Closet organization help. I need a do-over

[thatgirl]

I think I have created too many clothing silos and it is making organizing and finding things too difficult. I need to get out of the forest to see the trees!! :-|
Can you please help me out of the forest.

Here is my current closet organization,
this excludes formal/evening wear (separate closet) and sweaters that are folded on shelves.

I sort by: (list is in no particular order)

~jeans and causal pants
~long skirts
~short skirts
~Yoga wear
~work blouses
~twin sets
~casual shirts/tees
~turtle necks
~tunics
~work (prof) pants
~capris and ankle pants
~Suits (I hang the jackets on an upper rack and bottoms on the lower rack)
~dresses

I sort each section by color. Except for the work pants since I hang 2 pairs of pants per hanger it is too hard to and too many to deal with.

I need an overhaul, I am in a rut. I went through and thinned things out, so that was a big help.


Any suggestions would be a huge help. Thank you

[housegeek]

I would separate your clothes into seasons, spring and summer and then winter and fall. Then you can still do by color, but clump by item, so shirts together, pants together, suit and suit pants together etc. pics?

[lemondrop]

First of all, do you have any clothes you don't wear? With all your categories it seems likely that you have things you can get rid of.

Then, I'd put away anything that's out of season that you won't be wearing now.

Is there a reason you hang suit pieces separately? I think you should put the jacket and bottom on the same hanger. Then I'd separate casual and work and then sort by type and color.

[thatgirl]

Jul 7, 2012 13:55:43 GMT -5 lemondrop said:

First of all, do you have any clothes you don't wear? With all your categories it seems likely that you have things you can get rid of.

Then, I'd put away anything that's out of season that you won't be wearing now.

Is there a reason you hang suit pieces separately? I think you should put the jacket and bottom on the same hanger. Then I'd separate casual and work and then sort by type and color.

I did a major thin out last month, donated and consigned. So I am great there.

I hang my suits separately because I have a lot of mix and match suits. I usually buy at least 2 bottoms to every jacket.

Everything else is sorted by casual vs prof then by type and color. (as listed above in OP)

[thatgirl]

Jul 7, 2012 11:43:21 GMT -5 housegeek said:

I would separate your clothes into seasons, spring and summer and then winter and fall. Then you can still do by color, but clump by item, so shirts together, pants together, suit and suit pants together etc. pics?

So you keep 4 separate wardrobes? Then you separate by the above categories?
Unless I am missing something this seems very complex and difficult to manage. I am getting very overwhelmed.
How do you handle hanging long items and short items together?

[housegeek]

No, 2 categories, spring and summer, then fall and winter plus a couple outfits for each in case of crazy days. I only put them in tubs in the closet ( new house it'll be under the bed), so it's not like they are hard to access on the off chance I need a warmer/ cooler outfit. I actually don't have that many clothes though, I recently donated a crap ton so maybe I'm not the best to help hah.

[emoflamingo]

I have my off-season clothing packed away in under-the-bed totes (well, usually -- right now it's all packed away!). Then I have clothing sorted by item (t-shirts to wear around the house, dress shirts, skirts, pants & dresses) and by color. I have jeans folded and in a drawer of my dresser.

[prazenjc]

-i sort all shirts, no matter their make or intended use by color (button downs, knit, dressy tanks, etc.).
-i then have my jeans, no real sort needed otherwise, since there is only one kind of color.
-next are my long pants, no matter their make or intended use by color.
-then my capris and shorts are together and sorted by color.
-then i have skirts sorted by color, then dresses by color.
-finally, i have my jackets by color.

i find that having it organized with just this little bit of detail is enough and helps me be efficient in my selections for what to wear, no matter the occasion. there is no need to over complicate things, really.

[FoxInFiji]

Jul 7, 2012 14:54:33 GMT -5 housegeek said:

No, 2 categories, spring and summer, then fall and winter plus a couple outfits for each in case of crazy days. I only put them in tubs in the closet ( new house it'll be under the bed), so it's not like they are hard to access on the off chance I need a warmer/ cooler outfit. I actually don't have that many clothes though, I recently donated a crap ton so maybe I'm not the best to help hah.

This is me as well! I just went through all of my clothes last weekend and am getting rid of 3 boxes of clothes out of the 4-5 large rubbermaid bins of clothes I have (that's for all seasons). Winter/cold weather clothes are separate from warm/summer clothes. But here in WI that is a necessity with the wide range of temperature differences between seasons. Some clothes stay no matter what the season though like basic tank tops (used for layering in the winter), long sleeve button work shirts (our work building is kept cold and I roll up sleeves in the summer), 3/4 length sleeve shirts, jeans, etc.