Love your wardrobe! Part 2: Tab's Tips for organizing your closet

You’ve already decluttered your closet so now you’re ready to organize what made the cut so you can see and enjoy what you have.

In case you missed it, here’s my previous post on Decluttering Your Closet.

I highly recommend decluttering before you start organizing!

Then when you’re ready, here is

Tab’s Tips for Organizing Your Closet

1.Think through how you get dressed.

Do you go in one day to get dressed for work and the next day to grab an outfit to run errands in?

Do you have a uniform that you wear on most days?

Do you have a style that you gravitate toward?

This will help determine how to organize your clothes.

The more multi-faceted your life is or the more varied your “getting dressed occasions” are, the more strongly I’d suggest categorizing your clothes into sections of “work” vs. “weekend” or “casual” vs. “dressy.” This way, rather than pulling from your ENTIRE wardrobe, you’re selecting items from one specific category. Sure, you’ll grab a black tee shirt from your “weekend” section to wear under a blazer sometimes, but having your jeans separate from your dress pants might be beneficial.

If most of your pieces are mixed and matched to create your outfits, I’d suggest that you categorize them by type instead (sleeveless, long sleeve, skirt, dresses, etc.)

At the very least, I suggest keeping basics separate from your “completer” pieces (jackets, blazers, vests).

2. Invest in good hangers that a. won’t damage your clothes and b. will prevent items from slipping onto the floor.

I love velvet hangers! You can buy them at almost any retail store but discount stores often have a 20-pack for less than $10.

3. Keep scarves organized. Try Pinterest for a myriad of creative ideas.

You want to SEE them so you know what you have.

4. Keep slips, stockings and shapewear separate and preferably together.

5. Store rarely-used or out-of-season clothing in a different area to free up prime real estate.

6. Consider arranging your clothing by color.

Whether you’re the type who likes to wear mostly neutrals with a POP of color or the type who loves courageously pairing colors together, this system may work well for you. Plus it’s just fun to see a rainbow of colors in your closet!

I wrote a post about it here: Good reasons to arrange your closet by color

Tabitha Dumas organize your closet by color — This was my closet (many years ago), with my tops arranged by color.

7. Arrange your clothing by type.

Here’s the order in my closet. Within each category I try to go from light to dark.

Sleeveless tops

Short-sleeve button-ups

Short-sleeve without buttons

Sheer blouses (they’re part of my uniform–I love in Phoenix)

Long-sleeve button-ups

Long-sleeve without buttons

Short sleeveless dresses

Short short-sleeve dresses

Short long-sleeve dresses

Long dresses

Short skirts

Long skirts

Dress shorts or capris

Dress pants

I recommend keeping jeans and sweaters folded in your dresser or on shelves in your closet. Some people also keep their tee shirts folded in their closet.

I keep my cardigans and jackets separate from the above…I don’t have a good reason, I just do. I like to grab them as a “completer piece” or if I think I’ll be in a chilly room on a hot day. We have a huge walk-in closet (I know, I’m spoiled) so my fancy dresses and two coats are kept way down on one end. The bottom line is…

You’ll have to use it for a while and make changes until it suits you.

8. Use organizers to keep things accessible. I use a hanging shoe organizer to store bathing suits, cover-ups, tights, chunky belts and other random items. You can see my hanging shoe organizer in the photo above, it held tee shirts back then.

9. Take inventory of what you have.

Write it all down. Use these checklists:

Do you have these 12 wardrobe must-haves?

Do you have these OTHER 12 wardrobe must-haves?

10. Make note of the pieces you need so you can shop on purpose.

I have a lot of lovely dresses but if it’s a more professional occasion or a chilly day, I’m in trouble so I have been on the hunt for blazers for a while now. I have since scored a gray one and a beige one so I’m set. Now if I could just find a hot pink blazer…

Here’s a comprehensive article called “Go Green and Downsize Your Life with a Capsule Wardrobe” by Porch.com you might also find useful. I like this quote from the author Adriana:

“Creating a capsule wardrobe has many benefits for your well-being, your finances, and even for the planet. Have fun as you organize and rearrange your closet, and use these tips to help you create a beautiful space with versatile pieces you’ll enjoy wearing. Always give unwanted clothing a second life either by giving it away or repurposing it as décor, or donating to a worthy charity. Once you have a capsule wardrobe, you’ll have more harmony and balance in your life.”