Planning Your Closets' Uses
After you discard what you no longer need from your closets, consider whether you'll eventually replace those items. For example, if you discard work clothes that are no longer in style or that no longer fit, will you buy new ones in the near future to replace them? If so, make sure you allocate room in your closet for these new purchases. The ideal with closet organization is not to come up with every smart storage solution you can, but to let go of items so that you have some empty closet space. This way, as your needs grow, your closets will “expand” to incorporate new items instead of becoming cluttered and unusable.
Although you're seeking to pare down, you'll still want to think in terms of efficient storage. Evaluate the contents of the closet and determine the best way to actually store your belongings. For example, would additional shelves, rods, or drawers provide needed space? Would these storage components make your items more visible and increase your efficiency?
Most basic closets are equipped with a single rod for hanging clothing. The height of most closets, however, allows for at least two rods, which could double the amount of space you can use to hang garments. In addition, you can use specially designed hangers to increase the number of garments you can hang in a limited amount of space.
Keep your most-used items visible and easily accessible. Mary Lou Andre, president of Organization By Design, says, “We wear twenty percent of our wardrobes eighty percent of the time.” To utilize the wardrobe pieces you have, she recommends assembling complete outfits, including accessories, and storing each on a single, sturdy hanger.
Plan to sort your hanging items by type or category. For example, divide up suits so that all jackets are together, all skirts are together, and so on. Sort within each category by color and/or fabric type. This can help you to create new outfit combinations by mixing and matching garments. You can divide your wardrobe into further categories — shirts, skirts, pants, jackets, suits, turtlenecks, sweaters, athletic apparel, T-shirts, jeans, and so on. You can also sort your clothing by season.
