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Ongoing closet organization muddles

unfrumped

Veteran

I may be incurable but hope to try some new approaches this year anyway, if only for the refreshing feeling of change, right or wrong.

One approach I do Not want is the 4- season capsule changeout. Mostly I think that is about my difficulty with proportions ( tops and toppers for pants vs skirts and do on). It would be so exhausting for me to ensure that I had picked the exact pieces for 3 months.
I still debate the S/S and F/W switch out also though some storage seems essential for woolens. But at some level I miss our on layering and interestin SYC options with items stored out of sight, and lose idea of how I might want to upgrade to a single item that serves role of 2. I tend to accumulate 2 whole different wardrobes, whereas I need more seasonless with smaller amounts of winter/ summer.
In my main closet, I have mostly double rods and so can have " prime" eye level items vs ones on lower rods or ends are harder to see.
You'd think this would work great for some rotation-- as I will move more current items up and keep backup items( mostly temperature - related, such as warmer/ cooler tops you might need to grab when the weather is crazy or items that are phasing out for the season ).
But then because of all the shuffling, I forget, where is that gray layering T? or it's hard to find because one week it was here, and then next month it's elsewhere.
So I'm about to consider systems in which items stay in the same hanging spot no matter what season. Sweaters are hard because I hang mine, and typically arrange tops by style/ lenght( body/ shorter vs long, so woolens are then introduced and interspersed with similar styles in different fabrics that aren't moth- bait.
But now I'm considering a mostly, or more, all- in closet EXCEPT for heavier sweaters.
How would this work?
I have managed not to fill up all the rod space so far, so I might create a dedicated sweater portion that is used in winter and is empty when they are in storage. Then all my other tops would " stay" in their spots.
This might also be useful because I have too many sweaters and also need to see, which ones do double- duty or are faves?

21 replies

Latest reply was from unfrumped

Joy

Veteran

I will be watching responses here because I finally have a closet that should hold all seasons at once and can see already that that things get lost. I was used to changing up the closet 6 times a year and everything brought back in seemed fresh again after not seeing it for months. Now I wonder if I'll tire of my clothes more quickly because I see them more.
I organized my closet first by color, then within the color section, by item type with sleeveless tops on the far right moving to toppers , then skirts then pants on the far left.

Sisi

Veteran

I think that you have already had some excellent lightbulbs. The "all-in" closet is a great idea. For many years I have stored my clothes according to season: it was a huge fuss and never worked. Some clothes are multi-season, so I never knew where to put them. For me, Marie Kondo's suggestion of just dividing clothes into 2 categories: "wool" and "cotton" has been immensely helpful. Now my clothes are always in the same place, no matter what season. I immediately know where to find what.

JAileen

Veteran

My closet is too small for my clothes. However, I leave everything out even though we have four real seasons. Mostly, my shoes pour out of it like lava flowing out of a volcano.

I hang things by type: pants together, jackets together, tops together, vests together. My coats are in another closet. I don't hang sweaters. I don't want to stretch them out. That doesn't happen to your sweaters? My sweater are folded on the shelves above the rod. I have to stand on a little stool to reach them, though, so that's not ideal either.

That's interesting about Kondo wool v cotton. I thought I had read her book, but perhaps not carefully enough.

unfrumped

Veteran

My problem has been I have organization "features " of both camps. I really enjoy things looking uncrowded, serene. That usually favors the seasonal switch. I'm not super- creative nor do really inventive outfits not want a 10- piece wardrobe. But SOME amount of remixing is very satisfying to me, and some layers, including underlayering, is very practical.

