Organize your Closet by Outfits

Have you ever stared into your closet full of clothes and thought, “I don’t have anything to wear”? If so, you may be tempted to go shopping, but what you really need is a closet makeover. In her book, “You Are What You Wear,” Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner says that most people wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time. With a little effort, however, you can organize your closet so it’s easy to wear all the clothes you own. One of the best ways to maximize your wardrobe’s potential is to organize by outfits.

Start by Emptying your Closet

That’s right, take out everything. In order to use all the clothes in your closet, you first have to see what’s in there. As you remove items, separate them into four piles — keep, repair, donate/sell, and toss. This is the perfect time to try on clothes you haven’t worn for a while. If something doesn’t fit or if you don’t like the way it looks on you, get rid of it.

Sort the Remaining Clothes

If you live in a climate that requires different attire for each season, start by separating your warm-weather clothes from the cold-weather ones. Then within each season, separate items into categories based on use, such as work, casual, dressy, and outdoor. At this stage, you can put away the clothes that are out of season. Whether you hang them in the back of your closet or store them in bins, the idea is to get them out of the way so you can focus on the clothes you’ll be wearing for the next few months.

Put Together your Outfits

Now it’s time for some fun. See how many outfits you can create from what’s already in your wardrobe. An easy way to start is by laying out all your pants and skirts. Then take each top and see how many bottoms it pairs well with. Hopefully, each top will work with multiple bottoms. Next, pull out your shoes, belts, and other accessories to finish the outfit. Be creative and experiment with mixing textures and colors. Make sure to look at your dresses, sweaters, jackets, and suits as well to see how they work with the rest of your wardrobe.

Record your Combinations

You don’t want to forget any of the fabulous new combinations you’ve discovered, so be sure to document them. Some people like to keep a wardrobe diary where they write down the various ways they can use each piece. Another option is to create a fashion album in your phone by taking pictures of the outfits as you put them together. You can even tap into your inner model and photograph yourself wearing each one.

Organize your Closet

Once you know how all your pieces work together, you need to store them in a way that makes them easy to access. When you organize by outfit, you can set up zones for work clothes, casual wear, etc. This is where closet dividers come in handy. Even if you have a small closet, you can create zones to organize your clothes and accessories. Of course, when you have a walk-in closet, you have more room for additional categories. If, for instance, you like planning what you’re going to wear ahead of time, designate a section specifically for your weekly wardrobe. Over the weekend you can pick out the clothes you want to wear each day of the coming week. Then you can wake up and grab an outfit without having to think about it!

Let Closets By Design Help

No one knows how to organize a closet better than the professionals at Closets by Design. Whether your closet is tiny or huge, they can customize it with adjustable shelving, hanging bars, shoe racks, and more to create a space where your clothing and accessories are always in their place. Best of all, you can schedule a free in-home design consultation with one of our experts. Contact Closets by Design Reno Tahoe today to learn more - give them a call at (775) 828-1900 or visit their website here.