Closet Makeovers Series Part 2: Closet Organization
my closet! (that I share with another girl)
For part two of the Closet Makeovers Series, let’s talk about closet organization.
First things first, I wanted write a little followup to my last post on cleaning out your closet. While my article advocated getting rid of clothes you never wear, in these tough economic times, that’s not always feasible. So instead of throwing away everything that’s in rough shape, try setting a goal number of things to part with. Also, if you have some sewing ability, by all means take advantage!
Now that we have that out of the way, on to organization! My mother gets credit for forcing me to be organized – I am obsessed with keeping things neat, or at least trying to.
Want to see how I organize my own closet? Then welcome to my lovely 2 bed, 2 bath apartment. It will be the model of organization for this article. (See the photo of my closet to the right.)
I’m a firm believer in visual aids, and I think photographs of my actual closet will help. I have a tiny space, as I believe many of you do after reading some of your comments, so pictures of my small-space organization should give you ideas for what to do with your own.
Closet Tips: What to Hang and What to Fold
Hang up as many things as you can. I have the majority of my tops, skirts and pants hung up. The nicer the top or pant, the more that I think it should be hung in the closet as opposed to folded into the drawer. For example, my dress pants are all hung up, but my jeans could go in the drawer if they needed to.
Editor’s note: Meggy didn’t mention this in her original article, but I thought it was important to include: don’t hang up your knits! Sweaters, cardigans, and knit t-shirts or tops with sleeves should be folded and stored flat – hanging them up, especially if you don’t wear them often, will stretch out the fibers and ruin the garment’s shape over time.
Ways to Organize Your Closet
By color:
This is my personal favorite because I pick out what I wear based on color. (Guilty secret about Meggy: I actually have a color assigned to each day of the month because I hate standing in my closet wondering what to wear. My roomie makes fun of me, but it’s totally efficient!). Color also looks really nice in your closet. I recommend this if you have an average size closet like me. Here’s a picture of how my closet is organized:
My closet – organized by color
By clothing type:
Organizing by clothing type is good if you are really into layering because you can grab whatever you need to create your outfit relatively quickly. Also, it’s easy going from season to season this way. If you live in a 4 season climate like me, then it’s really unrealistic, unless your closet is huge, to keep all of your clothes for all of the seasons at school. It just takes up too much room. I recommend just bringing the summer clothes at first, then sending them home with mom and dad in exchange for the winter ones if possible.
Organizing by outfit:
This is good because it cuts out the standing in your closet wondering what goes with what. It’s a good idea if you do not have many clothes because not too many things overlap. It doesn’t work for me because I have a lot of different things that go together, but if you are like my roommate Elise, who is very into the basics, then it’s a good idea.
A combination of the above:
You could also combine the different methods above if you’re really organized. For example, many people organize their clothes by type and THEN by color. You could also organize outfits by color, or outfits by occasion, etc. Be creative and come up with a method that works best for the way you get dressed!
How to Organize Shoes
Since shoes are my addiction, I’ve found 2 efficient ways to store shoes in my small space.
In boxes:
This is how my mom organizes shoes, and I really wish I would have kept all my shoe boxes so I could have done the same. It makes shoes stackable in such a nice way, and you can take a picture and put it on the box to label them. It may not be realistic to take a bunch of boxes to school if you have tons, but if you keep your shoes seasonally, it may be a good thing to think about.
Also, if you don’t have your original shoe boxes, you could also buy clear plastic boxes from Organize.com or The Container Store to keep your shoes in.
On top of something:
I have to have my shoes out in the open so I can see them. Last year in the dorms, I had them in a big storage bin and it was terrible because it was so hard to keep that bin organized. Instead, try putting them on top of your storage bins, or in a small bin or drawer. I’m lucky that I have a shelf above my clothes (that I can reach!) for my shoes, but I still have to put about half on my storage bins.
Some of my shoes!
