How do you organize your clothes/shoes?

[SeattleSheri]

I'm in the process of doing my spring cleaning and it's an opportune time to reorganize my clothes and shoes, etc .... I definitely don't have the best system set up, so I was hoping people would be willing to tell me how they have things organized and why it's good. Do you organize by color? How do you store your shoes? Do you mostly hang or fold your clothes, or a combination of both? Do you store your seasonal clothes elsewhere?

I have LOTS of shoes, a closet full of hung clothes and two dressers. Right now, some of my nicer shoes are stacked in their boxes on the top shelf of my closet and my other shoes are in a big chest (not so neatly either, lol). Just to give you an idea of how unorganized I am, I found a pair of shoes in a box that I don't even remember buying! They don't at all look familiar to me and I've definitely never worn them. I'm in dire need of some advice, lol.

Thanks!

[4noisyboys]

I need some help in this area too. Not that I don't know what to do...just help in doing it!

I do try to pack away seasonal clothes, and I do give bags and bags of clothing away to Salvation Army every year. Some of them are brand new with tags. It's not that I forgot to wear them...but that they just weren't a smart purchase.

I keep most of my shoes in their boxes stacked in my closet. I keep several pairs out at a time in a row in my room...ones that I'll be wearing for work and play during the week, and then I put them all back and start over.

One section of my closet is for work clothes (almost all black since that is what I'm required to wear). The next section is tops on top, pants on the bottom. The top starts with cami's by color, then shirts short sleeve to long sleeve by color. Starts with white, beige, light to dark green, blue, orange, red, brown, black. Anything different kind of gets placed next to a similar color.

Pants are a mess right now. I need to take about 3 or 4 pair to get altered. I have to buy pants to fit my butt, which means the waist is always too big.

All sweaters are folded in a drawer.

Dresses and jackets all need help.

I think I just need to get in there one day and WORK!! Maybe after my son's graduation, when he's gone visiting his brother...I'll take a whole day and organize my room. I love when I do it! I can get rid of SO much!! I think I should be storing the extra clothes in a different area though. I have them in my closet and it really makes my closet feel all crowded.

Also, all my handbags are in their boxes on top of my closet too. I've given several away, but I need to have a better system for them too.

I'm thinking I should kick one of my boys out, and then I can use their room to store everything!!

[Darcy Baldwin]

I keep pants and long skirts at one end of the rod, short sleeved shirts next, then long sleeve/sweaters in the back. Dresses hang on Russ' side since i have only a couple. The few shoes I have are on the back of the closet door in one of those shoe hangar thingies. Tshirts, shorts and underthings are in my dresser. I'm easy.

[Leila]

Clean/Dirty.

Seriously--if it's hanging in the closet/folded in a drawer, it's clean and wearable. If it's not--it's not.

[jessica31876]

OK dont laugh cause I got made fun of alot for my obsession of how I organize everything. when I had mine organized I did it by color order and by garment. So color order was red, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white, brown, tan and garment order was short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, jackets, capris, pants, skirts, dresses. So each section of garments was also organized by color. I know I am wierd. Right now I do not have a closet because we started redoing my bedroom last year and work started slowing down and then we had an accident and my husband went out of work so it is kinda on hold so all my clothes are in a dresser and underbed rubbermaid containers.

[*Kelly*]

I organize just like this too.. it really helps me put clothes together faster. *Glad to see another 'weirdo':) (as my dh calls me) out there organizing their clothes the way I do.*

OK dont laugh cause I got made fun of alot for my obsession of how I organize everything. when I had mine organized I did it by color order and by garment. So color order was red, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white, brown, tan and garment order was short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, jackets, capris, pants, skirts, dresses. So each section of garments was also organized by color. I know I am wierd. Right now I do not have a closet because we started redoing my bedroom last year and work started slowing down and then we had an accident and my husband went out of work so it is kinda on hold so all my clothes are in a dresser and underbed rubbermaid containers.

