Organizing your closet can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! With some planning and effort, you can transform your closet into an efficient, clutter-free space that makes getting ready each day a breeze. Here are some tips to help you store your clothes properly in your closet.
Quick tips for organizing your closet
- Group clothes by type – shirts, pants, dresses, etc.
- Use space efficiently with shelves, racks, and drawers
- Store out of season clothes separately
- Only keep clothes that fit and that you wear
- Invest in matching hangers for a uniform look
Following these quick tips will help streamline your closet and make it easier to see all your options when getting dressed. Read on for more detailed guidance on executing these tips.
Sort clothes by category
The first step in organizing your closet is to sort all your clothes into categories. Go through everything in your closet and create piles for:
- Tops (shirts, blouses, sweaters)
- Bottoms (pants, skirts, shorts)
- Dresses
- Outerwear (jackets, coats)
- Activewear (workout clothes, pajamas)
- Undergarments
- Accessories (belts, scarves, hats)
Having all your similar items together makes it easier to see all your choices. This also allows you to identify problem areas, like having too many tops and not enough bottoms. As you sort, get rid of any clothes that are damaged, don’t fit, or you just don’t love anymore. Be ruthless here – you’ll thank yourself later for clearing out unwanted items.
Tops
For hanging tops, group them on the rack by sleeve length. Tank tops and sleeveless shirts should go together, followed by short sleeve and then long sleeve. This keeps things orderly and makes it easy to find the right top.
Use sturdy hangers that keep their shape. Plastic hangers can stretch out delicate fabrics. Invest in quality wood or velvet hangers. Hang button-down shirts and delicate blouses on hangers that have clips at the shoulders to keep the garment in place.
For t-shirts, sweaters, and other casual tops, consider neatly folding them and storing them in drawers or on shelves. Fold them so the graphic or pattern is visible. This helps you identify the shirt without having to unfold everything.
Bottoms
Pants and skirts should be hung up to avoid wrinkles. Use clip hangers that grip the waistband securely. For shorts, skirts with elastic waists, leggings, and other casual bottoms, folding them in a drawer or on a shelf works best. Make sure to store vertically, not stacked horizontally.
If space is limited, consider investing in a pant rack or hanger to maximize vertical room. These allow you to hang multiple pairs of pants or skirts on one hanger.
Dresses
Use dress hangers to properly hang dresses in your closet. Look for broad, contoured hangers that fit the shoulders of the dress. This helps maintain the shape of the garment.
For strapless dresses, use hangers with rubber tubing that securely grips the top of the dress. Short, casual dresses can also be folded and stored in a dresser drawer or on a closet shelf. Hang longer, delicates dresses towards the back of the closet to prevent snagging.
Outerwear
Designate space at the end of your closet rod for coats, jackets and any other outerwear. Use wide, sturdy hangers to evenly distribute the weight.
Store bulky sweaters and winter coats in a different spot than your everyday wear outerwear. Have them easily accessible when it’s time to make the seasonal swap. You can use storage boxes or vacuum storage bags to compress off-season outerwear.
Activewear
Yoga pants, shorts, and other stretchy activewear prone to sliding off hangers are best stored folded in a drawer or bin. Keep exercised-focused tops hung up to prevent wrinkling.
Designate a separate drawer just for athletic socks, headbands, and other workout accessories. Keeping these items contained in their own spot prevents them from getting mixed in with your regular clothes.
Undergarments
Invest in a few drawer organizers specifically for bras, underwear, shapewear, and hosiery. Using individual compartments keeps these delicate items from getting jumbled together.
If drawer space is limited, use a hanging organizer on your closet rod. Hang it towards the back of your closet for privacy. This gives you a dedicated spot for bras, camisoles, slips, and hosiery.
Accessories
Use hooks on the wall, hanging shelves, or over the door storage to display frequently worn accessories within easy reach. Scarves, ties, and belts stored this way are easy to grab on your way out the door.
For jewelry, utilize a hanging jewelry organizer, jewelry box, or desktop tray to keep pieces untangled and protected.
Designate a drawer or bin for hats, gloves, and other seasonal accessories. Containing them together prevents them from getting misplaced with your regular items.
Maximize vertical space
One of the best ways to increase storage in a closet is to take advantage of vertical space above and below the closet rod. Here are some ways to maximize vertical storage:
Install shelves above
Shelves above the hanging rod are perfect for storing sweaters, jeans, purses, shoes and other items that don’t need to be hung. Adjustable shelves make it easy to accommodate items of different heights. Sturdy shelves can also hold bins or baskets for additional storage.
Use vertical dividers
Vertical dividers transform wasted vertical space into useful storage columns. Slide shoes, bags and other items in the divided compartments to keep them upright and easily accessible. This is an efficient way to optimize area that would otherwise go unused.
