Have you ever stared into your closet full of clothes and thought, “I can’t find anything to wear”? I found this happening to me on a regular basis, but couldn’t figure out why. I had plenty of shirts, sweaters, skirts, jeans, etc. Why was I having such trouble putting an outfit together each day?
First, I thought, “Maybe I need a whole new wardrobe. I should get rid of all this and start over.” Then I thought about the time and money that idea would cost me, and rejected it swiftly! Next, I thought, “Maybe I have too much clothing. Maybe paring down my wardrobe would help.” I decided to remove everything from my closet and only put back the pieces that I like and fit me well. Surprisingly, I wanted to keep almost everything. So if I still liked the clothes, why wasn’t I excited about wearing them? Then I realized something about the way I had hung the clothes back in the closet. I had started hanging them by outfit instead of by category.
Here’s how my closet looked before:
It looks neat and organized, right? Sure, but the clothes aren’t arranged by pieces that go together. I had been hanging the clothes by category: sleeveless shirts, short-sleeved shirts, long-sleeved shirts, sweaters, vests, jackets, pants, and skirts. As I began hanging the clothes by outfits, I could see three color categories emerging. Nearly all of my clothes fit into one of three color categories: pinks & browns, teals & black, and red/orange & navy blue. I also have several gray pieces, which I love because they go with anything!
Here’s what my closet looks like now:
After arranging my clothes in these three color categories, I could suddenly see so many possibilities for outfits I hadn’t noticed before. I also realized I was looking at three potential capsule wardrobes. I never thought I could create a capsule wardrobe, but seeing this made me think it’s possible! Now I understand why rearranging my kids’ playroom causes them to play with toys they haven’t touched in months. The same concept applies to my closet. Re-organizing my closet made me feel like I had purchased a whole new wardrobe.
One more thing: did you notice my little closet hack? When we moved into this house, the closet only had one rack across the top. Since we’re renting, we didn’t have the option of installing a closet system. I bought an inexpensive tension rod to add hanging space near the floor. Unfortunately, the tension in the rod wasn’t enough to hold the weight of my clothes. After it fell down three times, I decided it should also hang from the top rack. A quick trip to Lowe’s for some chains (which they will cut to size) and four carabiners, and my problem was solved!
How do you organize your closet? Share what works for you in the comments.