7 Habits to Help a Tidy Closet Stay That Way
You’ve banished your excuses, sorted your stuff and lightened your
load. Your closet looks great! You’ve celebrated your accomplishment and
are basking in the glory of your newly purged space. So ... now what?
Nature abhors a vacuum, as they say, so you may feel compelled to fill
it to the brim right away. But you can limit the clutter and continue to
breathe easy if you adopt just a few healthy habits.
1. Take a picture — it really will last longer.
Take a photo of your newly organized closet and refer to it regularly.
Keeping a record of your closet at its best will inspire you to keep it
that way.
2. Keep your eyes on the prize. Arrange
clothes so you can see them all: by style, color, purpose — any manner
that clicks with you. In drawers, consider organizing pieces like pretty
little logs so nothing gets overlooked at the bottom of a stack. When
it’s there at a glance, you’re more likely to wear what you have and
less likely to purchase accidental duplicates.
3. Don’t be tricked by magic gadgets. It may be necessary to invest in a few (a very few) effective and space-appropriate bins or dividers to help you wrangle your wardrobe. However, avoid expensive and gimmicky systems that really don’t suit your space or your stuff.
3. Don’t be tricked by magic gadgets. It may be necessary to invest in a few (a very few) effective and space-appropriate bins or dividers to help you wrangle your wardrobe. However, avoid expensive and gimmicky systems that really don’t suit your space or your stuff.
4. Cut the stress by making more with less.
If you keep your wardrobe simple by pairing more classic and versatile
pieces with a few trendy pieces and accessories, you can keep the
clutter down and make getting ready a breeze. Pair what you have in
several different ways to create new outfits, and you’ll see how
abundant your newly trimmed-down wardrobe really is. Then purchase only
the essential items that will allow you to stretch your core wardrobe
even further. Choose quality over quantity; wear what you love and wear
it until it wears out.
5. Check yourself at checkout. Big
budget or small budget, this is by far the most difficult challenge for
many. Take a close look at your purchasing habits and get a grip on
impulse buys. They cause clutter, waste money and can make you feel bad
about yourself. Frugality in the moment does not equal self-denial in
the long term. It simply allows you to prioritize expenditures for what
is truly most important to you. Do you want to travel, take a class, buy
an important gift for someone else or maybe save for an emergency or
investing? Look at what you spend on clothes, and you might be shocked
by what you might have accomplished with that money. But if you can’t
resist buying, return the item as soon as you see the light. Unworn
clothing is nothing more than wasted cash hanging in your closet.
6. Be true to yourself. Be sure that your wardrobe suits your actual lifestyle and is an authentic reflection of who you are. Having too many clothes can suggest you haven’t really found your own personal style, so once in a while take a fresh look at your entire wardrobe. Lay out only the pieces you love. Is there a theme, a common cut, color, style, comfort, fabric feel or fit? Keep this in mind as you shop, and you’ll keep expensive and cluttering missteps to a minimum. It’s worth remembering also that clothes that fit properly, in whatever size, are always more flattering than ill-fitting ones.
6. Be true to yourself. Be sure that your wardrobe suits your actual lifestyle and is an authentic reflection of who you are. Having too many clothes can suggest you haven’t really found your own personal style, so once in a while take a fresh look at your entire wardrobe. Lay out only the pieces you love. Is there a theme, a common cut, color, style, comfort, fabric feel or fit? Keep this in mind as you shop, and you’ll keep expensive and cluttering missteps to a minimum. It’s worth remembering also that clothes that fit properly, in whatever size, are always more flattering than ill-fitting ones.
7. Make release rewarding. Discover
the fun of consignment, find a charity you love or host a clothing
exchange party. Honestly, consignment isn’t for everyone. If your nature
is to take it personally if the shop doesn’t accept all of the clothing
you bring in, then it’s best to steer clear. But if making a few bucks
will ease the pain of separation, then consignment is a great way to go.
Find a cause you support — such as a women’s job training program that can immediately use your professional cast-offs or an animal shelter’s thrift store — so when you discover that old camisole stuck in a drawer, you can drop it off the next time you leave the house.
Spice up your wardrobe by having a clothing exchange party with friends. Bring a potluck dish, whip up a batch of pomegranate martinis and fill a bag with clothes to trade. Agree beforehand to take home only half the amount each of you brought and give the rest to charity.
Find a cause you support — such as a women’s job training program that can immediately use your professional cast-offs or an animal shelter’s thrift store — so when you discover that old camisole stuck in a drawer, you can drop it off the next time you leave the house.
Spice up your wardrobe by having a clothing exchange party with friends. Bring a potluck dish, whip up a batch of pomegranate martinis and fill a bag with clothes to trade. Agree beforehand to take home only half the amount each of you brought and give the rest to charity.
