The Budget Fashionista

Closet Madness-10 Steps to a Clutter Free Closet!

1) Wood You? Metal is for rock bands and armored trucks…not for hangers!  The first this thing you need to do is toss all your metal hangers.  You might want to save one or two in case you need to jimmy your way into a car…but that’s about all they are good for.  Metal hangers destroy clothes.  Invest in wood hangers (cedar preferably) and fill your entire closet with them.  You can order them online in bulk or purchase them at any bath and linen store.  This will give your closet a seamless look and keep your clothes from snagging, pulling, and losing shape.  Plastic hangers will suffice and they are much better than metal. However wood hangers are ideal and will last a lot longer.

2) Pine trees, Oak trees,…Shoe trees? Shoe trees serve several purposes. They preserve the shape of the shoe which in turn extends the life…think more mileage.  Higher quality shoe trees are made from solid wood, usually Cedar which helps control odor and absorb moisture. You can also find them in plastic with a coiled metal spring stem. Again, you get what you pay for.  Most of the time these are cheaper and lighter, however they do not absorb moisture or eliminate odor.  One use that is often overlooked is using shoe trees to break in a new pair of shoes.  The old adage *â€?fashion hurtsâ€?* doesn’t have to, save your feet and let the shoe trees do the work for you.

3) It’s just a fetish…shoe organizers?  If you’re like most women, it’s likely that you own quite a few pairs of shoes. There’s nothing wrong with a shoe fetish, just take them out of the box.  Shoe boxes conceal your fantastic collection and make it hard to remember what kind of inventory you have.  Instead, purchase (clear) stackable plastic bins that open like drawers.  If you want to be a little OCD, you can label them too! Your traditional standing shoe rack or hanging rack works great as well.  Organize your shoes by color… brown heels, brown flats, brown wedges etc. Color coding may seem a little extreme, but it makes it much easier to decide which pair you should wear. 

4) ‘Tis the season and Season Coordinate- Having winter jackets mixed in with summer shorts can make for one cluttered closet.  If you have an extra closet or storage area, move all the clothes that aren’t in the current season into them.  If you don’t have the extra space, move them to the back of the closet as far away from your “in seasonâ€? clothes as possible. 

5) What’s the dress code?  Dress Code Coordinate is a simple concept.  Separate the clothes in your closet by dress code; “Formalâ€?, “Semi-formalâ€?,"Business casual” and “Casual”.  You won’t believe how much time this will save you.  In my *expert opinion as a fashion stylist,* dress code coordinating is the most important factor in relieving time wasted searching for *what to wear,* resulting in Closet Madness. 

6) Match this! Once you’ve organized your clothes by dress code, take it one step further…Color Coordinate!  Again, a simple step to save you time and makes choosing an outfit easier.  This also gives your closet a more defined and cleaner look.

7) Don’t get taken to the cleaners- First, the only place laundry should be is in the laundry room-hence its name. Move it there.  This will give you more storage space and let will let you maneuver around easier.  Secondly, get out of the habit of hanging your clothes in the closet with the plastic dry cleaning bags and metal hangers in tact.  As soon as you get home from the cleaners take them out of the bags and hang them on WOOD hangers.

8) It’s a closet, not a garage- It’s typical to see anything from scrap books to golf clubs in a client’s closet when I *organize their wardrobe* for the first time.  If it’s not *fashion related,* find it a new home.  Once you’ve designated your closet for apparel only, you’re more likely to keep these other steps in mind. 

9) Less is better- People keep clothes they don’t wear for a number of different reasons.  “Fitâ€? in my *experience as a fashion stylist*, is number one.  Perhaps they were skinnier at one point and getting rid of them means they will never wear that size again.  “Sentimentalâ€? is a close second.  The shirt they wore on their first date or the one Dad bought them for Christmas that’s sinfully ugly but has great memories attached.  “Pack Ratâ€? is third.  Can’t seem to depart with anything with no just cause.  “Paid a lot of moneyâ€? –this is the worst reason out of them all and possibly stems from guilt.  “Paid a lotâ€? usually means it was an impulse buy and to get rid of the garment means they made a bad purchase.  Whatever the reason it is, it’s not good enough to keep the clothes that are taking up valuable space.  The best rule of thumb (except if it’s not in season) is if you’ve not worn it in the past six months, it needs to go.  Remember, less is better!