How to Organize Your Drawers
Underwear:
Is it bad that I think this is genius? I hate it when my underwear is all tangled and messy so I need there to be some dividers in my drawer. I actually lucked out last year in the dorms because the top drawer came with a divider, but no such luck in my apartment. At home before I moved back to Madison, I put all of my underwear, bras, socks and tights in a separate shoebox. Then I brought the boxes up and put them in the drawer and done! My underwear is organized!
I also keep all my wallets and hair accessories in my underwear drawer. I wear a lot of things in my hair so I wanted to see them instead of having them get tangled in a bag.
Eek, my underwear drawer!
Shorts:
My shorts drawer can get a bit hectic, especially with this oddly hot weather we have been having. On one side, I have my walking shorts, in the middle I have my shorter shorts, and on the other side I have the shorts that I sleep or work out in. I’ve found the best way to fold shorts (or jeans) is to just fold them in half down the middle. It keeps them nice and flat and the wrinkles to a minimum.
Also in my shorts drawer are my headbands. I wear a headband everyday. Whether it’s to keep my bangs out of my eyes while running or studying, I need to have them on hand at all times. I’ve also found they work nicely over a headboard.
Scarves and Bags:
I have too many scarves to count so I had to give them their own drawer. I like to have them accessible at all times. Also, I have my smaller bags in this drawer in case I want to change my purse quick. I like having my purses in a drawer because it keeps them nice and easy to get at.
Last year, when I was in the dorms, I did not have a scarf and bag drawer, so my solution was to hang them from my lofted bed’s headboard. Scarves go really nice over a lofted bed, hanging on one side (I’m assuming that most lofted bed have multiple levels and therefore multiple boards to hang scarves). If your bed isn’t lofted, making good use out of your headboard really works.
As far as bags, I like to use those big clear storage bins if you’re low on space. Just slide one of those under your bed or futon to keep your bags organized and dust-free!
T-shirts:
You can save major amounts of room if you fold up your T-shirts and put them in the drawer. My roommates and I have perfected the art organizing T-shirts, because let’s face it, we all wear them, and we all need to keep them organized.
Here is how I fold my t-shirts: I fold the sleeves in and then fold them in half (the hamburger way!), and then fold them in half again.
Then, instead of laying them flat in the drawer, I lay them vertically. That way, you have rows of T-shirts instead of stacks. When you organize t-shirts this way, not only will you save room, but also you can see all of them at once, making getting ready a snap.
Organizing a Clear Storage Bin with Drawers
The ubiquitous clear drawer storage container is a dorm room staple. Because I’m willing to bet you probably have one of these too, here are some good things to keep in there:
- Hats
- Belts
- Skin care
- Slippers
- Nail care
- Dishes and silverware
- Clean sheets
- Feminine products
Other Wardrobe Organization Solutions
Your Jewelry Box:
I really like my multi-layered box for all of my jewelry (see photo below). This way, the delicate necklaces and chunky bracelets are separated into their own drawer instead of mixed in together. To keep things from being tangled or lost, lay everything flat, and always put the box on a level surface.
If you have the room or the time, putting hooks on the wall will keep your jewelry untangled and available. My aunt has all of her jewelry hung with hooks on the back of her mirror. It looks perfect and makes everything easy to find.
Earrings are the same way. Just keep them together. Also, I’ve found that earrings stay nice if you keep the cardboard backing or box that the earrings came in, and store them like that. My roomie does this and it works out really well.
I was also notorious for losing bobby pins and hair ties until I put them in containers instead of just leaving them around. I got a free coin purse from Vera Bradley, so that’s where I put my hair elastics and it works out great. For bobby pins, I actually use an empty mint tin that I decorated when I was bored at work one day.
Makeup Bag:
For some reason, I have a bunch of makeup bags. I am a Clinique bonus addict, so I have all of these makeup bags that I didn’t know what do with until I got to college.
All of my makeup is organized into the following categories: day makeup, night makeup, nail polish, and lip color. This way, on a daily basis, all I need to bring out my day makeup bag and I’m good to go. Also, it keeps my counter top relatively uncluttered.
