Make Way in Your Closet!

Though we have had cool weather this spring, a few 80 degree days caught us by surprise, and I found myself pulling out some summer clothes early.

A few years ago, that meant traipsing down 2 flights of stairs, opening the off-season storage cabinet, and load by load, carrying up the clothes I needed. 

Thankfully, I had taken the advice of Lisa Woodruff of Organize 365 and had downsized my wardrobe a few times, making seasonal changes more manageable. With fewer clothes, I was able to move my off-season clothes from the basement storage to the back of my own closet, hidden behind the shoe racks. This makes it so easy to get what I need at a moment’s notice.

When moving out last season’s clothing:

• Decide whether to keep the clothes from the past season: Look at every piece of clothing from this past season. Do you still need it, want it, and will you  use it? If you think you might want to keep it, but aren’t sure, ask yourself if you are willing to store it until next season or if you would rather have the empty space.
• Donate all gently used items that you no longer want. Some organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters will pick up curbside and others like Savers and Goodwill likely take drop-off donations.
• Clean every piece of clothing before storing or donating.
• Store seasonal clothing as close as possible to your everyday clothing closet.

Tips for setting up your closet for the next season:

• Try on all clothing you are moving into your closet for the current season. Do you still like the clothes? Will you need them in your current season of life? If you were working 9-5 in an office and now you are a stay-at-home parent, your clothing needs may have changed. Better to pass on clothing while it is still in good condition and others can use, rather than let it go unused.
• Separate your clothes by type, or color, or both.
  • Hanging clothes by pants and skirts, then dresses
  • Shirts by sleeve length (tanks, short sleeve, long sleeve shirts)
  • Cardigans
  • Work clothes that are not part of my regular wardrobe.
  • All my clothes are sorted by type, then color. 
  • I fold casual tees and activewear due to lack of space, but you can hang these.
• Turn around the hanger methods:
  • Some people like to put all the hangers backwards at the beginning of the season and then turn it around once they have worn that clothing item. This is a great way to see what has gone unused at the end of each season. 
  • Other people like to turn the hangers the ordinary way for all clothes, and then turn a hanger around for clothing that is worn once but can be worn again, such as jeans or a cardigan. This indicates the item has already been worn. After it is worn again, it can be put in the hamper.

If you need help, call us at 617-297-7763!