Organize your closet like a boutique

Last week I was out shopping and looking at clothes in a frequently visited store. Being the kind of person I am, I was giddy at the sight of neat stacks of shirts, sorted by color, arranged with smallest on top to largest on the bottom, and displayed with suggested accoutrements to make a chic statement. I gazed longingly at some dark wash jeans, folded neatly right next to the super chic mannequin modeling their fashionable potential. “Wow, those are super cute,” I said to myself, daring to start looking for my size, when it hit me: I have these jeans at home.

#memoryfail

Of ALL of the people in this store, I should remember that I have these jeans already and wear them all the time. So why didn’t I think of this sooner? Because, true confession, my closet isn’t super organized right now. Those jeans are in a pile next to another pile of not so well arranged shorts, or something or other. I can’t tell because  IT’S NOT ORGANIZED!

So shameful confession aside, what’s the lesson here?

We should treat our closets like the chic, self expression boutiques that they are. Getting dressed in the morning should not be a stressful time. You’ve got the rest of the day to get stressed so your time at home should be relaxing, inspiring, and in a beautiful setting. If you can’t find anything to wear (or can’t find what you’ve got your mind set on to wear), you are not only wasting time looking for things but also wasting money buying duplicates, and expending valuable energy on an activity that should be easy.

1. Hang clothes on pretty hangers. I love & recommend the slimline velvet ones all the time for shirts, blouses, pants, etc. I like heavier wooden ones for jackets and blazers. Skirts need to be hung with clips. A belt hanger is a must.

   

2. Give each item its own hanger. You’re wasting your time trying to fit 2 skirts on 1 hanger by having to rehang the one you took off.

   

3. Hang clothes in order. The way I do it is by sleeve length and then color. Put like items together so you’ve got short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, skirts, pants, dresses, suits, blazers, and outerwear together. The actual order should make sense for how you dress so it doesn’t have to be that specific order.
4. Fold & stack clothes in drawers vertically. Marie Kondo has gotten a lot of press for her fascinating book “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” where she advises folding everything and stacking vertically so you can see everything. I think this works best in drawers for t-shirts but have had great success with scarves, workout clothes, and bathing suits. You just have to fold to fit the height of the drawers. I hate trying to pull something from the bottom of the stack only to have it tumble over or be unable to put it back neatly. Placing items in a drawer with the fold facing up eliminates this problem.

   

5. Use sachets in drawers. Don’t you love how boutiques always smell so good because they’ve got some awesome candle burning? It makes me want to curl up on a couch and stay for a while! We could all use a little more calm in our lives and lavender sachets are an easy way to add a lovely scent to your clothes. Choose your favorite scent and tuck these in!

Being organized isn’t about being perfect or having a spotless closet. I’m sure readers of this blog know all too well the effort that goes into styling an impeccable photo! It’s about knowing what you have and being able to find what you need when you need it. Having a closet that is organized like a boutique makes getting dressed easier, a little more fun, is less taxing on your memory, and a lot less stressful. Plus you start your day with a positive experience putting your best foot forward.

Now I’ve got to get my closet organized like a boutique!

Carrie Peeples helps busy women thrive by getting their homes organized. By creating systems in their homes to manage everything from mail to Manolos, she shows them how to save time & money, decrease their stress, and keep their sanity. She can show you how to make your life easier.