Taking the time to organize your closet may feel overwhelming, but you can easily nail the task in a weekend—and the return on your efforts pays off in spades. An organized closet doesn’t just look good. It saves you from the chaos of frantically searching for that dress or accessory at the last minute, and can even prevent you from spending excess money (no more buying duplicates or pieces you don’t actually need).
Just follow these six steps, and you’ll have a clean, organized closet—that you can maintain moving forward—in no time at all.
#1. Pull Everything Out of the Closet
The phrase "it gets worse before it gets better" is one you’ll want to repeat as you tackle the first step of organizing your closet, which involves removing and evaluating every single item. This might make you feel like you’re working backward. Trust us, though—this step is critical.
This helps you get a clear visual of the area and account for everything you have, making it easier to go through your items.
#2. Create Toss, Keep, and Donate Piles
Create a pile for items you want to keep, items you plan to donate, and items that aren’t fixable and need to be thrown out or repurposed. Let go of items you have not worn in the last year, are damaged, or no longer fit well, prioritizing sustainability at all times.
Still not sure what to let go of? Use the five outfit rule for keeping something: If you can make five outfits with the clothing item, and will wear it, then keep it.
#3. Sort Everything by Category
Once you’re clear on the clothes and accessories you’re keeping, sort them into categories based on likeness (like shoes, undergarments, swimwear, workout gear, etc.). Sorting is non-negotiable, since it helps you determine how many items you have in each category. This gives you a better idea of where everything will go once you start putting things back in the closet.
#4. Count and Measure Everything
Now it’s time to take your inventory. Count and measure everything that you own and plan to keep, including the number of each item in every category, shoe heights, hat widths, and so on.
With nothing in your closet, also take time to measure how much hanging, drawer, and shelf space you have. You can also measure the height of the hanging rods. If this feels overwhelming, then at a minimum, measure the width, height, and depth of your closet shelves and drawers.
#5. Set Your Closet Up
Now that you have your inventory and measurements, you can lower or raise hanging rod heights and shoe shelves (if they are adjustable). We often forget that we can move shelves and hanging rods in our closet.
Also place any purchased bins and baskets, dressers, trays, or other storage solutions into your closet.
Related: Shop Our Closet Products
#6. Put Everything Back
Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for: putting your closet back together again. As you arrange your pieces, consider which items you wear regularly and store those in easy-to-reach places.
Based on your closet inventory and closet design, you can organize or style your closet based on the item type, color, formality, and designer. Whatever the system is that works best for you, use it and keep it up!
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