How Sali Hughes Organizes Her Closet On Weekends
You can’t talk about beauty and not mention Sali Hughes. In addition to being a resident beauty columnist for The Guardian and having written one of the most brilliant beauty books we’ve ever read (Pretty Honest), she also runs the Sali Hughes Beauty blog. Expect to find tutorials, product reviews, and video chatting in your bathroom with other beauty folks. The reviews are honest, direct, and always exactly what you need.
Never worry about organizing your closet again. Our foolproof step-by-step guide (with photos) shows you how to easily organize your closet forever. If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably tidied up and organized your bedroom closet many times over the years, and yet every few months it still ends up looking like a trapped bull in your walk-in closet.
Keeping a closet organized will always be an ongoing process (because updating your wardrobe is an ongoing process), but there are certain things you can do to ensure that you never get your clothes fixed for more than 20 minutes.
MakeSpace takes the fight out of storage.
MakeSpace takes the fight out of storage.
- Declutter Your Clothes By Category.
organize jackets and coats in bed Flickr / CGPGrey
A quick and easy way to sort your clothing is to browse it by type. Throwing every piece of clothing you have onto a huge mountain of fabric on your bed is overwhelming and ineffective.
Instead, separate your clothes into categories like pants, dresses, tops, outerwear, accessories, and underwear. Then sort all the items in a single category before moving on to the next.
Why is this method better?
Because it’s so much easier to compare similar items when they’re all grouped in front of you, making it easy to get rid of the things you know you have too much or don’t want.
As you go through your things, commit to keeping only the clothes that you know you love and wear frequently.
If something gives you reason to doubt, throw it in a pile to donate.
Why is this method better?
Because it’s way easier to compare similar clothes when they’re all grouped together in front of you, making it easier to get rid of the things you know you have too much of or don’t want.
As you go through your stuff, make a commitment to only keep the clothes you know you love and wear with frequency.
If anything gives you reason to hesitate, toss it in a pile for donation.
- Empty And Clean Your Closet.
shoe closet empty and clean
Once you’ve made separate “donate” and “save” piles for your clothes, shoes, and accessories, go through your closet and take out whatever is still inside.
When there’s only an occasional lone safety pin left, dive in and give your closet a proper deep clean. Vacuum the carpet, clean the shelves, and clean the scuff marks or dirt from the walls.
- Design Your Ideal Closet Space.
small closet organized
Within reason, obviously. If you have the time and money for a complete Carrie Bradshaw closet makeover, go for it.
If not, be creative to work with what you have (and yes, it is possible to organize a closet without an actual closet). Take note of your closet’s best features – it might have tons of vertical storage space, built-in shelving, or multiple hanging rods. Use them to your advantage.
For areas of your closet that aren’t so great (for example, hard-to-reach top shelves or a complete lack of shelves), find out what you can do to fix these problems.
Kadi from Wizard of Homes used a hanging shoe organizer to hold T-shirts and large plastic containers to hold beachwear, swimwear, and hats.
Perhaps your open-plan closet would benefit from sideboards on plastic casters or a small closet tucked inside. If you have too many shelves and there is not enough hanging space, maybe you can remove some shelves and hang hooks on the walls.
The possibilities are endless.
The possibilities are infinite.
shoe closet empty and clean
Once you’ve made separate “donate” and “save” piles for your clothes, shoes, and accessories, go through your closet and take out whatever is still inside.
When there’s only an occasional lone safety pin left, dive in and give your closet a proper deep clean. Vacuum the carpet, clean the shelves, and clean the scuff marks or dirt from the walls.
- Design your ideal closet.
small closet organized
Within reason, obviously. If you have the time and money for a complete Carrie Bradshaw closet makeover, go for it.
If not, be creative to work with what you have (and yes, it is possible to organize a closet without an actual closet). Take note of your closet’s best features – it might have tons of vertical storage space, built-in shelving, or multiple hanging rods. Use them to your advantage.
For areas of your closet that aren’t so great (for example, hard-to-reach top shelves or a complete lack of shelves), find out what you can do to fix these problems.
Kadi from Wizard of Homes used a hanging shoe organizer to hold T-shirts and large plastic containers to hold beachwear, swimwear, and hats.
Perhaps your open-plan closet would benefit from sideboards on plastic casters or a small closet tucked inside. If you have too many shelves and there is not enough hanging space, maybe you can remove some shelves and hang hooks on the walls.
The possibilities are endless.
- Store Your Clothes By Category.
The rubbermaid homefree series closet system organizes, stores and hangs clothes, shoes, buckets and more Flickr / Rubbermaid Products
This tip may seem like a no-brainer, but it makes a difference when you want to get your cozy gray alma mater sweater on in a snap.
Keep similar items with similar items. Store all your belts in the same place, hang your sundresses next to each other, and keep your workout shirts separate from your pajamas
- Hang Anything Delicate, Fancy, Or Sturdy.
blue, green and gray collared shirts hanging on white hangers in a closet
You may have enough room to hang each and every shirt you own, but if not, stick with the obvious stuff.
That means delicate items like dresses, skirts, and lingerie, elegant items like suits, and sturdy, structured pieces like coats and blazers.
Here’s a tip from Marie Kondo (the most organized person in the world) to give your closet a clean and happy look: hang everything in the same direction, with the longest items on the left and the shorter items on the right so that the bottom of your clothing creates an upward sloping line.
- Use Coordinating Hangers.
shirts hanging on gray felt hangers in an organized closet Flickr / Emily May
Nothing screams closet chaos like a collection of neon and wire plastic hangers trying to peacefully coexist with one another.
Limit visual clutter and give your closet a sleek, streamlined look by using matching hangers for your clothes.
Just be sure to invest in hangers that really work for what you have. Opt for sturdy velvet hangers over thin plastic varieties if you have heavy suits to hang up, for example, and steer clear of wooden hangers if you have a lot of slippery silk blouses.
- Stack Thick Items Like Denim And Sweaters.
denim and sweaters stacked on wardrobe shelves Paige Smith
Save yourself a precious drawer and hanging space by stacking bulky winter sweaters and stiff denim jeans (in separate stacks, of course). These items are stacked perfect for your shelf space because they are sturdy and thick, which means they won’t sag, wrinkle, or lose their shape when stacked.
Not only that, you will be able to see each item in a stack clearly, which will make it much easier to find what you are looking for.
- Roll T-Shirts, Pajamas, And Workout Clothes Into Storage Boxes.
organized nursery sideboard for storing baby clothes
Things like cotton shirts, leggings, and polyester shorts tend to be thin and flexible, making them perfect candidates for the roll-and-fold technique.
This technique is a huge space saver if you do it right. Instead of folding and stacking your softest, thinnest clothing, just fold it in half and roll it into neat little tubes.
Tuck your rolled clothes into open boxes (great for sliding into drawers), or use wire baskets or clear containers (perfect for shelves).
- Store Your Most Used Clothes At Eye Level.
the most used clothes stored at eye level in a small closet
Keep everything you wear regularly in the middle of your closet at eye level so it’s easy to find and grab in your pre-coffee morning haze.
Place less used items directly above or below your most popular clothing and relegate less used items to the top shelf.
- Color-Code Your Wardrobe.
Rolling coat rack for hanging color-coded shirts
True, organizing your clothes by color can be tedious, but the end result will make choosing an outfit much easier, especially if you are a visual person.
You don’t need to go crazy trying to remember the exact order of the rainbow colors (but it’s ROYGBIV if you want to be precise). Even creating the most general color distinction will make your closet totally Pinterest-worthy and easy to navigate.
