Tis the Season to Take Inventory

The major holidays are over and now many retailers are preparing for inventory by getting rid of their fall/winter collections both online and in stores.  While many areas nationwide are just getting their first taste of winter, many brick and mortar chains are offering even further discounts to physically make room for their new spring wardrobe offerings.  This is the key time to purchase sweaters and coats, but before we grab our keys and run to the mall its time for us to take inventory of our closets.

I oftentimes get into sale mode, the stores lure me in and I take the bait and buy, buy, buy because who can beat that deal but I've stopped and realized do I really need/want it or is it just something I'm buying because its on sale. I mean do I really need another pair of gray wool slacks? Even if they are 75% off.

So time to take inventory, figure out what you really have and then determine what you really need/want.  My first step is to get organized to make life a lot easier. I keep my closet and drawers organized as seen in the pics belows by following some simple tips I learned from various sources including an episode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy...don't judge me.

1. If you're limited on closet space make sure you are using your floor and wall space to your greatest advantage. I've done this by hanging two rows of shelves on each side directly above my hanging rods. These shelves allow me to store my shoes and my handbags without having a pile in the floor.  Additionally, I first sort and section the items by type shirts, dresses, blazers, pants, skirts-All on matching hangers of course (I have the slim black velvet now, I've found they allow me to cram more into the space). I then sort by color family and finally I try to sort by sleeve length which is completely unnecessary but it helps me some.  More closet pics, before and afters of some clients' closets I've worked with coming soon.

A Peek Into My Closet

2. Shoe storage that saved my life. Shoe boxes are nice because you can stack them but not so nice because you have to remember which shoe is in that box and if you're disorganized like some people I know, um me, myself and I, then you may end up sticking shoes back in the wrong box which makes it a guessing game. For this reason I found it to be well worth the investment to buy clear shoe boxes from The Container Store. Yes they can be pricey but if you think of it as shoe maintenance its cheaper than the tax you paid for the shoe and its going to help preserve them and cut down your time to shoe hunt in the morning.

3. Vertical folding. I dont know if this is the proper term for it but basically you fold your clothes and stack them as usual, then you flip them on their side so they are stacked vertically. This helps so that you can see everything you have (color coded of course) and when you go to grab the sweater at the bottom of the pile you no longer have to refold the rest of the stakc, you just pull and replace.

So before you head out to grab those amazing deals, organize your closet and your drawers follwing my 3 easy tips and then assess your current wardrobe, maybe even getting rid of a few things that you cant fit or dont want that have been taking up much needed space, making a need and want list. Its okay to buy that trendy piece but if you dont have the basics to work with it, it may not be first on the priroty list to make it work in your numbers.

Interested in hiring me to organize your closet? please contact me and we can assess your needs and make it happen.

Do you have any closet organization tips/tricks that will help you take inventory this season?