10) “If you build it they will comeâ€?- A great way to maximize space in your closet it to add more shelving.  Stop thinking lateral…look up and think vertical!  You don’t necessarily have to have an entire custom closet built to make this effective.  Most don’t consider adding any type of shelving or storage that is out of arms reach , resulting in much wasted space.  Break out the old folding step ladder and see how far you can reach when standing on it.  That’s where you need to add more shelving. I recommend storing the out of season or less frequently used apparel there.

Written by Michael Bassolino
Image Consultant | Fashion Stylist | Personal Shopper

I agree with all of the above, but here are some more tips:

1) don’t get rid of all wire hangers. Keep 3 for getting into your car, picking up keys that fell into a sewer (that happened to me once, and the hanger saved the day), or for zipping up a dress or top when you can’t reach backwards.

2) do NOT store your clothes as outfits. Store them as separates so that you can mix and match and coordinate. Take pictures of your best outfits and create a look book. When creating looks for your book, make sure that you have fabulous looks for every situation (casual, work, dressy, etc.).

3) if you haven’t worn something in over 6 months, ask yourself why, and be brutally honest. It could be that you like one piece of the outfit, but not the other. or it could be that it doesn’t fit you or it itches. Whatever the reason, get it out and gone.

4) if you have clothes that you are sure will fit you once you lose weight, you can set aside “skinny clothes” if and ONLY if you are actively losing weight on a program such as Weight Watchers. Put your skinny clothes in a separate area away from your active wardrobe. If you are not losing weight on such a program, forget it. All they’ll do is taunt you and clutter up the wardrobe.

3) if you haven’t worn something in over 6 months, ask yourself why, and be brutally honest. It could be that you like one piece of the outfit, but not the other. or it could be that it doesn’t fit you or it itches. Whatever the reason, get it out and gone.

This strikes a sore nerve.  I’ve been trying to clear my closet and been pretty good at keeping 2 years or less clothes, but 6 months?  I just can’t do it.  There must have been a reason why I bought all that stuff!  I know it’s a good advice, I just can’t do the 6 months thing.

I’d say...a year, especially if you have 4 seasons.  If you bought something at the end of a season on sale, it may actually be 6 months before you wear it.  For a few other things, longer storage might be better (with a spouse in the military, when you need a formal dress once in a while and you move every 3 years, makes sense to keep the dresses and give them another wear at the next place; a few holiday items that you might wear alternate years).  Also, use a section of your closet or hangers of a different type or color for a few things (for instance, if you like to wear white t-shirts, perhaps one on a “special” hanger for wearing with dressier clothes); allot a specific amount of space (1/2 a drawer or a small container, for example) for some items (such as gardening or painting clothes...we all need a couple of ratty things for stuff like that, but limit what you are saving for those “just in case” occations).  Keep all the sentimental items you want (old prom dresses, etc.) if you have space for them ELSEWHERE.  Exception:  wedding dress.  You may keep that wherever you want and however long you want as long as you are still keeping the husband!!

Classique - 27 May 2008 04:45 PM

You may keep that wherever you want and however long you want as long as you are still keeping the husband!!

I have a friend who is divorced, but she still has her wedding gown. She plans to wear it again when she finds the right man and remarries. She was briefly engaged, and several people were advising her to alter the gown and make it look a little different. Her answer was that she planned to lose a ton of weight and have the gown massively taken in. I later sent her an e-mail message warning her that taking something in more than one dress size is difficult and expensive, if it’s even possible. By that time, her engagement was broken anyway.

Honestly, I think that if you’re divorced, your best bet is to give away or sell your wedding gown. Not only do you not need the extra clutter, but you don’t need the emotional baggage.