Tired of wasting time every morning looking for the clothes you want to wear? Sick of having to sort through a messy drawer to find your favorite tee shirt? Not sure where you put your favorite boots from last season?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, there’s a good chance it’s time to purge, clean, and organize your closet.
No matter what time of year you’re reading this, now is the perfect time to get your clothing organized once and for all. And, with a few tips and tricks in mind, you can make it look like you hired a professional to do it for you!
Ready to get started?
Here’s how to organize your clothing like a professional organizer.
Buy Matching Hangers
If your closet is full of bulky, mismatched hangers in different colors and sizes, get rid of them.
The mark of a professionally organized closet is that it functions but also looks good. And a good-looking closet starts with having matching hangers.
If you have a lot of clothing to hang, buy slim hangers that maximize space. Or, if you’ve pared your clothing down to a capsule wardrobe, give your closet a boutique look with some sturdy, wooden hangers.
As for your old hangers, don’t throw them in the trash. Instead, donate them to a thrift store or a consignment shop, or put them outside on the curb in a box labeled “free.” Some of your neighbors may be able to use them!
Organize By Color
Professional organizers love to organize by color. So if you want a truly professional look, hang the clothing on your closet rod from light to dark (or dark to light).
Have a lot of garments with all-over prints? Hang them all together at the end, or mix them in based on the most predominant color of the garment.
You can also follow this method for folded clothing on closet shelves. Just arrange your piles with the lightest colors on top and the darkest colors on the bottom.
For items stored in drawers, roll and organize your items horizontally rather than stacking them vertically. That way, you can see the gradient color array and make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
Organize By Item
Do you have a massive closet with tons of garments hanging or folded on shelves? It may be more beneficial to organize garments by item type.
For example, hang all of your pants together. Hang all of your dresses together. Hang all of your blouses or button-down shirts in one section. Fold and stack all sweaters on the same shelf.
If you want to go a step above and beyond, you can organize each section by item and by color for an even more efficient design.
Organize By Occasion
Don’t want to flip through all your summer beach frocks when you’re searching for your favorite cocktail dress? Some professional organizers arrange clothing by occasion instead, as they do in boutiques and stores.
Arranging your clothing by occasion can be a bit tricky, especially since so many of us have items that overlap from workday to weekend. But if the majority of your clothing is specific to one occasion or another, this can make it super easy to find what you’re looking for.
Hang all of your work clothes in one section. Arrange all of your weekend gear and casual looks together. Separate your around-the-house loungewear from your workout gear.
This option works especially well if you’re the type of person who tends to dress in “outfits” more so than mixing and matching individual items.
Create A Place For Accessories
If there’s one thing that professional closet organizers pay close attention to, it’s accessories. And that’s because shoes, handbags, belts, scarves, ties, and socks take up a lot of space.
Your closet will never be functional if you simply have one bar with hangers on it. Instead, you’ll need to carve out designated spaces for drawers, shelves, and other storage solutions.
The goal here is to create areas of your closet that can hold everything from your tall winter boots to your summer hats.
Designate shelves for handbags. Get a shoe rack for shoes. Add small bins or pull-out trays in drawers to hold jewelry and sunglasses. Buy drawer dividers or hangers specifically designed to organize ties, scarves, and belts.
If you don’t have a smart storage solution for accessories, it won’t take long before your closet is a mess again!
Buy Storage Boxes Or Bins For Off-Season Items
The smaller your closet, the more important it is to find creative storage solutions for off-season items. So, get ready to make open-top storage boxes and clear storage bins your new best friends.
Open-top storage boxes are perfect for larger, bulkier items, such as winter scarves and sweaters. Clear plastic bins are great for holding summer items, such as swimsuits, shorts, and beach cover-ups.
If you’re extremely limited on closet space, you may need to invest in some under-the-bed storage boxes for off-season clothing. Just be sure to flip your closet every season so that the things you’re currently wearing are easily accessible.
Make Use Of Vertical Space
Professional organizers are great at maximizing space. Search for closet inspiration on Pinterest, and you’ll see that the best closets rarely have an inch of unused space!
Now, that doesn’t mean your clothing and accessories need to take up every inch of usable space. What it does mean is that the design of the closet itself should maximize space from edge to edge and from top to bottom.
Hang shelves, even high overhead if need be. Double-hang bars so that you have two layers of hanging storage for shirts, short skirts, or pants draped over hangers. Add open shelves or concealed drawers beneath your hanging rod to store underwear, tee shirts, socks, and other foldable items.
If you want your closet to look like a professional organizer did the work, you’ll need to combine a variety of storage compartments, bars, and shelves in different configurations.
Conclusion
Before you even consider reorganizing your clothing, drawers, and closet, take a day or two to purge what you no longer need or wear.
After all, it’s always easier to organize a closet with less in it than to organize one that’s packed to the gills!
Author Bio
Adam Marshall is a freelance writer specializing in all things apartment organization, real estate, and college advice. He currently works with The Lofts at Brentwood to help them with their online marketing.
