Organizing Your Wardrobe

"Comfortable Fur Lined Gloves"


Whether you are living in a tiny loft apartment with makeshift closet space or have a sprawling mansion with multiple walk-ins, the first step toward effectively managing your wardrobe is to accurately assess all the storage space available to you.

First, decide which storage areas will be used for your in-season and out-of-season day-to-day clothing as well as your outerwear, special occasion wardrobe, shoes, and accessories. Everything in your day-to-day wardrobe should fit your lifestyle, figure, and personality—you'll be hearing a lot about this concept as this book unfolds.

Next, analyze what space, if any, you and/or other members of your household are wasting storing clothes that are never worn or household items that could be given away or stored more effectively. If you live in a small apartment or home with limited storage space, are there any untraditional storage spaces that could be transformed into a closet or other wardrobe storage area with the help of carpentry, store-bought hooks and rods, or other widely available storage accessories such as crates, drawers, or armoires? Look to the resource guide at the back of this book for a guide to retailers, websites, and manufacturers that specialize in home storage solu­tions.

Understanding your storage options and then developing a plan so your clothing is easy to locate when you need it is worth your time spent if you are serious about getting an accurate inventory of all the clothing currently in your wardrobe.

If you are someone who is having a hard time with too many clothes that don't work, chances are that you have had a lifestyle change and haven't made the time to bring your closet up to speed to reflect this change.

For instance, if you used to leave the house five days a week in a suit or dress but are now working from home, raising children, or in retirement, don't waste prime closet space on suits you never wear. On the other hand, if you work outside the home full-time and just got promoted (or would like to be!) and need to step up your wardrobe a notch to help you project a stronger on-the-job presence, you probably can let go of many of your overly casual items that are cluttering your closet and won't help you project an air of authority on your job.

More often than not, the person who calls our office in dire straights about having too many clothes but not enough "outfits" is the same person who has a closet full of clothes that no longer suit her lifestyle. How do you assess your lifestyle? Begin by getting a basic understanding of the five cate­gories of dress commonly worn in today's society.