swear that I have clothes from the 80’s still. Ridiculous!
When there is a lot of volume I try having clients just do a little at a time…maybe all of the tops or all of the pants. Just a little focus instead of attacking the whole closet. Although Kellie…some of the 80s styles are back in now! :-)
Call me crazy but I love to clean and organize closets. Seeing as I have five walk-in closets in my apartment, that’s a good thing, there’s always one that needs work. Like Stef I’ve found that having lots of space (ladies her bedroom closet is bigger then most NYC apartments), means you have lots of things! It’s too easy to shove boxes and piles of things you don’t really need – but don’t want to toss in the trash.
Thanks to Jennifer’s tips, I have a game plan for when I finally conquer my “clothes only” closet – the one I always avoid. I’ve always wanted a color-coordinated closet! I’m going to force myself to do steps 1 through 10 so I’m all ready for that awesome bonus step.
As far as clothes I need to get rid of – as a shortie, I have way to many pants/jeans/skirts that would be perfect if the were HEMMED! I never get it done and I buy things that never get worn because they are too long. I love the tucking jeans into boots trend as it’s greatly expanded my jean selection. I also have many “easy” sewing fixes that again I never do, and never take to a tailor. This posts has convinced I need to either bite the bullet and fix them or get rid of them.
If you are still unmotivated to get your closet into shape, how about money as an inspiration? Work towards cleaning out your closets with a weekend yard sale as a target. Hold your sale during the early spring rush (great crowds!) and get some dough for your unwanted items. Then bundle everything that doesn’t sell directly into your car and take it to a Salvation Army/Out of the Closet type of organization. Receive a tax deduction receipt and include in next years taxes. Hooray – a win (clean house) win (make money/get a tax deduction) win (donate to charity) situation.
.-= Tyna Werner´s last blog ..Smashbox Heartbreaker Collection review =-.
Great suggestions Tyna! The tax deduction is the carrot I dangle for clients and it super efficient! Drive up, drop off, get money back (at tax time). I’ve found you get more bang for your buck with a donation to your favorite charity than with yard sales. If you need some quick cash it is great but for most people the time and energy needed to throw one doesn’t pay off. Think of what you get paid hourly and multiply it by the 10-15 + hours – at least – it will take to put the sale on and see if it balances out.
This article was such a help when I cleaned out my closet yesterday (I’m trying lighten my load for my upcoming move to my new apartment). I’ve got a trash bag full of clothes ready to go to Goodwill!
I want my closet to look like that!I always strive for a clean and organized closet, but I haven’t gone close to that.
It takes time Kosika…you’ll get there!
I’m in love with this post because I always try to achieve a clean closet.
I am so excited to get rid of things now! And replace them with new things of course. I’m pretty sure my boyfriend has a better wardrobe than I do right now
Enjoy the process! It feels great to get rid of things… and then go shopping! Love the way you think :-)
I’m working on it…should be done by next spring lol.
Ahh!!! too funny! It takes what it takes! Next spring will come whether our closets are workable or not…might as well be able to find our favorite shorts. lol!
Keep your eyes peeled for more spring tips…there may even be hope for this year ;-)