One thing I think is, it's very important for the items in main closet to all be my best fits and faves. For example, if I kept a summer jacket, it would be one I would still wear right now if it weren't 25 degrees outside. I think of it as reminding me, I've got that covered , come spring, or maybe finding a way to wear it earlier.
So to me a " holding zone" ( HZ) remains valuable and DIFFERENT from purely seasonal storage. To me the HZ is for items that actually fit but I'm not wearing even though it's in season and I'm perplexed about that, and a select few items that don't quite fit now but might and are so great, I will hold for 6-12 mos and then decide, including meanwhile seeing if a replacement is likely.
Joy, I share the concern about getting tired of looking at things off- season. My problem has been I might buy something very similar to something hidden away.
I think if I solve my wool sweater zone issue, that might open up s new way of thinking. I might have to rethink what I hang. Currently I hang jeans which do take up over a foot of rod space, more if keep white out year round . I tried drawer storage last year and didn't like the location.

carter

Veteran

My mom has a double rack for tops and a tall rack for pants. On the top hanging rack, she hangs all of her sweaters that are worn Oct-Feb. The lower hanging rack is for tops that are worn Mar-Sept. The pant rack holds all seasons. Everything is color sorted with White/Black/Gray first, then colors. It looks gorgeous and has served her well for many years.

I'm faced with the same closet set up at the beach, yet I'm finding it may not work for me because I don't want to see the sweaters I love during the 9-10 months/year it's too hot to wear them. For now, I have true Summer things in another closet, all neutral color-sorted tops on the top rack and all color tops color-sorted on the bottom rack. Pants are all on the same rack, color coordinated.

I don't know if any of that helps at all, but I guess the main point is that what works for one may not work for another, even if it seems like a good idea at the time;-)

unfrumped

Veteran

JAileen, I know folding on shelves or at least folding over a hanger is always recommended for sweaters and most knitwear I just can't deal with that for what for me are workwear " tops". I have not notice a stretching problem, though perhaps I am insensitive!
I did switch to sloping curved hangers ( which are still a plastic kind, along with some huggable) instead of the basic usual
plastic because the slope is needed so as not to distort the shoulder line of all my knits.

deb

Veteran

U hang my sweaters also, when they are folded my OCD kicks in big time. I cannot handle the rotating closet. For one thing, I hate the switching part. Not sure why. I hang all of my tops by color on the top rack and bottoms on the bottom rack. The long pole is for coats, jackets, dresses. I sound like you need to try the new way and decide if it really works better for you.

Ginger

Veteran

I have an all-season closet with lots of double rods, and I have an all-sweater section as well. (Plus a couple shelves for heavy sweaters, in plain sight.) It's great to see everything that way, and not get caught up in the proper season.

For what it's worth, although everything stays out, I do have some seasonal division due to my long, hot summer. True cold-weather items have their own subsections: warm dresses, long-sleeve tops, and heavy skirts. They stay visible and available for late spring and early fall cold fronts, but they're not mixed in with the summer stuff. And like you mentioned, it's very helpful to stay aware of what I have already so I don't make unnecessary off-season purchases.

Anonymous

I have a mental issue with having to see deep Winter clothes mixed in with high Summer clothes. It mentally unhinges me. On a positive note, I only switch out my closet twice a year. I use that time to evaluate each piece and decide whether to have it cleaned/stored or purged. I also thoroughly have everything cleaned and/or repaired prior to storing away.

unfrumped

Veteran

Sterling, I hear that!
I think I have dual goals that might be served by trying something new.
I have s sugar- eye and bias toward cashmere sweaters. But I'm very bothered by the upkeep worry, which to me is magnified by my having too large a collection.
I'm trying to become more "silhouette " focused and less , ooh, gorgeous color, and perhaps use my scarves and necklaces more effectively to shift colors. But would still use my main neutrals/ basic colors. So, the best one ( or 2!) for untucked with pants, the boxy skirt one, a longer tunic one, etc. The same perhaps for thin merino, but the upkeep on these is a bit easier.
So a goal is to find some more fabrications like some I have in very good heavy cotton knits or linen( not woven) that lend themselves to thermal under-layering, which not only extends the season but is always good for washing frequency.

kerry

Veteran

I live in a 4-season climate with marginal spring/fall, high summer and deep winter. My closet is big enough to have most/all of the my clothing out. Just this past year or two, I started putting away only high summer and deep winter clothing away. It made me feel less overwhelmed to be looking a wool sweaters in July and shorts in January. By put away I mean in canvas boxes with "windows" stored at the top of my closet (a walk-through with 9 foot ceilings - I have a step ladder in the closet). We have a lot of double hang rods in our closet (not much need for full length - we're pretty casual). In my section I have tops on the top and bottoms (mostly jeans) folded over pant hangers on the bottom. Each spring and fall, I shuffle stuff seasonally left and right so the current season is more front and centre. I'm finding there are fewer and fewer items that make the cut year round. I used to think certain sleeveless or short -sleeved tops would work year-round but I realize that the necklines and weight I like for stand-alone are not the same as what I like for layering.

