Big wardrobe, small closet? Same. If you’re looking for ways to effectively store (and see) all your belongings, this one’s for you. Ahead, I’m sharing different tips for organizing and showcasing your clothes, shoes, and accessories.
Step 1: Make a massive mess
Remove all your hanging clothes and make piles by category (dresses, tops, pants, etc). From there, decide what you want to a) keep b) donate or c) archive.
Step 2: Start your archive system
Yes, take a note from Kim Kardashian and start an archive system. If you have limited hanging space like me, you’ll most likely not be able to hang everything in a way you can also comfortably sift through. The solution? Archive boxes.
Organize the pieces that you don’t wear often but want to save by season (fall/winter and spring/summer) and box them up. You can also think of your archive as the statement pieces that are sure to come back in style at some point (even if it’s a decade later). The important step here is to photograph each item prior to boxing it up. Then start a “Wardrobe Archive” album on your phone so you can easily glance back at what you own when you need something.
Step 3: Strategize your closet space
Back to strategizing how to best use your closet space. Start by grouping items together by category (long dresses, pants, skirts, tops, etc) and from there, arrange by color. These sections worked best for my closet: long dresses, midi skirts, pants (I folded and hung two pairs on one hanger for space’s sake), sweaters, short dresses, going-out tops, nice T-shirts and tanks, and mini skirts. I also caved and purchased a rolling rack for my heavier coats and jackets.
I’m a robe girlie (literally live in them), so I own a decent amount and have a hard time parting with them. Prior to my latest clean-out, I stored them on two hooks in my closet, which was super bulky and made it hard to see that section of my hanging clothes. I decided it was time to store them on a simple coat rack outside my closet to save space.
*additional tips for hanging clothes:
-use the thin felt hangers (if you’re feeling super fancy and have the means, swap your hangers to all one color. Kourt actually suggested this tip during my last closet clean-out).
-only double up items on a hanger if you can still easily see both items (works for pants, tanks, and some dresses).
-avoid the felt hangers that have the extra hook built in (these). I’ve found that those hangers take up more space and get caught on other items, which causes a tangled, annoying situation.
This part really depends on how much space you have. For me, the standard rack I was using was OK but still made my shoe section look messy. So measure your space and see if you can find something a bit cleaner, like this piece, which I now use for my heels and sneakers. It’s kind of like a puzzle, playing with how to perfectly squeeze as many pairs in there as you can.
For all my boots and other random slides/shoes, I reused my Poosh vessels from past mailers. Repurpose similar containers you have saved—it’s finally their time to shine! For my nicer boots, I like to either keep them in cloth bags or stuff them with recycled tissue paper so they hold their shape.
Skip this step if you don’t care to have your suits on display, but for me, it’s of high importance. The best hack I’ve found so far is storing them in a net shoe holder like the photo below. It’s not perfect but it works for now, and I pretty much have what’s in each slot memorized. I also always keep the little garment bags that most swimsuits come in so they are paired together. Manifesting a walk-in swimsuit and lingerie side closet in my future home, where everything is displayed on these hangers like a sexy little boutique.
It’s me, hi! And I have a problem parting with my jeans because I can always find an excuse to maybe wear a style again and because each pair is truly different in my opinion. So, again, I cataloged all my jeans by taking photos in them and starting an album called ‘Denim Stash’ in order to digitally see all my jeans after they are neatly folded in piles in my closet. These clear dividers also help keep my denim piles organized.
Basically, I’ve created my own version of Cher from Clueless’ closet on my phone in order to store (and digitally file) the items that are special to me and to be able to easily see the items I wear on a regular basis.
I’ve certainly had to get creative with my small closet and how to properly use every inch of space, so I hope these tips inspire other Pooshies on their organization kick!
*One last tip: don’t rush it. If you’re OK with living in a mess for a minute, do it. For me, it took a week or so. I’d either wake up unmotivated on the project or sit there and simply think, “OK, I could arrange this section in this way,” then do some measurements, Google storage options, get distracted, and most times go back to my original plan. It just takes time, so let it!