What are your thoughts?
I hope this helps you organize your own closet!
Next week, I’ll have the first style-specific post ready to go. A few things to expect in the coming weeks: blogs on different styles, how to incorporate them into your existing wardrobe, and answers to the questions that many of you asked! Also, I have chosen a few of you that gave me a detailed look into your style for a few special interest blogs. Can’t wait!
Now I want to hear what you think – How do you keep your closet and wardrobe organized? What are your favorite organization tips? Do you have a genius way to store necklaces or shoes? Tell us in the comments!
Posted on on September 26, 2009 / Filed Under: College Life / Tags: Closet Makeovers Series, Clothing, College Life, How To, Organization, Tips
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Michelle
I think my mom would much rather have you as her daughter instead. LMAO. Brilliant advice, even though I’m in highschool but I’ll be sure to remember this when I go to college soon. :)
Saf
Absolutely AWESOME advice!!!!!!!!!
My organisation is okey dokey, not great so will definitely be taking your advice. Thanks so much!
emily
this was a really great article. i already do most of the same stuff you do, but it was great to throw out those ideas because many of us can relate to having so much stuff and having so little room to store it.
Ana
This is such a great advice! I’m gonna go running to find some of that organizing plastic boxes and put everything on them!
But, I didn’t like the way of organizing your shoes putting them one on top of the other. I used to do it like that, but I found out that the shoes above get dirty because of the other shoes’s sole.
Now I put all my shoes on boxes and everything’s fixed!
Bizzy
This is such a great article, I am going to take the T-shirt folding and do that myself one of these days, never thought to fold them like that!
As for the jewelry, sometimes a big box is a pain. I have a closet jewelry organizer that’s on a hanger and it is AMAZING and clear and I can see everything, and it’s double-sided! I have rings and earrings on one side, and necklaces and bracelets on the other. I got mine at Target for a decent price: http://www.target.com/dp/B0006ZPBFI/sr=1-1/qid=1254005063/ref=sr_fkmr_txt_1_1/184-9975106-4427618?ie=UTF8&search-alias=tgt-index&frombrowse=0&index=target&rh=k%3Ajewelry%20hanger&page=1
Luinae
That’s some really, really good advice!
I organize my wardrobe by type and colour. I have tops hanging on the top rack organized by colour and trousers and skirts on the bottom. Then I have dresses to one side of my divider, all organized by colour. I think you wear more of your clothes this way because you can see the variety easier.
Emily
That was very detailed! I’m back at home now that I’ve graduated, but I’ll be moving into my own place once I have enough money, and I know I’ll be back to almost no space again. For now though, I have this nice wardrobe thing that I got as a gift when my family moved to our current house a few years ago. I’ve spent my weekends off from work trying to figure out how to organize it in the most efficient way. I do the same thing with my t-shirts as well. It makes it so much easier to see all of them at once (and it only took one time to realize that I need to fold all of my sports jerseys/shirt the opposite way so I can pull them out by players’ names since the fronts are all the same).
Alycia
Hi, I think this is a super great article, and I will be passing it along to my friend, who is FOREVER re-organizing her closet… or at least trying to.
I do have a suggestion, though. As far as jewelry organizing is concerned, for earrings, I went to the craft store and bought a piece of plastic canvas. It looks like a big rectangle of plastic with holes in it. I then strung a piece of ribbon through the holes at either edge and hung it up on a hook on the wall. It’s really handy, and keeps all of my earrings together without taking up a whole lot of room.
I also keep my necklaces, rings and bracelets (though not the bangles) in a fishing tackle box. It’s actually not good for your necklaces to hang them up — it puts stress on the chain, that could cause it to break. The tackle box is cheap, and easy to get. Just go to a sports store. Being as it’s clear plastic, you can see through it, as well as the dividers not letting chains get tangled up.
