Probably not. Most of us fill as much space as we have – and our clothes might still spill over. But clothes can be one of the toughest things to let go of, even when we have more than we need. If you find it hard to locate specific items in your closet, or if it is too crowded to be able to easily put away your clothes, here are a few tips to help you right-size your wardrobe to better fit your space.
When working on a closet I encourage clients to imagine their perfect or ideal wardrobe. How many outfits are reasonable to have? Do you need a professional and a casual wardrobe? Are there exercise clothes? Swim attire?
Having a vision of the ideal can give you a guideline for evaluating your things. This isn’t meant to set a hard and fast rule (such as only having 8 outfits or something) but instead lets you measure how each piece fits your priorities. If you think having 10 pairs of pajamas is plenty, then you can ask yourself if a set is really in your top ten. You might end up keeping only 5, or you might end up with 15, but the outcome is that everything you keep is the result of your intentional decision.
If you feel a need to let go of a lot of clothes, be prepared that it can be an emotionally and physically taxing activity. Just making so many decisions can be stressful and most of us hold on to items that are meaningful to us, even if we know we will not wear them again. (Which is fine, but those items do not need to be in your primary closet space – they can go in a keepsake box stored in a less accessible space.) Give yourself some grace as you go through the process. You might want to make a fun playlist to keep you energized while you work on it – and make sure you plan time to relax when you are done. You will deserve it!
A few things I encourage:
- Choose one type of hanger and stick with it. The consistency will decrease visual clutter. I like velvet hangers because clothes don’t fall off as easily, and they are thinner than the tube hangers.
- If you need more space for your clothes, consider using cascading hangers. This allows you to hang a hanger on a hanger, using more vertical space and less horizontal space. I do this with pants hangers, but some velvet hangers have hooks built in too.
- Sorting and storing your clothes by color and type can make it easier to find things and to put them away. You will know that all jeans go in a specific spot while t-shirts go elsewhere, without needing to think about it.
- If you want to sell you clothes, make sure it is worth your time. Spending an hour to sell a purse for $300 might be time well spent, but spending an hour to sell a shirt for $5 might not be.
- Consider what part of your closet is most accessible and put the things you use most often there. If you have high shelves in your closet you might want to put off-season items there, but it is helpful to have a stepstool in the closet so you can easily reach those items. (My stepstool doubles as extra shoe storage too!)
All this said, your closet only needs to keep you happy! If color coding doesn’t matter to you, then don’t spend your time on it. (And if you are one of the lucky people with more closet space than you need – enjoy it! I still be wondering if the people who built my house in 1914 only had 3 outfits!)
Happy organizing!
Don’t want to organize your own closet? Hire an organizer! We can sort and organize things to best meet your needs. All the decisions are up to you, but we manage the physical work making it easier for you!
Christine Daves, Certified Professional Organizer
www.Think-Organized.com
[email protected]
612-240-0828
Cascading hangers save space on the hanging bar.
Using matching hangers reduces visual clutter.
Capitalize on the space most easily accessed for the clothes you use the most. Adding a new hanging bar is relatively easy and can add a lot of space.
