How to Properly Arrange The Clothes in Your Closet

Lisa Rivera • Oct 01, 2021

If you’re like most people, custom closet organization is a perpetual “adulting” to-do task that you just can’t seem to strike off your list. Not to worry. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

These easy organizational tips will have you arranging your clothes like a Martha Stewart-approved pro in no time at all!

Purge Your Closet
Group Clothes by Season and Use
Choose What to Hang or Fold
Revise Storage Solutions as Needed
Match Your Clothing Hangers

Now that you know the basics, dig deeper to find out how you can use them in practice to get the neat, organized closets you always wanted.

Purge Your Closet

Take every item out of your closet and organize it into three piles: what you want to keep, what to throw away, and what to donate. According to HuffPost, if you can’t decide what to part with, use the hanger experiment.

Place all the hangers backward in your closet. Face the hangers forward after you’ve worn an item. Any hangers still backward after a few months contain pieces you don’t use anymore.

Next, clean your closet from top to bottom! Don’t skip this step! Anything with missing buttons, rips or fading should immediately be thrown away. Anything in good condition but just doesn’t fit (too big or too small!) should be donated.

Group Clothes by Season Use

Now, split your “keep” pile into seasonal piles. Make sure you have a section for the clothes you wear all year-round. This will make it much easier to decide what should be packed away for later and what your go-to items are.

Choose What to Hang or Fold

What actually needs to be hung up? Your jeans aren’t delicate, are they? Why are they hung up? Why are your scarves draped over doorknobs? Questions like these let you drill down on what treatment each item really needs.

Pay attention to the care instructions on your clothing. Anything with the words “delicate, air-dry, or hand wash” on the tag should always be hung up. Anything sturdier like jeans and heavy sweaters makes more sense to fold.

Revise Storage Solutions as Needed

Pull out the measuring tape and write down the dimensions of the spaces you’re trying to fill. Chances are that your current storage solutions don’t fit correctly, which is contributing to the chaos. Don’t buy new storage pieces yet!

First, see what you can use around the house. It’s better to reuse that old linen basket for handbag storage than it is to buy a handbag holder. The back of the closet and high-up spaces will need more storage containers than the front because that’s where you’ll store less frequently used items.

Match Your Clothing Hangers

Okay, this might seem like more trouble than it’s worth, but your closet (and sanity) will thank you. You’ve probably kept all the plastic store hangers you’ve ever bought along with other strays you’ve picked up over the years.

Recycling hangers from anywhere you happen to find them might be economical, but it’s not going to help you get organized. It’s just going to make your organizational efforts futile. Invest in a good set of sturdy, matching hangers. Don’t forget to buy extras for future fashionista purchases!

Matching hangers will make your closet look cleaner while forcing you to create a standard protocol for how you hang up your clothes.

Conclusion

Remember that consistency and logical grouping are key for pro-level clothing organization. First things first, empty out & thoroughly clean your space. After you’ve discarded your trash and donation piles, what you’re left with is what you’ll organize.

Separate your clothing based on season and type. Then decide on what to hang and what to fold based on the care instructions. Measure your closet spaces to find proper fitting storage bins and baskets. Say no to chaos and get yourself a complete set of solid clothes hangers.

These simple tips will turn your custom closet from a labyrinth of forgotten and misplaced clothes to a mecca of easy-to-find, head-turning fashion.