As for bangles, I keep mine on a paper towel rack. It stands vertically, and the stick in the middle it small enough to fit through the bracelet, but the entirety of the stand is small enough to not occupy a great deal of space.
I also have found that using bed risers creates more space under the bed which can be used to store shoes, or in my case, a pair of rather sizeable plastic sweater bags, which are also see-through, so I can have a look at what I want.
Still a great article, though. :)
Rachel
thank you! by the way, just wondering, how would you organize makeup palletes with lots of colors that could be used for day and night?
J
Meggy,
Please be safe hon! I recommend quickly removing your address from this article! It’s far better for a college girl to be careful, or, better safe than sorry as they say.
J
PS wonderful article, I’m really enjoying your series.
Valerie
I’m really loving this closet series. I tend to organize my closet by clothing type so I know where everything is. But I do need a better way to organize my bags and jeans.
Ashanti
awesome article. this series actually motivates me to tackle my closet! (whenever that day will be. ”/) since i have this fall semester off, i think i’ll organize my chaos. LOL
here’s another article i’ve read about organizing your closet: closet fengi shui by girl organized
http://girlorganized.blogspot.com/2008/12/closet-feng-shui.html
amazing blog and keep it up, i need it! lol :)
sara
I did almost the same thing you did with the tshirts with my jeans. If you have a number of different jeans that are distinguishable by color (black/grey/light denim/dark denim/etc) you can fold them up, stack them, but then tip the stack sideways on the shelf. I don’t know exactly how to explain this but sorta like:
I I I I I
If each line was a pair of folded jeans.
Then you can grab the pair you want without disrupting the rest of the pile above them.
Ashlee
I’m obsessed with keeping my clothes, shoes, accessories, make-up, and hair stuff organized! But, because I have A LOT, the drawer space the university gives us isn’t enough. I’ve found that using hanging organizers (like these: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4888331) really work for my clothes. I have each category of basic tops assigned to a different section (camis, tanks, tees, polos/other basic tops, and then I have a clear bin filled with my belts on the last one.) I also have four of these: (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11065080) to hold all my shoes. (I said I have a lot!!) The cool thing is that they maximize your vertical space without taking up much space on the closet rod, plus they come in a variety of colors! (I like white.) They’re pretty cheap, too, and can be found at most stores.
Emily
Oh, also in my closet, I have all my non-t-shirts hanging up, and I have them organized by color (which is what I’ve always done) but now that I have a job where I have to look “professional” I have all the shirts that are possibilities for work hanging on the right side, and all of the shirts that I wouldn’t be able to wear to work (have writing on them, not nice enough or just inappropriate for the workplace) on the left side. Between them, so that I can keep them separated, I have all of my black work pants hanging up. It’s so much easier reaching into the right half of my closet and just knowing that I’ll pull out something that I can wear without having to debate its appropriateness.
K
Great idea for the t-shirt drawer, I’m going to rearrange mine, thanks!
M
This is fantastic. I especially like the idea about the T-shirts. I will have to implement that in my own closet, because right now most of my T-shirts are hanging up in my closet and they take up the most room.
Patricia
I find using “mug trees” or “silverware hangers” (I actually don’t know what they are called…) specially useful when it comes to hanging jewelry …I have tons of necklaces and bracelets and they even look decorative when stored that way…
Great article!
M
I don’t have many shoes but a suggestion from a friend’s closet: get a shoe “tree” or shoe “bag”. She has one that hangs up on a hook on the back of her closet door. It’s see-through so she can see all the shoes and pick out which one she needs.
I don’t know exactly where she got hers from, but I’m guessing places like Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target, or Amazon would definitely have these.
Holiday
I already do all of the things that you suggested EXCEPT this: Putting t-shirts vertically in drawers. Perfect! Such a simple solution to shifting through stacks. Almost feel stupid for not thinking of it before.
val
Thanks a lot! This is one great article!
Linda
Ah you rock!
The t-shirt idea is brilliant, I have stacks and stacks of t-shirts in my drawers and even though my drawer is organized by color I always hate having to look under every shirt to see whats underneath.
