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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Curated Closet: Organization

One of the goals behind starting this blog was to chronicle my journey towards building a versatile closet that will transition with me as I finish graduate school & into a future professional career.

I certainly do not have it all figured out yet. But it looks like I am not the only one struggling with the notion of a curated closet, filled with things you LOVE not just like.
This realization that we have much to learn from each other, kicked off my curated closet series.
In the first class, Curated Closet 101 we learned about how to avoid impulse shopping.
And then we expounded upon one of the points from CC 101: filling closet holes.
Now in the 3rd Curated Closet lesson, I am talking about how to make getting dressed everyday more fun: Closet Organization.
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 Am I the only one that keeps on shopping, bringing more items in, without many items finding their way out & now has a closet bursting out the seams?
While few of us are fortunate enough to have a Mr. Big build us a closet out of Carrie Bradshaw's life or our opulent Pinterest dreams, with some carefully thought out organization, I think we can all enjoy getting dressed a little more & inspire some wardrobe nirvana!

It is best to do this after you have purged... so be sure to file this checklist away if you haven't already done so!

{1.} Put like with like. Start with the larger items, coats/jackets & then move on down the line to sweaters, jeans, etc. Cull them into groups & keep them that way for easy access.

{2.} Sub-categorize by color and/or style. Depending on the extent of your wardrobe, it is helpful to sort your shirts into those that are for work, going out, or for the weekend. And within that, organize them by color so that they are easy to find. Kind of like a card catalog for your closet!


{3.} Fold sweaters. Seriously, those specialty hangers that promise to not deform the shoulders take up more room than they are worth. And don't even work most of the time. Save space & headache by just neatly folding them.


{4.} Store off season items with care. I like to have all of my clothes where I can see them - out of sight, out of mind - & I don't want that! So I try to keep everything in rotation year-around, but the bulkiest items get tucked away in these miracle space-saving bags (as seen on TV, but they totally work!). Whatever your solution, make sure that your clothes are well taken care of, even in the off-season (repel moths, maintain the shape of your boots, use tissue paper with more delicate items)


{5.} Use uniform hangers. What is the first thing you notice about a boutique? Clean, neat, uniform hangers. The choice I use in my closet, these slim profile, no slip ones. It will change your life... well, at least your closet!


{6.} Take advantage of horizontal space. Hanger hooks, boom you're welcome. Use them to stack skirts, pile on pants & generally get more bang for your buck!


{7.} Make the most of vertical "dead space". If you are like me, you have one hanging bar & then 3 feet of unused space under where the close hang. Pack this space with storage shelves & cubbies for storing shoe boxes, off season accessories & purses.


{8.} Re-think accessory storage. Are your pretty things piled in the corner? (my hand should be raised) Why not try hanging your purses? Use tie hangers to organize scarves? Keep all your belts in one handy location.


{9.} Instate a one-in one-out policy. If your closet is stuffed to the gills, maybe it is time for radical thinking. Think about replacing a few of your cheaper items with 1 investment/classic item. Or for every piece you bring in, sell/donate/toss an older/unloved/duplicate item from your wardrobe.


{10.} Make it pretty. Hang up your favorite art print, drag a colorful ottoman over for ease of putting on your shoes, decorate the walls with inspiration pictures you have collected from magazines. We spend so much money stocking our closets full of pretty things, so why not make the entire space your own retreat!?


Whether you are ready to tackle your closet now or plan to have a future organization date, pin this handy guide you get you started!
What are your closet organization tips?
Visit my Organization Board for more creative storage ideas.

Have you seen my Wardrobe Staple List that started it all? 
Check out the original post here & shopping recommendations here.

17 comments:

  1. These are great tips! I try to organize my closet every so often (especially when I moved, which was like a built in reason to organize). Usually I arrange by season, then color. It seems to work pretty well–that is, when my entire closet isn't on the floor of my room...

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  2. Great suggestions!


    Carly
    www.lipglossandcrayons.com

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  3. I would do well to take this advice! Every time I clean-out my closet, I feel SO GOOD about it. It's about that time again, so thank you so much for the tips to help with motivation!

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  4. I really need to instate a one-in-one-out policy!

    ~Sarah of Sarah's Real Life

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  5. I love using uniform hangers! It makes my closet look so much better!
    ~Jessica

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  6. Such great tips. I really need to work on my accessory storage. Glad you gave me that little push!


    dancingwithashleyblog.com

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  7. Jesssiccaaa! This is perfect and could not have come at a better time because this is LITERALLY what I am doing right now/what I was looking for! I thought moving into a house with two closets in my room would be a solution, but then I realized I really need to purge. I was definitely going to check your blog anyway for past curating tips, but I cannot believe this is the first post I saw!

    Anyway, I have completely been using the one-in-one-out policy, folding/stacking sweaters, and trying to maximize vertical AND horizontal space! But I know I could hit each of these again and get a little more room! Thanks for posting this!!

    perfectly priya

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  8. I really need to follow the one in, one out rule....


    www.glitterarygirl.blogspot.com

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  9. These are wonderful tips! I posted something similar this week and I'm definitely going to put your suggestions to good use.

    xoxo,
    Chelsea & The City

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  10. Great post - I actually have a wardrobe which is work and play (I wear things for both), but I like to group by type and by colour. It's OCD to the point where I know if anyone has gone in and tried something on LOL. The vertical space under my clothing is where I keep my shoes - I like to be able to see them so I forget I own them!

    Http;//mademois-elle.com

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  11. Love these closet tips! I also organize by type of item and then by color within each category.

    I just discovered your blog and love it!! Now following you on GFC, Bloglovin and Pinterest!


    ~Jacy
    www.laviedelenore.blogspot.com

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  12. I am so bad with organizing...I finally take the time to do it, then it lasts a few weeks and is messy again lol

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  13. I love organizing, reorganizing, and cleaning out my closet! Any excuse to be around clothes makes me very happy. These are some great tips!

    - Kaitlyn

    Boardwalks & Boulevards

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  14. These are great ideas!! I'd love to get a tour of your closet if you felt like sharing :)

    I just did a clothing purge and closet reorganization and while it's nowhere near what my dream closet would look like, it's so much easier to find things when they are categorized together like in Step 1!

    Lauren
    Exploring My Style

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  15. what are hanger hooks?!! Love all these tips :)

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  16. They slide over your hangers and let you cascade/stack multiple hangers! I got my first ones in my huggable hanger starters box from Target! I'm currently planning a tour of my own closet for the end of the month, so stay tuned to see them & the rest of these tips in action! xx

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  17. ooooh okay, I think I know what you're talking about. Do those get wobbly? I can't wait to see your closet!! I love seeing how everyone organizes their stuff :)

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Thank you for your comments, they make my day!!
xx