simple closet organization tips that (mostly) don’t require buying fancy products
and a look at my 1950's closet
When the seasons transition, I’m usually hit with an urge to clean and reorganize my closet. The easier it is to see things, the easier it is to get dressed (and to not buy duplicates of what you already own!). I talk about a lot of serious topics in this newsletter, but hopefully this one is just a light and helpful read! Here are a few simple tips:
like with like
This is the most obvious of obvious tips, but I’ve learned that sometimes obvious things aren't obvious to everyone. Hang all like clothing together, all shirts, pants, etc.
separate clothing by occasion
If you’d like to take that a step further, for people who have very distinct clothing categories that are only used for one type of activity, you might like hanging all your work clothes together and all your casual clothing together (or hiking clothes or pottery making clothes, whatever the case may be). This means that when you are making decisions about getting dressed for work, you are only deciding between work items and not having to mentally filter out all the casual items. In my life, those areas overlap so much that it’s not something I need to do.
put daily wear front and center
To further reduce decision fatigue, only items that can be worn today, that fit, and that you actually like should be hanging in the prime real estate in your closet. Let’s say you have to decide between 30 tops when getting dressed in the morning. Picture yourself in your closet looking at your tops. You can’t wear the one right in front because the arms are too tight. You don’t really like the color of the next one. The next one is too casual for work (or meeting friends, or whatever). Here’s one that actually fits and you like, but you think you’ll just look through the rest just to make sure it’s the right choice. Every time you flip past a garment in your closet, your brain is taking in and processing information. If you have to do that 30 times every single morning, it takes energy that you might need at work or caretaking later in the day. Sorting your clothing down to just what can be worn today could also be really illuminating. If you do this, you might realize that you only have 4 tops or 3 bottoms that fit the criteria, which could explain why getting dressed has been hard.
store off season and special occasion clothing
This is just looking at the previous tip from the other side. If seeing too many options makes decision making confusing and the fewer items you have to look at as you get dressed, the easier it will be, then it doesn’t make sense to flip past cocktail dresses when you're getting dressed for work. Off season and special occasion items should be stored out of sight. This will look different depending on what type of closet and size of wardrobe you have. If you have a walk-in closet, it might mean storing these clothes on the opposite side from your daily wear. If you have a large wardrobe, it might be switching closets entirely or storing things in storage areas. If you have a smaller closet, it might mean having these items in containers on a high shelf or simply pushed to the side. I live in a 1950’s ranch with more closet space than a turn of the century house, but not as much as modern homes. I use garment bags similar to these in the far ends of each hanging area and these bins on high shelves to store off season and special occasion items so I’m not constantly looking at them (the smaller fabric storage bins were from Target but no longer available).
hang most things
You can't wear things you don't remember you have. Feel free to differ in opinion on this one, but I hang as much as I can, even some t-shirts and sweaters. Chunky sweaters, workout clothes, and pajamas are the only things that I put in bins or drawers (here’s how to hang a delicate sweater). I often see clients with drawers or stacks full of t-shirts, most of which never get worn. Even a t-shirt can be a building block of an outfit and requires consideration. Isn't it easier to flip through hangers (obviously, if you have the space) to see your options than to dig in a drawer or try to slip one shirt out of a stack? Loungewear, athleticwear, pj’s, and thick sweaters are things I store in bins or drawers instead of hanging.
matching hangers
This one requires some financial resources and may not be possible for everyone, but can make a huge visual impact. Find a style of hanger you like and replace all of your mismatched hangers (you can give wire hangers to any dry cleaner to reuse). Some people love the thin felt hangers, but I'm lazy and I think it’s too hard to get clothes on and off of them. I use these, which are the most inexpensive wooden hangers I’ve seen, but I have to be honest, the last time I bought more, the quality had gone way downhill.
shoes on shelves
After trying every possible shoe tree/rack/hanging pocket system out there over the years, I've come to the conclusion that simple shelves are the best way to go. They're easy to get shoes in and out of, heels sit nicely without getting caught on anything, and they look cute (place all pairs of shoes heel to toe for more room). I used to have cheap shelves like these tucked under the closet rods, but switched to these wire shelves, which are not working out so well. I’d love to replace all of my wire shelving at some point.
That’s all I’ve got! What’s your best closet organization tip?
P.S. If this post inspires you to clean out and organize a bit, you might find my Making Space courses helpful. There’s a DIY version here (use code Substack for 20% off!) and you can get on the waitlist for fall round of the group version with my guidance here.
P.P.S. This post contains affiliate links which may earn me a commission at no extra cost to you.
I’m on team Hang Everything but I’ve never seen that sweater trick before, thank you! I use clip hangers for bottoms, they take up a bit more space but it makes it so much easier to see everything. My other tip is keep a bag on the floor of your closet to immediately toss in anything you try on and decide doesn’t fit/look good! Every month or two I go through the bag and decide what to donate, resell, etc.
I rotate through my clothes - I take (where possible) the next blouse from the left, grab appropriate skirt/pants, and I'm set. When I replace things after a clean or press, they go on the right.
This way I can see what I'm avoiding, and figure out why; doesn't it fit, do I hate it, is there nothing to wear with it, or does it just look wrong where I'm currently working? For example, I have a posh cream silk blouse that looks wrong in all but the most formal office.