Thanks !
Alana
O I wish I could attach pictures with comments! I just organized my accessories this past week and i’m really excited. so for my rings I bought this plastic glass bowl (? lol) from target and I put all my rings and bracelets in it. and i made a frame for all my necklaces…i glued a b&w damask print piece of scrapbook paper to a piece of cork board that i cut to fit a black frame that i had, then I put the cork board in the frame, hung it, and stuck tacks in to hold my necklaces. i love it it keeps all my jewlery on display, it’s like a really cool piece of art, it also saves space, and i just used those sticky things to hang it since im in a dorm. i also stick my earings in there. and then i wrapped this long cheap costume pearl necklace around my mirror and i have all my sunglasses hanging from the necklace. i really like having my accessories on display. i can get really plain about decorating so i kind of like to have my clothes and accessories become the art. plus it makes it easier when i need to pick something out because i tend to forget that i own have the stuff i have
sara
this insipired me to clean out my drawers and rearrange my closet! i already had my clothes color coordinated but i made a few changes thanks to this article :)
*eLLa*
Im a very visual person so often if I dont see something I will forget that I have. With my jewelry specifically I got an earring stand that has loads of little holds that you hang your earring in and its a lifesaver for me. Then at the bottom there is an area for storing rings and bracelets.
Dubai Stylista
Brilliant!! I’m gonna bookmark this and SINCERELY HOPE that one day ill finally come around to doing it !
Great article, thanks so much!
kym
Great post. One of the most useful organization tool i have is my hanging closet organizer. It’s great for purses or shoes.
Ally
I think I’m definitely going to have to try that with my t-shirts. Though I don’t know how well it’ll work because I’m always in a hurry and it seems like something I’d easily mess up and have to go back and fix later? Lol.
Ohhhh, the only thing I really disagree with is the “jewelry box’. Plastic storage like that is okay for chunky pieces (I guess…) but there’s no way I’d want to keep my jewelry in that. I have this amazing jewelry box from off the QVC website of all places…it is double sided with mirrors, and spins around so you can get to all your jewelry. There are earring holes, necklace/bracelet hooks, foam material for rings, and even extra storage on both sides for chunky pieces. It has all of this anti-tarnish stuff build into it to protect your jewelry, so I even have my pearl sets stored in there even though it’s a cardinal rule to keep them in their own boxes. Just an idea….because I’ve always struggled with jewelry and this works amazingly!
Natalie
I loved this article! I organize my closet by color too, and I think it definitely helps me decide what to wear and a good visual of what colors I’m drawn to.
I’ll definitely have to try the t-shirt method. I have a ton from sorority events and college in general and the way I have them now takes up so. much. space. And it always ends up disorganized when I have to rifle through entire piles of shirts.
Natalie
Oh and I totally forgot to mention, one of the best things I have in my room is an Ikea Helmer. It’s technically a mini filing cabinet, but it’s perfect for make-up, nail polish and hair stuff! The drawers hold about 100 bottles of nail polish each, and I have some rubber liners in there so things don’t fly around when I open them. And on top I keep all of my jewelry. It works perfectly and everything is all in one place!
Michelle
Great article and I definitely need to organize my closet! I have way too many necklaces hanging and tangling there. Also a lot of wrinkles on some of my sweater and Ts….Gonna do a makeover this weekend!
Nicole
This article was great! I’m in the middle of going through my closet and getting rid of a bunch of stuff (need to make room for all my new fall purchases ha) Definitely helped me to get everything organized as I envisioned it to be. Being really tight on cash, the perks of being a college student, I thought it would be a good idea to sell some of my barely worn items. Although there aren’t many consignment shops around me *sigh* I did come across a great website that allows you to sell, buy and trade your clothes and accessories with others! I’m in the process of getting my stuff together and posting it all. Thought the website was a great idea and wanted to share it with you guys =) http://www.myclozet.net
Callie
Good ideas! Thanks :)
Caitlin
great post! I have two of those pieces of wood with 5 hooks each on them, and I hang all my necklaces on one and the other I use to hang up my belts and a few hats. It works really well :) I put them on the wall space just below a shelf where I had no furniture anyway, so I didn’t waste more wall space
Maggie
Like everyone else, finding space and organization all of ones’ stuff has always been a problem for many of us …who just simply own too much. Do you have any other DIY suggestions for organizing earrings? I’ve heard of creative things to do to make one’s own earring holder but most of them seem to require tools and whatnot.