Stackable storage cubes
Plastic bins and storage cubes are ideal for keeping sweaters, t-shirts, purses and other items organized on shelves. Stackable storage makes it easy to customize shelf height as needed. Labeled bins also help identify contents at a glance.
Hanging shoe racks
Make use of door and wall space with hanging shoe storage. Over-the-door racks hang on the back of the door and provide a place to neatly store shoes so you can see all your options at once.
Under bed storage
Use the space under the bed for storing extra clothes, shoes, or seasonal items. Slide under bed bins and organizers to instantly create hidden storage. Items can be easily accessed when needed by pulling out the containers.
Designate separate seasonal storage
The key to maintaining a clutter-free closet is to store off-season clothing separately from your current wardrobe. Here are some tips for managing seasonal clothes:
Label storage containers
Clearly label bins as “winter clothes” or “summer clothes” so you know exactly what’s inside without having to unpack everything. Packing clothes by season also makes swapping them out quick and easy.
Vacuum storage bags
Space saving vacuum storage bags are ideal for compressing off-season clothing. Squeeze the air out and the bag shrinks down to store a lot in a small space. Use these to cut the bulk of sweaters, coats and other bulky items.
Look for underbed or shelf storage
Use space under beds, on closet shelves, or at the top of the closet to store seasonal clothing bins. This keeps them out of the way but easy to access when it’s time to swap.
Set reminders to swap clothes
Use phone reminders to prompt yourself when it’s time to switch over your wardrobe between seasons. Schedule reminders a month or two in advance so you have time to easily swap over clothes.
Only keep clothes you wear
Be ruthless when evaluating your wardrobe. If you didn’t wear it at all last season, it’s time to let it go. Keeping unworn clothes creates unnecessary clutter.
Here are some tips for assessing keep-worthy clothing:
- Try everything on. If it doesn’t fit well, isn’t flattering or you don’t absolutely love it, donate it.
- Check the tags – if something still has tags on, it’s clearly never been worn and can be donated.
- Cut down on basics like t-shirts and replace with new ones that fit your current size and style.
- If you have lots of extra hangers with nothing on them, those are items you can likely do without.
Editing your wardrobe down to just beloved essentials creates a functional closet with more space. Plus, you’ll actually wear everything you own.
Invest in matching hangers
Uniform hangers give your closet a tidy, cohesive look. The hangers themselves blend into the background, while your clothes take center stage.
Pick a hanger style and color that complements your existing decor. Here are some top options:
Wooden hangers
Wood hangers have a classic, luxurious look. Oak, cedar and maple are all durable, fragrant options. Satin finish wooden hangers slide easily along the closet rod.
Velvet hangers
Velvet hangers keep their shape and won’t leave unsightly creases on delicate fabrics. The Velvet grips clothing securely to prevent slippage. They come in a variety of colors.
Plastic hangers
Sturdy plastic hangers are affordable, lightweight options. Opt for molded, contoured designs over flimsy flexible hangers. Matte finish plastic prevents clothes from sliding off.
Metal hangers
Sleek stainless steel, copper and chrome hangers have an elevated, modern look. Avoid wire metal hangers as they can snag delicate fabrics. Covered metal hangers keep clothing secure.
Color coordinate
For a cheerful pop of color in your closet, opt for all hangers in one bold hue. Or get creative and code hangers by color – red for tops, blue for bottoms, yellow for dresses, etc.
Use drawer dividers and inserts
Using dividers and compartments in drawers keep items neatly separated and easy to find. Look for these drawer organizing solutions:
- Adjustable dividers – movable wood or plastic dividers can be configured to create custom compartments for different drawer sizes.
- Sock and underwear organizers – plastic trays with multiple compartments keep delicate items separated to prevent snagging.
- Drawer liner – line the bottom of the drawer with grippy, waterproof liner to prevent sliding. Use liner with dividers to maximize organization.
- Tiered dividers – create vertical storage rows in drawers with stepped acrylic dividers. Great for accessories like scarves and belts.
Pro tip: Measure your drawers and use combinations of dividers, trays and inserts that maximize every inch of available space.
Conclusion
Organizing your closet does require some time and effort up front. But once you’ve edited your wardrobe, installed efficient storage solutions, and sorted everything into its designated spot, maintaining your new clutter-free closet is easy.
Taking the time to thoughtfully organize your closet helps streamline getting ready and reduces stress. Follow these tips and suggestions to create a system that works with your space and wardrobe needs. The end result will be a closet you love – as well as feeling put together and ready to take on the day.
| Tip | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Sort clothes by category | Makes finding outfits easier |
| Maximize vertical space | Increases storage capacity |
| Only keep clothes you wear | Eliminates clutter |
| Use matching hangers | Uniform, tidy appearance |
