Do you REALLY know what is in your closet? I thought I did, but you know when it is time to organize your closet and see what you truly have. I went shopping, picking up some nice pieces at H&M, Nordstrom, and J. Crew only to find out that I had some very similar pieces already in my closet.
I guess you could look at it two ways:
- I’m consistent in my taste of clothing and consistency is good, right?!?
- I really need to delve into my wardrobe and become a bit more familiar with it!
What is a closet audit, you ask?
Time to really get to know what hangs in your closet; what’s stuffed in your drawers (and on the top shelves that you can’t see).
I’d recommend putting aside some quality time for this event, possibly consider inviting a trustworthy friend or family member over for this…you want someone that is going to give you their honest opinion about how each piece looks on you, whether you need it, etc.
Take everything out of your closet. If you think there is too much to take out all at once, start with one type and we’ll work our way through the rest! For example, let’s start with jeans. You’re going to make four piles – keep, donate, sell, and throw away.
- Check all pairs for stains or (unintentional) rips. If any pairs meet those two “requirements”, toss them into the “throwaway” pile.
- Try on all remaining pairs. Check their fit on your waist, length, inseam, etc. If they are a bit short, would they look good as cut-off shorts? If they don’t fit but are in great condition you may want to consider selling them online – toss them in the “sell” pile (future post on this!). If not, they go into the “donate” pile.
- Be realistic – when was the last time you wore each pair? If you haven’t worn them in the past 6 – 12 months (MAX), then you may want to reconsider keeping them.
- All jeans that you have now decided to keep should be washed and put back in the closet. I personally fold my jeans, but some people like to hang them. I think it all depends on the available space.
Once you have done this for your t-shirts, shorts, dress pants, jackets, dresses, sweaters, blouses, tank tops, etc. you should have a better idea of what you DO have and what you need, if anything.
Shoes
After you’ve gone through your shoes and decided which ones fit and are in good condition (the ones that need repairing should be put aside to go to the cobbler), you need to figure out which organization style works best for you and your closet space.
Idea #1
One way to organize your shoes is to keep them in the shoeboxes they came in and affix a photo of the shoes to the front of the box. This will allow you to see what’s inside and protect the shoes from dust, etc. at the same time. Pile them as high as you can go on shelving or on the floor.
Idea #2
Idea #2 is similar to idea #1 where you store the shoes in boxes but in this case, you would store the shoes in clear plastic shoe boxes like the one below. You may want to still take photographs and affix them to the front of the box OR if the box is clear enough you may be able to see what’s inside and not have to.
Idea #3
Let’s say you don’t have the room to store the shoes in boxes on shelves (or you’re like me and toss the boxes as soon as you get the shoes home). If you have the wall space, create a wall of shelves about 6-8″ between each one, and line your shoes up! Pair them heel to toe to create a bit more space on the shelf.
Here are some other very valuable articles on how to organize your scarves and earrings! Don’t forget to check out:
Part 1: Organize Your Kitchen 30 Minutes at a Time
Part 2: Organize Your Bathroom 30 Minutes at a Time
Amber says
Thank you for these tips! I seriously need to organize my closet. It is scary at the moment. I only have like 4 pairs of shoes, but there are clothes and boxes everywhere.
Karen Morse says
I love the idea and it’s perfect especially if you feel like you have too much clothes in your closet and most of them are items that you don’t use at all. 30 minutes is perfect! Not too long and not too short.
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
These are all great tips! I really like the idea of doing 30 minute blocks of time. Sometimes the task can be overwhelming.
Joanna says
I have just gone through my wardrobe and it took me ages to decide which clothes to keep and which to give away or sell. Your tips are really great, I will take in consideration your shoes suggestions, as that’s what I’m going to do next weekend.
Dana says
Thanks Joanna! What were your deciding factors when it came to keeping and purging your clothing?
corinne & kirsty says
Thank for all these tips! They are great! I need to look into my wardrobe and make so cleaning. I very often donate clothes so that it is not too crowded in there!
lakshmi says
Organizing posts always inspire me… my closet is something i totally make sure is organized… I always de-cluter my closet..
Dana says
I love that you have an organized closet! Any other tips you’d like to share?
Sarah Bailey says
Hands up I don’t know 1/2 the times in my wardrobe, I most definitely need to do something like this ASAP as I am sure I could get rid of a lot of it.
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
Wow!! So many shoes!! I think I have 3 pairs of shoes? They fit nicely on my rack in the closet. I am not sure I have enough clothes to organize to be honest! But these are some great tips
Dana says
I think there is a genetic disposition on my mom’s side to love shoes 😉
Dee Jackson says
Darn it. This reminds me that I need to do a closet audit. There are a bunch of stuff that I don’t really wear.
Dana says
Take 30 minutes each day and clean one section of your closet. This way, it won’t be overwhelming and you’ll get it done!
emmanuel damian says
I’m a very Oc kind of guy. I don’t think I can organize my closet in just 30 minutes. I think I need more time. But yeah, great tips!
Hannah Marie says
I love to read organizing ideas. It keeps me updated with creative and easy ways to store up things at home and when to toss away the ones I no longer use.
Valerie says
I needed organizing ideas! After I had my baby I needed to get rid of a bunch of clothes and things I don’t need and that usually you just stock up in your closet ! I am going to the Salvation Army to drop a bunch of stuff over the weekend ! Thank you for sharing !
LavandaMichelle says
Great ideas! I can tell you really put thought into the whole process. I need to organize my closet, it used to be color coded. I have been thinking of donating my old or unused clothing, I need to free up space.
Rosey says
Heel to toe is a great idea for saving space. I need to do that with my shoes.
Natalie says
I have the tiniest closet which means I have no choice but to keep it organized for everything to fit! haha. I like the idea of adding shelving for shoes.
Anosa Malanga says
Indeed such helpful tips! Right now I am trying to check the clothes in my closet and removed those that I no longer use. Also keeping a transparent box for my shoes is what I want to do so I can take care of my shoes.
Akamatra says
These are great ideas to keep your closet organized! Mine keeps exploding from time to time so I need to keep these in mind!
Hey Sharonoox says
This sounds like a handy tips that I need to organize my walk-in closet. It’s slowly getting out of hand with so many new sweaters that I keep buying every winter.
Kiwi says
I would love to organize my closet. I think hanging up jeans would be helpful!
Jennifer L says
Amazing tips on creating an organized closet. I actually got my mom a large multi tiered shelves for her to put her shoes. She loves it!
Dana says
The multi-tiered shelves are great for organization! Everything is neat and tidy and you can see what you have, which is super important as well!
rain says
such a great idea to organize in parts so it’s not so overwhelming. I’m a minimalist but, boy does my daughter need this advice. She has more clothes and shoes than I”ve owned in my lifetime…lol.
Dana says
Thanks Rain!
georgia boanoro says
I love the minimalistic lifestyle, I’m spring cleaning my closet each year and I donate everything I haven’t worn longer than a year. Also, I try to buy more classical pieces and of good quality, that way I can keep them longer!
Dana says
Georgia, buying classic pieces is key – such a great idea!