Your Problem:
Can't Find Your Favorite Outfit
As seen in:
3/15/2002
Quick -- where are those navy pumps? Last summer's linen suit? That roomy beach
tote? If all your clothes are crammed and crumpled inside a disorganized closet, you
ask questions like these all the time--which means you probably aren't getting the
most out of your wardrobe. "Most people have no idea what they own," says Linda
Rothschild, CEO of Cross It Off Your List (212-725-0122). "But once you stop and
organize, you gain control. You know where things are, can retrieve them with ease,
and get out the door that much faster." And, though many of us fear a full-scale
clean-out, the hardest part is getting started. "Once you get past the first T-shirt,
you'll beg to keep going," says Rothschild. With specialists from California Closets,
Rothschild turned some scary storage spaces into model closets. Smart planning, new
equipment, and a dash of inspiration are all it took.
PROBLEM: HOW TO CREATE ORDER?
before
after
SOLUTION#1: PLAN AHEAD
You can't redo a closet in an hour. Set aside a day to reorganize your space, two if
you want to paint. And don't feel you have to spend a bundle; even a small investment
of $150 in rods, shelving and paint is worthwhile.
SOLUTION#2: BAN THE BULK
Remove bulky items (purses, luggage, overcoats) and out-of-season pieces. Cull the
duds, then store the keepers elsewhere--perhaps in a hall closet.
SOLUTION#3: GET TOUGH
You need to go through everything and look at it as if it belonged to someone else.
Make four piles: clothes bound for the dry cleaner, the tailor, a charity and the
trash. Only A-list items remain in the closet. "If you haven't worn something in two
years, if it's dated or doesn't fit, get rid of it," says Linda Rothschild. Still
can't decide? Model the maybe's for a ruthlessly honest friend.
SOLUTION#4: CHOOSE YOUR TOOLS
Once you know what you want to keep, get equipment that will allow you to store
everything in plain sight. In a standard 8' x 5' closet, the space between the top
shelf and the ceiling is often wasted; fill it with stackable shelves as high as 12
inches below the ceiling. Then move your pole up to a level four inches higher than
your longest garment will hang, so nothing drags on the floor. If you have lots of
short items like shirts and skirts, consider hanging two poles: the top one around 7
feet and the other one 3 1/2 feet below it. Shoe cubbies are handy too.
SOLUTION#5: ORGANIZE CLOTHES BY CATEGORY
Blouses, pants and other items should be grouped together. Within each group sort by
length, style and color. If you need visual cues, throw in a wild card. "I use a
colorful pair of pants amid my sea of black pants to mark the transition from wool to
cotton and dressy to casual," says Rothschild.
SOLUTION #6: BE MINDFUL
Hang clothes or put them in the hamper at day's end. Keep a
clipboard in your closet to make a running list of things you need and items to be
mended or repaired. And remove one old garment for every new piece you add.
Organizing a closet is like going on a diet: Do it well once, and then if you use a
little willpower every day you'll never have to do it again.
A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING
To get the most out of hall and foyer closets, think vertical. In this made-over storage area (right) a new shelving unit and several poles capitalize on the closet's 12-foot interior height. One additional rod was installed just below the ceiling, providing room to hang off-season clothes without impinging on the eye-level space that should be used for everyday things.
A SEPARATE PEACE
To better utilize the dead space in the center of a closet, California Closets made
an adjustable shelving unit that allows outerwear accessories to be stored with their
own kind--hats on one shelf, scarves below, and gloves in the drawers.
COAT TALES
Store coats so they are easy to grab when you're running out the door. And, as was
done here, separate short jackets and windbreakers from longer coats, so storage
space is freed up under the shorter items.
ON THE MOVE
For the frequent flier (or last-minute packer), the lower half of this closet keeps
luggage and garment bags at the ready. Smaller totes are placed inside bigger pieces
to save space.
NO MORE EXCUSES
Getting to the gym is a snap when you have one-stop storage for sports equipment. A
tennis racquet and yoga mat stand at attention, while small free weights and hiking
boots line the lowest shelf.