What's always a challenge is the timing. I would like to "change-over" from winter to spring in April but the reality is it may not happen until end of May or early June. Ditto for fall.

unfrumped

Veteran

Jerry that sounds like s giid system.
I have had the same problem of feeling very dependent on having a whole couple of days free for the switch at the right time, or going rummaging, or spending about 6 weeks in spring and fall with as much crowding and disorganization as I was trying to avoid.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

My closet isn't very big. I take the spring/summer clothes out when I realize that I won't be wearing them anymore. Many of them are prints that I don't wear fall/winter due to their mood. Thanks to YLF this year I did keep out a few black sleeveless tank that I have worn as an underlayer.

And when it gets warm enough that I realize I won't be wearing my heavier items anymore, I put them away.

My closet used to be more crammed. I am enjoying not having everything in it. But I have more spring/summer clothing than heavier clothing, so I'm not sure how I will reconcile my desire for a less crowded closet with my increased spring/summer clothing.

My closet does not open all the way, so I put the warmest clothing closest to the center in winter, and the lightest closest to the center in summer.

Thanks to YLF, I'm going to look at spring purchases through the lens of "will it work for early fall also?". That may work, and it may be that I really want the spring look.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

It's fascinating to read this and proof of Carter's comment that what works for one will not work for another. No surprise, really, as our climates and lifestyles and personalities all differ.

If I lived in a temperate climate I would only do a minor switch out of wool and puffer coats and heavier sweaters vs. shorts and light sleeveless tops. But as it is, like Kerry, I do a major switch. I actually find the process soothing (sometimes I do it all at once and sometimes in stages) and it helps me edit. In addition it comforts my OCD, like Sterling said.

I don't find it a problem at all and never forget what I have in any case. Ultimately I think I tend to rely on certain fallback formulas and even pairings for specific activities within a season and so don't really have to think that much about outfit creation apart from rare events.

Joy

Veteran

Barbara Diane, please tell us if you find a way to make spring items also work for fall. I have tried and failed. The weight of the fabric may be similar but I crave different colors. I have had more success with fall things working in spring than the other way around. In spring I put fall browns and tans with pinks, peach, blues and mint. In fall with olives, burgundy, and oranges. A lot depends on your neutrals. Navy works well year round.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

I did something new this year that I have really liked: I divided my closet into two sides:

The left side is occasion/event wear and business formal. There is a side rail of sparkly cocktail and holiday wear (everything except full-length gowns, which are in the costume closet in my guest bedroom). Business formal is on the back rail, left side.

So I have all my fancy occasions covered, from wedding to holiday bash, on the left side of the closet.

Swimwear and winter hats are stored in pretty patterned boxes from Ross or Marshalls or similar.

The right side is seasonless, year-round casual, smart casual stuff, and swim cover-ups. The very middle part, in the center of the back rail (between the two sliding doors) is where I kept a few very cold weather pieces that needed hanging - leather jackets and a heavy suede skirt. Out of sight, out of mind.

I did this in the summer when I got fed up with hunting among cooler-weather clothes, for things to wear in 90+ degree weather. I put all the stuff that I only wear in the hottest weather, in one spot on the rail, to the right of the seasonless stuff, so it was the first thing I see when I open the right-side door.

In late September, I took that handful of hottest-weather stuff out, and stored it in a small storage box for spring. I moved the coldest-weather stuff into the newly-vacated spot, and took my sweaters out of hiding at the back of the armoire, and put them in a more visible spot in the same armoire.

I made this sound way more complicated than it actually is. Long story short: a handful of seasonal items get put into/pulled out of storage in Septembe/October and March/April. Everything else is there in my closet, where I can grab something seasonally appropriate without digging too much.

I keep a large-ish capsule at the BFs, all current-season stuff.

