Posts tagged closet organization
Life Hacks: Closet Organization
Mar 31st
If you have a walk in closet, I beyond envy you. Whether you have a huge walk in or a teeny tiny closet (like me), everyone can use some pointers about getting themselves and their closets organized.
Merchandise your Clothing by Type
You might be thinking that this is my OCD kicking in, but in all seriousness categorizing your clothing makes your closet the easiest to navigate. In my closet, I have dresses all together and hung all the way on the left. Same goes for jackets. They are all together and hung all the way on the right. I fill in the middle with all year round pieces, like tops and pants. When I am looking for a certain piece, I know exactly where it is. This is extremely helpful in a time crunch. If you’re looking for pants to go with a top, all of your options are categorized together and in front of you.
Invest in Matching Hangers
First off, get rid of your metal hangers from the dry cleaners! They are okay to hold your clothes for a short amount of time, but when in your closet, they misshape the fabric in the shoulders. Invest in matching hangers. This will add a little bit of luxe to your closet and give it a cohesive look. I personally like velvet hangers. They are nonslip, so you don’t have to worry about finding your favorite dress on the floor of your closet next year.
Keep Shoes Visible
Before I made my (not-so-mini) shoe collection visible, I had them stored in a bin at the bottom of my closet. I was wearing the same heals and flats over and over because I couldn’t see all of my options laid out before me. I am definitely a grab-and-go kind of gal, especially in the morning before I out. Just think of the missed opportunities, people!
I have always wanted to make a shoe display on a bare wall from floating shelves. So cool, but I don’t have the space to do it where I am living now. In this case, build onto your existing closet. Have an upper shelf already built into your closet? Add to that! I bought a ClosetMaid organizer to put on top of my existing shelf. It gave me an additional two shelves to put shoes onto, while keeping them organized. Another good tip is to stagger your shoes (right toe out, left toe in). This maximizes space. I know for a fact that you’ll be amazed at how many options you have for footwear now when you’re heading out of the house.
Organize Handbags by Color
If you haven’t already noticed, I am usually running out of the door. I wouldn’t call myself late, but I am definitely one to rush. Organizing your handbags by color makes it easier to grab on the go. Again, I am sure you find yourself wearing the same bag over and over (just like the shoes before) because you don’t have time to change it in accordance to your outfit. Get your handbags out and on display. My favorite handbag is on my headboard because I love it so much. I always go to that one for a night out or a special occasion.
Have any organization tips? Leave them in the comment section, below!
~ Taylor, fashioniSTA
Photo credit: Pinterest.com
Life Hacks: Closet Cleanout in 3 Steps
Mar 20th
It is that time of year again - Spring Cleaning! We all know what that means… It’s time for “out with the old and in with the new.” That motto is all fine and dandy, but some of us struggle with a true spring cleaning overhaul more than others. For those of you that just need a little extra push in the right direction, this post is for you. So packrats, unite! I give you three (yes, three) easy step that will overhaul any closet. Let’s get started!
1. Divide & Conquer
I couldn’t tell you the amount of times that I got overly ambitious and started to clean out my closet and dumped all of my clothes from my closet and drawers onto my bed. Then halfway through the overhaul, I got tired or frustrated from cleaning and dumped everything back into my closet and drawers.
This is the worse way to cleanout your closet! Take it from me - I learned the hard way. It’s important to divide your closet and drawers into sections. I personally like to divide my space into zones based on category. I’ll go through my shoes separate from my jackets and coats too ensure that I go through my closet with a fine tooth comb. This ensures that you’ll allot yourself enough time and energy into each section. This is the perfect way to spread an overhaul over the span of a few days, rather than dedicating one whole day (like your precious days off) to the mess that is now your closet.
2. “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
This is definitely the hardest part of cleaning out your closet. There have been plenty of times that I’ve kept an article of clothing hoping to lose weight or in anticipation of a special event (that will [most likely] never happen). Let’s be honest here, if you have had it for two years and it has never been worn (red flag: price tags still attached), it is time to say goodbye. Unless of course, it is something very sentimental. I’m sure you aren’t still rocking gaucho pants that were ever so popular circa 2007/2008.
Another trick to figuring out what should stay and what should go is to reverse all of your hangers so that they are facing outward (towards you). When you wear an article of clothing, put it back into your closet as normal (hanger facing inward - towards the back of the closet). Do this for about a month. The items that are left facing outward (sorry to say) got to go.
3. “Another Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure”
Now, your former belongings need a new home. If you have items with tags still attached that are in style and/or in good condition, consign them at Second Time Around! This is the perfect opportunity for you to make some cash on clothing and/or accessories that were just sitting in your closet, taking up space and collecting dust. For a limited time, STA is offering up to 70% on consigned handbags. Details here.
I love going into Second Time Around and using the money I made from my consigned items and putting it towards a piece I know will fit perfectly into my new, clean closet. If you have items that are not in sellable condition, like a pair of beat up sneakers, donate them! Goodwill and Salvation Army will take all of your unwanted clothing for those in need.
That wasn’t too painful, right? It really is easy when you have a guide to go by. Stay tuned for next week’s post on organizing your closet after an overhaul.
Have any tricks you use when Spring Cleaning? Leave them in the comment section, below! We’d love to hear ‘em!
