A Happy Closet

Spring is finally here….I think.  And in anticipation, I flipped my closet from heavy, wooly, itchy, dark, winter clothes to bright, airy, light, happy spring clothes.  What a difference it made!  Mind you, my closet is always in some form of tidy.  I love returning my clothes to their proper hanger at the end of the day, caring for damaged clothes immediately, keeping my clothes arranged by type then color & editing along the way.  So when I decided last weekend it was time to flip for the season, it really was just to pull forward my lighter wardrobe.

However, it’s absolutely amazing what you can pack into a small space…or a large space.  No matter how much space we have, we all manage to squeeze in just a few more items.  I would love to see Queen Elizabeth’s closets.  I know someone else hangs up her garments, but I still want to see how it is organized and how full they are kept.  But back to my modest closet, when I started pulling out winter garments to move them to a less accessible area, I started purging.  It began with just one or two T-shirts & then steamrolled into 2 large garbage bags.  That’s almost a whole wardrobe!!

I took into account if I really liked wearing each & every garment.  Honesty & letting go of your fears will help you purge.  Maybe a few of these statements sounds familiar.

•I might need this.

•I spent a lot of money on this.

•My (insert name) gave this to me.

•I remember when I wore this. (ok, you can keep a few of these)

•It’s really pretty but I don’t have anything to wear it with.

•I’m going to wear this when I lose some weight.

 Are you ready to let go?  Are you ready for a happy closet? 

The first thing to do is commit a few hours, yes hours, to flipping your closet.  You certainly didn’t buy all of your clothes in 30 minutes.  If you have an average adult’s size closet you probably have at least 300 hangers to consider.  I’ll let that percolate for a moment.  And that doesn’t include folded items or accessories!  Men, don’t think it’s just women who have an abundance.  You have more hats than we do handbags…an average of 40 hats to be specific.  Everyone is in this together.  Let’s all get a happy closet.

1.  Flip    Move all winter items that are hot just looking at them when it’s 100º outside to the back of your closet, to a storage bin or to an off season closet.

2.  Clean/Repair    Check each garment for dirt or damage & have clean/repaired before storing.  Polish shoes & handbags before storing.  Clean-out contents of handbags & pockets.  If you wore a garment even once, it needs to be cleaned.  Undetectable body oils cause ugly yellowing on collars & cuffs.

3.  Edit  Garments that make you sigh, feel frustrated or crinkle your nose are ready to be set free.

4.  Create/Accessorize   Take a moment to create outfits & accessorize them.  Hang outfits together with accessories in a plastic bag.  Use a wardrobe app to catalogue outfits with accessories.  Record outfits by taking a picture.

Flipping & organizing your closet refreshes your mind, creativity & spirit.  Follow my Daily Tips for more ways to enhance your wardrobe.

I’m here to help you by disclosing my knowledge of how to organize & be prepared for any situation.  I will show you tips & tricks through posts on the Styled & Organized Living Facebook page, @StyledOrganized on Twitter & the Styled & Organized Living Pinterest page.  Some posts will be simple tools while others will be ideas to consider.   But all will show you how to gain a little more control over your life through organization because Life is Better Organized!