Tips for Organizing Your Closet

My closet is always a mess this time of year. I love figuring out my new fall looks but I am still wearing my summer clothing! I turned to the ultimate organizer, Catherine Carr, owner of All In A Row. She offers great organizing services so call her up if you can't handle the project on your own. Here are a few of her helpful tips:

1. Start Small....

Organizing your entire closet can seem overwhelming so start with a small project instead. Catherine suggests starting with your purses for example. Discard or give away any that you don't like anymore, are in need of repair, or are out of style. Then take what is left and organize it in a way that makes sense to you - either put all day purses together and evening purses together or organize them color. This will allow you to easily access what you love and make you feel good about your outfits.

2. Change out of season items....

You don't want to be sorting through summer cotton dresses when what you really need is a cashmere sweater. Store out of season items on a top shelf or under the bed. That way, when you are trying to get ready in a hurry, you only see the items that are appropriate.

3. Properly store your out of season items....

If you take care of your clothes, they will last a long time. Use empty water bottles or pieces of cardboard to help your boots keep their shape in the summer when you are not wearing them. It is also very important for clothes to be able to breathe. Plastic, over time, can break down fabric, especially silk, cashmere, and natural fibers. Be sure to store those items in canvas bags. Cedar chips are a great way to keep yucky insects away from your clothing as well.

4. Be ruthless with your items....

If you have clothes in your closet that you don't like but feel like you spent too much money on them to let go, consign them! Clothes that don't fit, that were given to you, are broken and can't be repaired, etc are also great candidates for consignment. I take my things to The Revolving Closet on Grapevine's charming Main Street. You should only leave the items of clothing that make you feel good in your closet. If you have a nostalgic attachment to an item, store it away so that it is not taking up the space of the items that you need to access daily.

5. Streamline your hangers....

Your closet can look messy and jumbled when you use different hangers. I recently changed all of my hangers to Huggable Hangers and I love them! They are slim and the clothing does not fall off of the hangers because of the material they are made of. They come in so many colors. I promise you will love them! I had always wondered about them and when I saw them and touched them during my time at HSN in July, I was sold! Now that I have them in my closet, I am telling everyone how great they are!

6. Store your sweaters...

Sweaters are best stored on shelves or in hanging sweater containers. They will pull and stretch over time if you keep them on hangers. Also, cardboard crossbars from dry cleaners get sticky and leave a line on sweaters, pants, etc over time so be sure to get your clothes off dry cleaning hangers the day you bring them home.

7. Love your shoes...

Most of us have too many shoes! To make it easy to find what you need as you're running out the door, store out of season shoes on top shelves or under the bed. Then, gather all of your shoes on the same side of your closet, group like shoes together (tennis shoes on one level, heels on another, etc) and invest in clear plastic storage containers to keep your shoes clean and organized.

8. Hang like you dress...

Hanging your shirts on top and pants and skirts on the bottom will make it easier for you to get dressed. Don't separate your suits though! For quick choices in the mornings, get some "looks" together and hang them all on one hanger.

9. Add a top shelf to your closet...

Many closets have a lot of wasted space above the hanging bar. By adding a shelf, you create much needed storage for out of season clothes, suitcases or memorabilia.

10. Consign or Donate...

There are many consignment stores around that would love to take your gently used clothes, shoes, purses and jewelry. Set aside a bin or bag for your clothing that you want to take to the consignment shop and when the time is right, take them in. Most consignment stores take clothing seasonally so when you start to see fall clothing in the department stores, the consignment stores are looking for fall clothing too. I take my clothes to The Revolving Closet in Grapevine. All in a Row will take the hassle out of dropping gently-used clothing at consignment stores. Just give them a ring at 214-236-0855.