Also- I have an organization tip too. If you have pipes in your dorm room (mine is an old dormitory), you can hang clothes on the pipes. Try to keep them light pieces like dresses and cardigans. They’re instant room deco and if you drag out the pieces you don’t wear that often, it’ll inspire you more!
Holiday
Hey Nicole. You also might want to try PlatosCloset.com and check out if there’s one by you…and if its like 30 minutes away and you have a car, its deff worth the trip. You can sell your clothes and then pick up gently used new stuff. I’ve gotten amazing deals there.
Hey Meggy.. Care to share with us your color coded month? It seems like a really good idea to stop wearing the same ole stuff. I go to art school, so I wear the stuff that I don’t want to get paint on, on the weekends…. Do you ever put “wear a skirt today” Or “wear boots” Or..”base an outfit around your favorite necklace” (of course all weather permitting) It could be a really cute follow up post that alot of people might get use from.
Michelle
I bought a small bookcase from target that has three shelves and put it in my closet to hold my purses and shoes, it works like a dream and looks cute too because it’s wood :)
i used to hang my necklaces on tumb tacks on the wall inside my closet, cheap and you can see all your necklaces.
i like to keep all of my clothing and accessories visible and easy to get to because i’m a firm believer in “out of signt, out of mind.”, which means the less available your make your clothes/accessories, the less you will wear them
i organize my clothes by type, not by color. i’ve found that organizing this way sparks my creativity because seeing different colors together gives me new ideas for putting outfits together
Michelle
you can also hang a towel rack in your cloest to hang your belts, scarves, and necklaces ;)
make use of the empty wall space on the SIDES of your closet
storing vertically instead of horozontally helps add space for your stuff
Giselle
I’m not sure if anyone mentioned this, but I determine what goes folded and what goes hung in the closet by how the store had it when I bought it. So if you’re unsure, just try to remember how the store presented the item.
Patty
Thank you very much for this post!! I mean, it has helped a lot on how to organize my closet… I wouldn’t be able to say thank you enough.. CF rocks!!
Harry | GoalsOnTrack
Thanks. Great advice on home organization!
Jess
Thanks for all of the great ideas! I can’t wait for the articles to come.
I was searching prices for the jewelry organizer mentioned in an above post and came across this video on an easy way to create an earring organizer
http://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/1/Create-a-Jewelry-Organizer-out-of-Common-Closet-Things-643928.html
Doesn’t require any tools!
Alex
While searching for some cheap jewelry organizes, I came across the idea of storing earrings in ice cube trays. I thought it was genius and picked up a couple trays at Walmart. Its a great way to see all your earrings and you can also put some shorter, more delicate necklaces in the trays. I put my trays in one of my dresser drawers, so its super easy to find earrings or necklaces to go with my outfit in the morning :)
Luisa
This series is amazing! I just moved to a new apartment and it’s much smaller than the last, so organizing my things to save space has become something of an obsession. The t-shirt drawer arrangement trick is especially great.
Unfortunately, my closet has no rods, and instead has a 2-tier wall shelf that precludes the placement of one where there used to be. I don’t really have the room for a pop-up armoire or anything that takes much floor space. Do you know of a method or contraption to somehow still hang dresses and jackets?
Arielle
Another genius article! You have the best tips! I’m a stickler when it comes to keeping my clothes, accessories (and hair supplies actually) neatly organized and this article is filled with great advice that I have already put into practice :D