You don’t need to be a home makeover expert to maintain an organized closet. Nothing beats opening up your wardrobe in the morning and seeing all your options for the day neatly arranged before your eyes. This is especially true if you aren’t a morning person and decision-making is extra difficult first thing. Or if you have so many clothes, you often forget what you own.
Though it may sound like a project, particularly for the shopaholics and maximalists out there, we promise it’s worth it to take the time to color-code your closet. The pros heavily outweigh the cons, and we have some closet organization tips to help make it easier. So not only will your wardrobe look nice, but most importantly, it will be more functional and manageable.
Clean Out Your Closet
Before we even get started with organizing anything, it’s time for a closet overhaul. Whether you’re working with a tiny closet or the walk-in closet we all dream about doesn’t matter. This is an opportune time to go through your wardrobe and toss, sell, or donate any articles you no longer wear. A good rule of thumb: if you haven’t worn it in the past year, you probably don’t need it.
It doesn’t matter if something no longer fits, matches your aesthetic, or is too worn to wear publicly. Why bother keeping an item you don’t intend to use when it just takes up potential space for something else? As the saying goes, “out with the old, in with the new.” And by new, we mean the new outfits you know you’ll buy once your closet is organized. You may find three pairs of black dress pants you didn’t know you had, but you’ll also see what staples you’re missing.
This is also the perfect time for some much-needed cleaning. Dust any cobwebs hiding in the corners behind your clothing racks, wipe down shelves and vacuum the dirt from your shoes off the floor. Closets attract dust and dirt just like any other space, after all. And an organized closet feels much more refreshing when it’s clean.
Group Clothes by Type
Once you’ve gone through and removed any items you no longer need, you’ll have a better idea of what or how much you’re working with. So here’s where you’ll want to start separating your keepers. First, make sure like items are grouped together if they aren’t already. This means all your blouses, dresses, pants, etc., are split into their own sections or piles based on whether they’re hung up or folded. This may require some extra effort if your closet is a portal of disorganized chaos. But if your clothing is already separated, you can jump right into the next step.
Split Each Clothing Type by Color
Here is where the fun begins, particularly if you’re type A. Take each section of clothing type and start grouping it into color blocks. Many organization experts recommend color coordinating by the rainbow while also separating your whites, blacks, greys, and browns. However, it’s not guaranteed that this method will work for everyone. You can also sort from darkest shade to lightest or vice versa. It doesn’t matter as long as all the same colors are grouped together. Some people have a wardrobe featuring fifty shades of beige and not many other colors, and that’s ok. An ombre effect using neutrals can still go a long way in making your closet appear more uniform.
If you have heavily patterned pieces, you have two options to organize them. You can either determine an article’s primary color and group it that way or create a section specifically for patterned pieces. The latter may be easier if you have a lot of patterned clothing and can be organized following the same method as your non-patterned sections.
Organize in Order of Color
When all your color blocks are sorted, it’s time to put everything back in the closet. If you tend to wear black or white most often, start with those color groups, so they are the easiest to grab. Then, continue in order from there in a way that makes each color block transition easily. For example, if you put your white articles first, and plan to arrange the rest by shade, have your whites blend into pinks and then reds, do the opposite if your blacks are first, so they bleed into purples and blues in a backward rainbow. If you happen to wear yellow the most, put those pieces first and follow the rainbow, aka ROYGBIV, from there.
It’s also the best time to swap out your closet organizers, like hangers and any storage bins, so everything is cohesive. Different hanger styles and colors can make your closet appear disorganized, no matter how neat it actually is. You can save on space, too, by getting closet hanger organizers, which hang several garments in a vertical tier. Plus, having a few closet storage bins is ideal for keeping folded or loose items together, like handbags, hats, belts, and more.
Swap and Store Seasonal Clothing
If you’re working with limited closet space, swapping out clothing seasonally is better than trying to cram everything together. Trust us, no amount of color coordination will help your wardrobe look neater if your belongings are too packed together. And if you lack proper space at home, look to Prime for your closet storage solutions.
We’ve got mini storage lockers or small closet-sized units perfect for holding your off-season garments at many of our locations. Check out our size guide to see what might work best for you. We also offer climate controlled storage at several facilities to help protect delicate articles, like leather or lace, from extreme temperature changes. See what’s available near you by checking our website or giving us a call.
