CLOTHING: Organizing for Function and Fashion!
Is it time to do a clothing deep-dive?
Have you ever stood before your closet anxiously trying to throw an outfit together?
You can’t find your specific black shirt and you keep pulling out things that don’t fit?
Has your clothing area become a black hole that steals your time and peace?
Let’s break this seemingly overwhelming project down into bite sized chunks for you!
Step 1: Sort through the items in your closet with the goal of donating, trashing and storing.
Create these sections: Keep, Try On, Trash, Donate, Put Elsewhere (Create sections of these items to go to the kitchen, garage, etc. Then DO NOT run each time. Leave time at the end of the project/or as necessary to take these piles to their designated areas of the house)
Use white trash bags and boxes for donations. My favortie are the Glad Force Flex. You can find those bags Here!
Use a black permanent marker to label them with the name of the charity or person they are going to. Use a black trash bag for garbage if you can.
When sorting through your clothes, think about the space you have. Do you have space to comfortably fit everything in your closet/drawers/bins? If not, consider donating and throwing away a few more items. You might also ask yourself: Can I make room in another part of my home? If you cannot, again consider removing more items. If you can make more space in your home, you may need to schedule time, and possibly help to prepare that new space. Read this article about scheduling time for your project.
Sort through one type of clothing at a time. That is, pull out all your jeans and then all your dresses, shoes, etc. Ask the following questions for each type of clothing before moving on to the next type.
Am I keeping this out of a sense of guilt or obligation? That is, was it expensive or did someone give this to me?
Is it scratchy or uncomfortable?
Is it worn, torn, or ripped?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, either donate or throw out that item of clothing.
Have I worn this in the last year?
How many do I need? Do I need 11 camisoles in varying shades of gray or 20 pairs of jeans?
Does this fit my body? Does this fit my personal style? Is it “in”? Do I care?
Do I enjoy this piece of clothing?
If you answered no to any of these questions, donate or throw out that item of clothing.
If you want to minimize and create a “capsule wardrobe”, make outfits with your clothes. Choose to keep items that can be made into outfits. If any item cannot comfortably be worn with anything else in your closet, consider donating it.
TIPS:
Make a memory tote for keepsakes. That way, you have a place to put things when you find sentimental items that belonged to a grandparent or the t-shirt you wore to a Foreigner concert in 1981 for example. A place for things that you want to hold on to but don’t need cluttering up your functional space. Then, store this tote in another part of the house and not in your closet.
Create a donation tote to fill with items to donate throughout the year. Here is the link to one we have used. Keep the donations tote near your closet and make sure to drive the items to a donation center every few months. Or schedule a charity pickup. If you’d like to learn more about donations, read this article.
Music and friends can help motivate this process: make it fun!
Lay a flat sheet on your bed and use the bed as the sorting station; a sheet protects your bed from dust.
Use a white garbage bag for donations, these are great for marking. Using black garbage bags for trash, like the Glad Force Flex bags you can find Here, is a great way to visualise donations vs garbage.
If it is safe, make piles of clothing/items that need to be removed. For example, if you find your daughter’s sweater in your closet, do not take it to her room. Moving around the house can lead to distractions and a lack of focus on the project at hand.
Step 2: Organize your closet.
First, take this opportunity to deep clean your closet or clothing area before putting everything back. Once clean, try organizing your closet by the like with like method. That is, sweaters go with sweaters, tanks go with tanks, jeans go with jeans and so on. If you’d like to take it one step further, organize by color within the like with like sections. If color organization isn’t your thing, try functional storage (all things needed to perform a task, like the diaper changing station) or seasonal storage. I don’t recommend storing all seasonal items away when the weather changes. We often forget about the clothes that are in a box in the basement and end up buying new winter clothes instead of using last year’s items. Instead, use the like with like method and simply rearrange your closet so sweaters are in the back during summer or in the front during winter.
When organizing, think about how you naturally operate. How much time do you usually put into sorting and putting away clothes? If you don’t have a lot of time, consider hanging most of your clothing. Schedule time to purchase more hangers. Do you fold or roll your socks, or do you want to throw them in a topless bin? Storage must be functional—easy to find and easy to put away. Don’t make a system that will not work with your daily habits. The best way of folding depends on what will fit functionally in your bins, dresser, basket, etc.
Furthermore, make sure to use your space well. Do you have a lot of vertical space? Consider shelves and hanging storage. Do you have a lot of horizontal space? Consider cubbies. If you can’t figure out which type of space you have or what to do, call a professional organizer for help.
TIPS:
Open bar shoe-racks seldom work well.; shoes fall through easily and frequently.
Labels are very helpful. Labeling locations in your closet and giving items a home means they are more likely to stay in one place and to give you accountability while you may be leading new habits. For example, label a shelf as “sandals” and make sure only your sandals live there. Labeling can be discrete or more obvious.
If you have children or organize your spouse’s clothing area, make sure to ask questions and consider their preferences. Some children might not understand minimizing, donations and organization, so hire a professional organizer to alleviate stress and quarreling.
Clothing areas can be very individualized. And set up depending on the individual's needs.
Closets should simply be a storage space, not a source of stress. Try these organizing methods, play some music or invite a friend for encouragement, and watch your stress disappear as you finish this project!
As always, reach out to us if you need in-person or virtual help with your project.