[SeattleSheri]

Debra, I'm HORRIBLE about giving clothes away. Even if I haven't worn something in ages or I know it doesn't fit properly (anymore), I can't bring myself to relinquish it *sigh* My closet is very small. I have tops on the top and slacks on the bottom too. Unfortunately, there is no room to put shoes on the closet floor because the slacks pretty much almost touch the floor. My jackets are all either on our coat hanger or in our coat closet.

Darcy, I like your style!

Leila, that sounds surprising similar to my current organization, lol. Although, I consider anything on the guest bed fair game to wear (my clothes are all stored in our guest room) :)

Jessica and Kelly, I need one of you to come to my house! I wish I could maintain that much order! Once, when I lived in an apartment with a walk-in closet, I was close! Part of my problem stems from our lack of space. Our house was built in the 50's and everything is small (closets, rooms, etc). There isn't much storage space!

[lauren grier]

I'm supposed to organize them? lol

Shoes: Ce and I each have a shelf in the kitchen closet
Clothes: Ce and I share clothing storage space..... everything is mixed together haha

[Joan]

Clean/Dirty.

Seriously--if it's hanging in the closet/folded in a drawer, it's clean and wearable. If it's not--it's not.
*high fives Leila*

[Nettio]

OK dont laugh cause I got made fun of alot for my obsession of how I organize everything. when I had mine organized I did it by color order and by garment. So color order was red, pink, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white, brown, tan and garment order was short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, jackets, capris, pants, skirts, dresses. So each section of garments was also organized by color. I know I am wierd. Right now I do not have a closet because we started redoing my bedroom last year and work started slowing down and then we had an accident and my husband went out of work so it is kinda on hold so all my clothes are in a dresser and underbed rubbermaid containers.

haha, this is me too! Everything is organized by type and then by color. I love having it by color because with my colorful wardrobe, it looks so pretty. :D I don't have very many shoes so those are just in a row along the bottom of the closet beneath one of the lower racks of shelves.

Honestly my best advice is to purge, purge and purge some more. In general my rule is if I haven't worn an item during it's last season (so like the last winter season for a sweater), then I usually get rid of it. Sometimes it's hard but I just remind myself that this means I'm making space for new clothes. But this works for me because I like to shop. :D

The only exception to this rule is items that I know I don't wear very often, like dresses or dress pants. Those I look at on a case by case basis but I always go with my instinct. If my first thought is that I don't like it or won't wear it again, it's gone. Don't sit and think about it because you WILL find ways to talk yourself into keeping it.

If you still aren't sure about an item or the very idea scares you, put the clothes into a bag with a label, like 3 months, 6 months, or whatever season they are, and let them sit. I guarantee you won't ever look in that bag for clothes but it's a good baby step until you're really ready to get rid of them.

[newfiemountiewife]

I barely have any clothes that fit at the moment LOL.

Mine and Tony's are in the closet together, his is on one side, mine on the other. My shoes are lined up on the bottom of the closet, the shoes we wear a lot are in the front closet by the door.

That's it. LOL

[jessica31876]

I actually enjoy organizing LOL. It is kinda theraputic to me when I am stressed out I will start cleaning/organizing stuff. You would not guess it by the way my house looks most days because my husband and 2 of my 3 kids do not share my passion for organization so to keep myself from getting to stressed I have accepted some mess/clutter in my life LOL



Jessica and Kelly, I need one of you to come to my house! I wish I could maintain that much order! Once, when I lived in an apartment with a walk-in closet, I was close! Part of my problem stems from our lack of space. Our house was built in the 50's and everything is small (closets, rooms, etc). There isn't much storage space!

[sprauncey1]

LOL Winter tops on top, summer tops on bottom, pants folded in drawers and shoes in those clear shoe boxes. I've tried by color before but then I'm digging through the color to find something to wear when its HOT and all I can find is long sleeves, or when its cold all I can find is my tank tops. But it does look pretty when its by color!