How many of us have closets full of clothing and complain about having nothing to wear?

I can’t tell you how many clients’ closets I clean out and find items that they haven’t worn in years, and some that they haven’t ever worn! Your closet sanity all begins with your shopping habits…do you buy trendy items that don’t match anything in your closet? If so, this is a shopping no-no. Let’s be honest…For some of us ‘shopaholics,’ grabbing a new trendy item can be exhilarating – but many times we get home and have absolutely nothing to wear it with. Closet organization is the key to shopping ‘smart,’ getting dressed without effort, and will save us time, frustration and most importantly – money!

This brings me to rule #1: Never buy an item that you don’t have at least 2 pieces to match it with that are already in your closet.  If you follow this rule, your outfit possibilities will grow, and you won’t end up wasting you money on a piece you just can’t wear. If you have fabulous pieces for each season that are quality, you only need to buy a few items to enhance what you already own or to replace items that have become a bit weathered.

Rule #2: Edit your closet every 3 months!
Editing your wardrobe is a constant process. It is important to create 3 distinct piles when editing your closet; throw-away, give-away and keep. And yes, you will need to try on almost everything – especially those pieces you haven’t worn in a while. The give-away pile should be anything that is too small, too big or something that you haven’t worn in 2 years. The throw-away pile are items that are damaged beyond repair – missing sequins, rips in chiffon, tears that aren’t along seems – you get the picture. The keep pile should be items you have worn within the last year and WILL continue to wear.

Rule #3: Never buy anything that is too tight with the idea that you will fit into it after you have lost a few pounds. This is one of the biggest money wasters ever! Even when we do lose the 5 pounds in order to fit into a pair of pants we just can’t live without, it doesn’t always mean that they will fit us like we think they will. We all lose weight differently, and many times we lose it from places we aren’t expecting – buy an item that fits you now and get it tailored if you need to in the future.

Rule #4: Don’t arrange your closet by colors – arrange it by the type of clothing item. (Jeans with jeans, slacks, skirts etc)…

This is a tricky step – some items from work can double as casual or even date night attire and vice versa. For example, there are work jackets (like the boyfriend blazer that is SO in this season) that can go with a great pair of jeans or even a floral skirt. I arrange by item and then by color (light to dark) – this makes it easy to create outfits in my closet from the separate areas for different events. If they are color coordinated, you can’t really see what you have in terms of options for pants, jackets shirts etc…

And finally, the last and most important challenge! After you have organized your closet, you will need to pull out each piece and create at LEAST two new outfits. This means pairing the piece with something you have never worn it with. This may sound simple, but it can be very challenging and rewarding. At the end, most of us will only need a few updates for the spring season if we actually take the time to do this important step!