Closet organization help please

Momo

So I just moved into an apartment with a walk in type closet . Never had anything like it and am confused about how to organize my clothing . Anyone have any tips?
My first step is to get rid of stuff!!!
Then??? Help? Thank you

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8 years ago

General

14 replies

Latest reply was from tulle

annabelle

Veteran

Momo, what was your previous storage solution? Does this closet seem to have enough room and you're now trying to make sense of it? (or, is there not enough space )

And in any case, good for you for getting rid of stuff. I purge my small wardrobe at least seasonally and it is much easier getting dressed, when owning only items that I really enjoy.

8 years ago

Anonymous

Momo, you could have a think about what items to hang and which to fold. I know a lot of ladies on here, myself included, like to fold both jeans and knitwear. I have dresses, jackets, skirts and some tops hanging. Heavy coats are in a separate closet and I have knitwear and jeans on the shelves above my hanging space in my closet. Shoes are in modular storage which can be configured at different heights and so I have the tallest section underneath short items like skirts and tops and les storage under longer dresses etc.

8 years ago

Veteran

It looks like you enough space! I hang by type (skirts/woven tops/jackets/dresses/coats) and then by colour (but light to dark, not rainbow style, so I begin with my whites & pastel shades and move through to my navies). This works for me, because colour is a major consideration in how I make my outfits, but if you make your outfits in a different way, I'd suggest hanging according to that. I have a half rack that hooks over the main closet rod, so that my skirts can hang under my blouses, since neither need the full vertical space that coats & dresses do.

All of my knitwear (both tees and sweaters) and jeans & trousers and pjs/intimates/etc. live in drawers. I fold them so that they sit vertically in the drawers, like file folders, and I can see them all at once. I've been doing this for years, thanks to some internet video I ran across, but apparently Marie Kondo also describes it in her book: here's an article about it. I use shoe boxes as internal drawer dividers for smaller things; on laundry day, I can just pull out the boxes, put all of the clean clothes in them, and then pop them back in the dresser.

8 years ago

Irina

Veteran

Thanks for the article, E! My undies, camisoles and socks are organized like it pictured there. But not my sweaters. I like the idea of seeing all sweaters at one glance. But I always worry about wrinkles.
I don't roll my clothes when I travel either! Would thin sweaters like merino or light cashmere get all wrinkly?

8 years ago

Veteran

I don't roll my sweaters; I fold them in at the neckline edge, then fold them up in thirds (so basically in thirds horizontally, then vertically). As long as you smooth them as you fold, and don't stuff too many sweaters in the drawer, the main body doesn't get wrinkly. You could get fold lines, depending on how long you leave them folded before wearing, but I imagine you could just grab the sweater you wanted out of the drawer & hang it in the bathroom while you showered & the steam would release them. I don't find my own merino or light cashmere very wrinkle prone. However, my style is fairly rumpled, not at all starched & polished, so I'm probably not the best one to ask.

8 years ago

Anonymous

I organize everything according to category: work pants, work skirts, casual pants, long sleeve tops, short sleeve tops, and finally, sleeveless tops. I fold or roll knits and place them in cupboards (installed in the closet). I have never once had an issue with creases or wrinkles. I can see every single item instantly.

8 years ago

Irina

Veteran

I'm silly about wrinkles! I don't mind it at all in linen items but hate in other clothes. I hand wash, dry flat and iron all my thin sweaters and tops
But I will refold and reorganize my t-shirt drawer, thanks to you. Right now!

8 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

I'm a big fan of bi-level hanging rods for tops, skirts, pants, since I have a lot of separates rather than dresses. There are lots of simple adaptors to create short sections of hanging space.

8 years ago

Irina

Veteran

Result: reorganized one drawer with my "home" tops - my testing ground.
Rolled all items, from heavier to lightweighted, arranged by color. Looks great! After lunch, on with thin sweaters. Thank you, ladies!

8 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

WTG IrIna! Momo, you might want to use that corner where the two rails meet, which is going to be less easy to access, for out of season items and stuff you don't use that much. Maybe some bins or a round hamper on the floor, and then you can have your in season stuff on both rails, but not just right at the corner, so they don't run into each other.

Every closet space and layout seems to require slightly different tweaks. Every place I've ever lived required a different approach than the others.

8 years ago

Momo

Veteran

Thank you for all of these suggestions. Sorry I didn't respond yet! I have been having internet issues and trying to get adjusted to a new life .. Still working on the closet but I am definitely using some of your ur helpful ideas.

8 years ago

dakotacheryl

Veteran

You have great possibilities for storage on those shelves, just need see through bins/boxes etc.
I, personally, would need to add a hanging rod to the long side so that I could hang my skirts, pants, blouses and tops in two rows. The short single side would be great for dresses and long skirts.
I also like the idea of a hamper or something in that corner...probably could find a little corner shelving unit too.
I separate my closet into either tops or bottoms, jackets, then arrange by color.
Congrats on the upcoming closet purge!

8 years ago

shedev

Veteran

My closets are divided by clothing type, then colors. They are each 35" long. Closet 1 is first 3 pictures, mostly double rods with a small single rod section. Picture 4 is a single rod. Sorry the pictures are dark, my closets do not have their own light source.

1. tanks and tees; blacks to the outside on left, blues, greys, colors. Vests.

2. long sleeve, same order. couple of skirts far left

3.toppers: blacks on outside to right, blues greys, colors.

4. jeans; colors on left, blues, greys, blacks. couple of dresses far right.

Sweaters, workout, some knit pants in drawers. Coats are in hall closet in no order.

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8 years ago

tulle

Veteran

You've gotten some good advice here. (The Marie Kondo folding method is magic!) I'll just add that open-top square baskets on the shelf above my hanging rack have reduced my closet frustration tremendously. I have 3 pretty wicker baskets that fit neatly on my shelf: one for belts and shawls, one for small handbags, and one for large bags. Another basket hanging on the wall beneath my shorter items holds scarves and gloves. All these things used to slither off shelves and hangers to the floor; now they're corralled and easy to find. Such a simple and obvious fix, but it took me 2 years to think of it!

8 years ago

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