Anyway, I hope this helps! I will try and take a few pictures when I can.

Lucy

Veteran

Well, I've done this two different ways in the last two years, as we moved and had to deal with radically different spaces.
In my previous house (in a moderate climate, with four seasons,but where the weather could change a lot, i.e. be very hot one day and coolish the next), I had one large closet where I kept everything neatly except winter coats, which went in the hall cupboard. Everything was in sight. I liked it, and it worked, as the climate made it hard to decide to pack things away.
Then, I moved to a different city, where it is warm or hot for most of the year. There is a coolish season, but it is pretty short (weeks, not months, and only really cold for a handful of days). The hot season is long. In my new house, I have much less closet space in my bedroom, but heaps of storage space in my study. I have no need for winter woollies really, unless I travel, so I keep them in the study closet, along with heavier skirts and pants (I culled a lot, but could really cull again!). All my summer and mid weight clothing is in my bedroom, and I simply swap out some of my dresses each season.
I thought this would drive me mad, and indeed was one thing I didn't like about the new house - so much so I had thought I might take a spare room and make it into a walk in wardrobe. But really, it's working very well, perhaps because there is such a long hot season, and temperatures don't vary too much - I'm not running between closets! Now I like it a lot, and can't imagine changing.
So I guess sometimes it is worth trying one thing, and if it doesn't work, trying another, until you hit on something that works for you.

Bennett

Veteran

I have very limited closet space, but that doesn't stop me from hanging most of my wardrobe, sweaters included. I need to be able to see my clothes in order to include them in the lineup. I don't hang sweaters by the shoulders; I fold the sweater down the middle vertically, throw the doubled sleeves over the top of a flocked hanger, then bring the bottom of the doubled sweater up and flopped over the other end of the hanger. This is the first year I have had more than a couple over-the-head sweaters, I will store them in a dresser when summer comes. Other than these, nothing gets seasonally rotated.

All my pants, jeans as well as dress pants, hang together in the unused space in DH'S closet next to mine. My closet has one long rod, starting from the far right: short sleeved tees, long sleeved tees, sweaters, button down shirts, blouses, sleeveless tops, tunics, dresses, my various 'third' pieces (gilet, blazer, fur vest, lightweight jackets..... etc.) All my weather related outerwear hangs in the closet by the front door, along with weather specific footwear. My fashion footwear is lined up in no specific order in the clothing closet, but they are all paired up and visible.

I like JAileen's visual of "shoes pour out of it like lava flowing out of a volcano"! That describes my underwear/sock/hosery drawer - who knows what lives in there! Good project a dull winter day.....

Anonymous

Unfrumped -- I really like the way you are thinking. Becoming more "silhouette" focused and less color focused is an admirable goal and quite achievable. Let us know how you are doing because I can aways use the extra tips.

cindysmith

Veteran

I used to do seasonal changeovers. Then we moved into an RV. The first seasonal changeover was enough to convince me that I didn't want to do that again: all that crawling under the bed, hoping it didn't slam shut on me, nowhere to pile things while I took things off hangers to out other things on hangers.....

All clothes stay out all year long. I don't have an overabundance of clothes, but they are crammed into some really tiny compartments and getting dressed involves trips around the bed and it's just not fun. After the holidays, it's time for a cleanout and I am at a loss as to how to better organize my stuffs.

I'm wishing you all the best even as I sit here envious of your actual CLOSET I hope you find a solution that works for you, because I do understand your frustrations.

unfrumped

Veteran

Have started some editing and trial shuffling around and realized again that my short hanging spaces are not " equal", visually.

They're not very far apart, vertically, so while I kind to have tops on top and bottoms on the bottom, the tops are wide and tend to block the light and visibility if the skirts or pants are on the bottom rod.
Just perpendicular, I have another section of double rods used for casual ( jeans and casual tops) and for indoor toppers ( mostly work blazers and jackets) , respectively.

Now I'm noodling on REALLY changing what's where. I tend to be influenced a lot by the space, rod spacing and lighting and so it might not always be the typical groupings that are best.
As folks say, it's only a bit of trouble to shuffle from rod to rod in the same closet, and maybe something new and fun will click!