Build your dream wardrobe now. If you clean and organize your closet like this you’ll have everything you need to effortlessly make outfits you love every day! Women tell me all the time that they “have a closet full of nothing to wear.” This is usually the result of impulse buying, needing to purge, or missing key pieces. You can use my closet-organizing strategy to start over or work with what you have. I have done this with clients for more than 20 years and simplified the steps so anyone can do it for themselves. This is the first step in becoming the fashion authority in your own life and owning the wardrobe of your dreams.
STEP-BY-STEP DIY DETOX YOUR CLOSET
This is where to start if your closet is in crisis. Before you begin make sure you have enough of one type of hanger to use for staging the clothes you’re keeping. Visit this post to see a DIY detox your closet video I shared when I first started on Instagram.
- Get it ALL Out – Unless you’ve done a detox recently, it’s impossible to successfully detox your closet any other way. I promise the results are worth it. Most women are shocked to see how much they have in their closets that they aren’t wearing.
2. Make Piles– Start with one major category at a time and put it into piles by color. General piles of color are fine. All your blues can go together, all your whites, all your greens etc.
Pro Tip
Don’t be tempted to edit as you put together the piles. This will slow you down. Make the focus on getting it all out.
Major Categories
- Tops- Anything you wear on top from a layering piece like a blazer or jacket to a tiny tank top.
- Coats- Bulky or heavy coats that are not part of an outfit, but go over one.
- Pants- Any style but jeans.
- Jeans- If you have a lot then put them in piles by leg shape so they are easier to edit.
- Skirts- Any style any length.
- Shorts- If you don’t have very many you can include them with your skirts.
- Dresses- Any style. If you have jumpers, rompers, or overalls, include them in these piles.
- Shoes
- Bags
- Accessories- Save jewelry for another day.
- Scarves
- Belts
- Hats
Belts
I’m a big fan of belts. Its a bonus if you a majority of the ones you keep fit at your natural waist and through belt loops. Sometimes all you need is an extra hole and you can get two belts for the price of one! Do it yourself with this.
Visit THIS POST to see a step-by-step guide on how to measure to see what size belt will work best for you.
Pro Tip
Accessories are their own animal. For large and small items remember “like with like”. Keeping similar items together makes it easier to shop your closet. This is what I use to organize my jewelry.
Pro Tip
If you’re working alone, it is often easier to keep pieces you don’t need rather than letting them go. If you think you might do this, decide where you want the items in your wardrobe to rank on a scale of 1-10 when you’re done with your detox. A one means that it is damaged or worn, and a ten means you’d replace it if it was lost or stolen.
3. Detox– Do this for each major category. Start with your tops. You should have more tops than any other item. It helps if you have a rolling rack to use as you work. Before you begin your top edit, put the color piles in order. Start with long-sleeve layers that open in the front to spaghetti strap tops. Seeing similar items side by side makes them easier to edit. For example, if you have five short-sleeved white T-shirts and one is stained and the other two don’t fit it’s easier to let them go. Before hanging the pieces you’re keeping on matching hangers, run through this short checklist to make sure you’re not keeping something if…
- It doesn’t fit. In general, I don’t recommend keeping items that are more than one size too big or too small. If you haven’t worn it in years, try it on!
- It’s dated. Does it have unique design details that are associated with a moment in time? Do you see anything like it for sale today?
- It’s sentimental. If you have a photo in it, that’s probably good enough. Move heirlooms to storage.
- It doesn’t go with anything else you own. You should be able to wear all of your clothes in at least two ways. If you can’t, then ask yourself if you like it enough to invest in pieces to go with it.
- It doesn’t suit your lifestyle anymore.
Pro Tip
Don’t repurpose. Sometimes it’s easier to move an item to a drawer or section dedicated to pajamas or grunge. Before you do, ask yourself how often you do the thing you’re repurposing the item for, and keep the appropriate amount.
When to Ditch Your Denim
My blog is packed with posts to help you navigate your denim needs. Start with my free Jean Quiz to see what styles will work best for you. When you’re done detoxing hang or fold your jeans so you can easily shop your closet.
Staging Shoes
Stage your shoes so you can see them. Never store your shoes in the box they came in. This is a huge space hog, bad for your shoes, and doesn’t make it easy for you to shop your closet. You can use these wire baskets to stack sandals and sneakers. These space-saving shoe organizers are great. If you have space you can hang your tall boots, or use a pool noodle to help them stand up straight. In the off-season, you can store them in these breathable clear bins (so you don’t forget what you have.)
HOW TO BUILD A DREAM WARDROBE
As you’re deciding what you don’t need you’ll naturally come up with a list of what you do. Check your closet for these 15 pieces. I call them my New Wardrobe Checklist. They are the pieces I reach for the most to make any outfit work. Whether you want to repurpose an old piece or play with a new one, these pieces will be the backbone of your wardrobe too. If you’d like me to send you a list of links to shop for your own subscribe to closetchoreography.com today.
New Wardrobe Checklist
This week during
A post shared by Jennifer Sattler STYLIST (@closetchoreography)
