7 Steps to Revamp Your Closet
REDISCOVER Your Closet
Have you noticed how easy it is to have a closet full of clothes and yet feel like, "you have NOTHING to wear," despite the fact that your friends would give anything to switch closets with you? This is when a little reorganization and creativity comes into play along with learning how to look at your clothes with a new perspective and fresh eyes to create new combinations of clothes you already own.
Keep in mind, this can be a BIG project, so plan on extra time and don't feel like you need to accomplish it all in a day's time. I would break it up into a week by tackling one step each day to keep from getting overwhelmed, as I tend to do when I am surrounded by a large mess (albeit a temporary one). If you feel more ambitious to tackle more than 1 step per day, that's great too!
Now some would say I'm a bit over-the-top... but my closet is currently organized in categories with each section organized in ROY-G-BIV order (thank you 2nd grade science class).
It's time to take control of your closet before it takes control of you. Follow these 7 easy steps to revamp your closet and fall back in love with your wardrobe.
1. ORGANIZE CLOTHES INTO 5 main GROUPS
To get a fresh new look at your clothes, first organize your closet to see what all you have. You will likely rediscover items you forgot about and also realize just how much you have! This will also save you money in the long run as many times we gravitate towards buying the same or similar pieces we may already have, so this way it's easy to see if you really need that 6th black T...
No better time than the present to take this opportunity to start sorting through clothes to determine which pieces can be donated or sold. While sorting, keep these questions in mind:
Does this piece still bring you joy?
Does it still fit?
When was the last time you wore this?
Do you plan on wearing it again soon?
Are you holding on to this piece for sentimental reasons or "just in case"?
One of my favorite tips came from Marie Kondo's must-read book, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing". Her tip is to put your hands on everything you own and ask yourself if it sparks joy. If it doesn’t, thank it for its service, time, or purpose it served in your life, and pass it on so someone else can experience joy from it. This helpful tip and approach to decluttering has been eye-opening for me.
As you start to organize, clear out an entire row in your closet so you have a fresh place to start. Start by grouping your clothing in 5 main categories:
tops
bottoms
dresses/skirts
workout clothing
donate/sell pile
2. DIVE DEEPER by organizing in sub-categories
Next, start organizing these 4 main categories (ignore the donate/sell pile for now) into smaller sub-sections. I've given some examples below, depending on your desire of detail.
TOPS:
blazers
cardigans & sweater dusters
sweaters
blouses
long-sleeve & 3/4-length tops
short-sleeve tops
plain T-shirts
print or statement T-shirts
tanks
camis
BOTTOMS:
dress pants
jeans
colored jeans
cropped pants
shorts
DRESSES / SKIRTS:
spring/summer dresses
fall/winter dresses
formal dresses
long skirts
short skirts
WORKOUT CLOTHES:
workout jackets
sweatshirts
workout shirts / tanks
workout shorts
workout leggings
workout pants or capris
sweatpants
3. QUICK TIPS to keep IN MIND
I generally keep my sweaters folded to avoid those annoying hanger marks. I also switch out my seasonal clothes as needed to provide more room. When hanging clothes, hang all of your clothes so that they face the same direction.
While organizing your closet, try this hanger trick. I have found the good ol' 80/20 Pareto Rule has some truth in it, especially when it comes to my wardrobe, as I've observed I wear about 20% of my clothes, 80% of the time. An easy way to see what you wear on a regular basis and rediscover pieces in your closet is to flip all of your hangers backwards so that after you wear something, you hang it back up normally. At the end of the year, you will easily see what pieces still haven't been worn by looking at the backward hangers, and then it's time to decide if you're ready to part with those items.
For workout clothes, hang workout jackets and tops in close proximity to one another. Utilize your dresser by designating drawers and folding your remaining items such as sweatshirts, shorts, pants, and leggings.
4. ORGANIZE by COLOR
After you have your items grouped in specific sub-categories, now the fun begins! Start organizing the clothes in each sub-category by color. I prefer rainbow order so I can quickly locate an item as well as hang it back up in my closet. I generally start with pinks and work my way down the Rainbow ROY-G-BIV color line. I tend to put my neutrals together (browns, blacks, greys, whites, creams).
5. ORGANIZE Jewelry
While you're at it, organize your jewelry so that it's easy to see, making accessorizing easy and fun. One of my very favorite birthday gifts was this two-sided jewelry organizer from my mom. One side is for necklaces and the other is for bracelets and earrings. Again I organized my jewelry by color as well... shocker I know. :) Now that I have it organized by color, I can quickly see what all I have and and start adding items to my donate pile.
I also have a place in my closet for my everyday pieces that I wear more frequently so I can quickly find and hang up my go-to jewelry. The jewelry organizer (below) came from HomeGoods.
6. ORGANIZE ACCESSORIES
Why stop there? Keep up the great work and organize your other accessories such as scarves, hats, and belts. I love the scarf organizers you can find at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I then hang these scarf hangers on over-the-door hooks behind my closet door or in my closet.
First organize your scarves into winter scarves and everyday scares. I then organized my everyday scarves by color and season: blue, fall, black/browns, and spring (not shown). Clearly I have way too many blue scarves... and way too many scarves in general.
If you feel really adventurous, organize your belts as well! Once again, mine are organized by color. :)
7. ORGANIZE SHOES
On to shoes! As much as I'd love a custom closet, we are currently renting a house, so we make do with our own adaptations while keeping it budget-friendly. Better to save now so that we can get what we want later. :) Lucky for me, my husband and I each have 2 closets (the joys of living in suburbia without any kids yet) so I keep all of my shoes/boots together.
You can organize your shoes by color or category:
tall boots
short/ankle boots
wedges
pumps
flats
sandals/flip-flops
cute tennies
workout shoes
ONE FINAL REVIEW OF your WARDROBE
Now that your closet has been reorganized, it's time to take one final review of your wardrobe and accessories. Do you have any unnecessary duplicates? Are there any other items that don't bring you joy? Are there any pieces that aren't reflective of your personal style anymore? (For tips on Discovering your Personal Style, click the link.) Are there any other pieces that you're willing to let go of? Decluttering = freedom.
Donate (or sell) the clothes from your ready-to-pass-on pile to let someone else experience joy from these items. Sell nicer items at a consignment shop and donate the remaining items so your previously enjoyed items can find a new happy home.
FALL BACK IN LOVE with your closet
Now that you've cleared out the clutter and organized your closet, it's time to reap the benefits! Having extra space for your clothes to breathe will not only bring freedom, but you'll also be able to see and access them more easily while avoiding that awkward arm wrestle. Keeping clothes that you truly enjoy instead of pieces that just take up space will also make creating outfits more fun as you'll be more excited about the clothes already in your closet. Lastly, instead of buying that 6th black t-shirt you don't even need, you can now easily see what is actually missing from your closet. Instead of shopping mindlessly and coming home with something you already have, you can now shop and hunt for a specific item with purpose. Make a list of any items on your phone so that you can easily jog your memory while out on the town.
CREATE NEW OUTFITS
It should now be easy to see which colors and styles you gravitate towards. Now that you have rediscovered your closet, it's time to make the most of it and utilize your creativity to create new outfits and color combinations! For tips on Discovering Your Personal Style, click the link!
Have fun with the latest styles, but be your own trendsetter, and don't be afraid to break the rules too. Use your creativity and discover styles and color combinations that look and feel like you to create your own personal style!
