How To Minimize & Organize Your Closet
Today we are going to talk about the Master Closet! I am going to give you some quick tips to minimize and organize your closet. Then next week I’ll answer some of your questions from Instagram. (Be looking out for that blog post and video!)
If you’re just getting started with decluttering and minimizing your home or if this is something you have been doing for a while, the closet always needs some attention. Know that this is a process. I have gotten rid of things over the past year that didn’t make the donate or sell pile during the first 10 passes. The more you realize the beauty of only having things that fit and that you like in your closet, the easier it is to let go of things that you don’t love or that don’t love you back.
Here is my first tip. If you think you will need it (I was thankful I did) grab a friend or your sister to help you. My sister is sweet but honest with me about clothes. It was so helpful to have someone to laugh with when the shirt I thought I loved made me look 20lbs heavier. She was also really helpful since it took a while and the company was nice.
So let’s get started. If this is your first time or if your closet is in need of a deep clean you must do step number 1.
Take it all out. Yep. ALL of it. I know that’s a lot. But it’s important. Your bed is a great place to start with stacking your clothing. And it also forces you to finish since you will need somewhere to sleep that night. :)
Create 3 zones. Just grab some paper and a few boxes or bags and label them. 1- Love it. 2 - Maybe 3 - Going. For the 3rd pile you can separate them into sell and donate if you are doing that, or you can do it later.
Try it all on. I’m for real. You think you love that sweater, but what if it doesn’t look as great on you as you thought? Or what if it has a hole in it? This is where a friend is helpful. Be brutally honest with yourself. Have your worn this? Will you wear it? Do you even really want to wear it. (A trick is to imagine you are about to pack for a 2 week trip - is this something you would think about bringing with you?) Try your best to put as little as possible in the “MAYBE” pile. The only reason this second category is here is to keep you from getting stuck. If you absolutely can’t decide, put it here and move on.
Now it’s time to clean your closet. Vacuum. Wipe it down. Create a beautiful environment for your favorite items to come home to.
Put your “LOVE” clothes back in your closet. Choose categories that make sense for you and your space. I have all of my long dresses together and my outerwear. On another rod I have all my skirts and then my tops on a different rod. Because I have purged my closet so much I actually removed a rod to give my long pieces plenty of room and still had room to spare. So rather than fold most of my sweaters, I folded them over a hanger and they are on a rod.
Here are some additional tips:
ROYGBIV. (Red-organge-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet). I put white/cream in the front and then end with grey and black. In addition to your main categories, color coordinate your clothing. It’s not a big deal at all to hang things back where they go. This is so appealing to your eyes when you walk into your closet.
Get matching hangers. If your space is tight, THESE are highly recommended on Amazon. I love my wooden hangers. I bought mine at IKEA, but you can get similar ones HERE. It’s worth the investment!
Minimizing and organizing your closet makes a big impact in your home. You can feel refreshed in the morning when you’re getting dressed, rather than overwhelmed. This that margin for goodness we all want.