Reclaim Your Closet

Is your closet working against you? If you can't find an article of clothing you want to wear, or easily get dressed in the morning, your closet isn't working for you--it's working against you.

Is this your closet?

- Too much stuff – why did I buy eight pairs of black pants?
- Inaccessible – every time I remove a sweater from the shelf all of the sweaters fall!
- What do I wear with this?

Reclaim your closet and your wardrobe with a few simple organizational solutions.

- ASK YOURSELF HOW YOU PULL TOGETHER AN OUTFIT
Do you choose your top first or your bottom first? If you pick your top first, the tops will be front and center and very visible in the closet. If you pick bottoms first, the pants and skirts will be front and center on the top double-hung rod, with tops hanging underneath. It is easier to find what you are looking for if all your hangers are the same style and all your clothes are facing the same direction and

- PUT ALL YOUR SHOES ON DISPLAY
Shoe shelves are very helpful. Install as many as you need to keep your entire collection on display, in sections for each season, and then grouped by color. Put one shoe from a pair toe forward, and its partner heel forward, so you can quickly see the heel height and details on the front of the shoe. That way you can quickly tell different black shoes apart.

- DISPLAY YOUR ACCESSORIES
Keep your finishing touches visible and accessible so you don't forget about them. Consider sliding baskets, as well as custom hangers like tie-and-belt organizers, which can also hold scarves and necklaces. Or, hang the accessories next to their matching clothes, such as a pair of trousers with their "perfect" belt.

- GROUP BY SIZE AND COLOR
Women often have multiple sizes of clothes in their closets. Group the same size pieces together, and then color coordinate the entire closet.

These tips will make your closet easier to manage, and take some of the guesswork out of the morning routine! It's all about the way your closet functions for you. Take back your closet today!

This article was written by Carson Tate, certified professional organizer and founder of Living Simply and Working Simply. For more information please visit our website at www.livingsimply.net. You may also contact Laurie Jones, the Residential Manager at-laurie@livingsimply.net or 704.362.1526.