~ Taylor, fashioniSTA
Credits: Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3
STA Your Closet Week 3: Fill Your Closet, Fulfill Your Wardrobe Dreams
Apr 13th
Now that you have purged the bulk of your wardrobe that you don’t wear, it’s time to admire what you have left! Putting your closet in a quick order is key to not only knowing what you have, but also to achieving smooth mornings. We’ll show you how to get the most out of your closet, and show you how you can also continue editing, without even knowing that you’re doing it!
Rack Your Runway
In the process of purging your closet, you probably separated your garments into categories, so take this tip and apply it to your wardrobe organization. When your items are grouped together, I can guarantee you will make the most out of your closet. Not only will you be able to find the perfect accent to your ensemble quickly, but you’ll ensure that you don’t forget about a certain piece that ends up hiding out in back. You can also take this one step further and color-code your clothing. This works great if you’re the type of person that sees color combinations easily when creating an outfit. However, if you happen to be the type of person that will not be able to distinguish individual garments from a sea of black, feel free to keep your closet color-eclectic.
For the truly fashion-dedicated, you can track what you rack by employing a digital camera and/or an app. Cataloging your individual pieces takes time, but for those who are visual learners, it will really help you to keep track of what you have, what you’re missing and help you to create fantastic outfits. Snap a quick pic of each piece, and either upload it onto your computer for easy access and organize it yourself, or go with a style app that helps you to digitally organize your closet. We love Closet – Clothing Organized (which has a free lite version) and TouchCloset, but there are others out there to choose from!
Assess the Situation
Love everything in your closet? Great! Now it’s time to look for the gaps. Unless your closet is the same one they used for the entire Sex and the City series, there are probably some key items missing. Using your style persona determined in the last blog post (find it here), just follow the quick style guide below, and feel free to improvise!
Everyone: These are the staples that we recommend for everyone on planet earth
- Rain boots and a rain jacket
- Three pairs of jeans: a dark premium pair, a loose pair, a skinny pair, and a colored pair (black, white, or a bright if you’re feeling bold).
- An assortment of basics – tanks, tights, leggings, t-shirts.
- A spring jacket that goes with everything.
- A loose jersey dress for the weekends.
- Three handbags: small (clutch), medium (for day-to-night) and large (satchel or hobo).
- Three pairs of staple shoes – this can be a classic pair of pumps, a pair of boots and a pair of flats.
- Two cardigans to throw on to spruce up an outfit or just to keep you warm.
Campus Chic: You’ll be going on interviews for internships and jobs, as well as making it through the rest of your classes. You need a healthy mix of school-ready ensembles (think casual weekend wear) and future office-appropriate outfits. As you near your graduation date, your closet balance should shift from more casual clothes at the beginning of your academic education to more work-ready apparel. But you should always remember to keep a strong army of basic pieces, they’ll carry you through the transition into the work force:
- A sundress for upcoming graduations (including your own!).
- An interview outfit – this can be anything from a full suit to a tailored, asymmetrical dress.
- A few pairs of jeans, at least one premium dark, work-appropriate pair.
- An assortment of flats to wear to class, which will carry you over to your full-time job.
- A large tote for your books and weekend trips - you can later use this in your job as well.
- A jersey tunic to wear with leggings, perfect for a fashion-forward but super easy look for class.
Trendy Worker: Your office environment gives you the opportunity to create a fantastic and functional wardrobe. Start with the fundamentals, then take it to the next level with color, texture and new trends:
- Slim cut pencil skirt – it doesn’t have to be black, white or even red can be a neutral staple.
- At least a couple blouses that you can wear with skinny pants or a pencil skirt. These can also be recycled with jeans for the weekend or a casual Friday.
- Denim: a dark premium pair, a loose pair, a skinny pair, and a colored pair (black, white, or a bright if you’re feeling bold).
- Black jeggings, you will live in them, they’re perfect when your outfit calls for an option in between a bulky pair of jeans and a minimalist pair of leggings.
Conservative Chic: Getting a day off from your weekday uniform is like winning the lottery, take advantage of it! Stock your closet with the necessary staples for your day job, but make sure you have plenty of interesting weekend wear and nighttime ensembles to keep your wardrobe as fabulous as you are! Here are our suggestions, tailor-made for you:
- Your own uniform staples (you probably already have more of these than you’d like!).
- Weekend jeans: a dark premium pair, a loose pair, a skinny pair, and a colored pair (black, white, or a bright if you’re feeling bold).
- At least three go-to outfits for a night out: a dress that you can dress up with heels or down with flat boots and a jacket, a great pair of skinny jeans and a blazer, and a cocktail dress.
- Casual Friday gear (if applicable). This can be anything from a day dress to jeans and a t-shirt.
Casual Gal: For strutting your stuff everyday, you’ll need some great comfortable day wear, as well as some stunning night-out ensembles. Start with a strong foundation, then spruce up your wardrobe with some one-of-a-kind, easy statement pieces:
- At least six pairs of jeans, the more variety the better!
- An assortment of flats, including boots.
- A loose, white button-down shirt to throw on with jeans and riding boots.
- Easy jersey dresses when you feel like oozing femininity without the pain.
- A denim jacket to pair with a sundress or white jeans.
- Jersey tunics to wear with leggings.
Stay tuned for next week when we provide you with a list of the to-die-for unique pieces that every fashioniSTA should have in her wardrobe, tailored especially for Spring!