Get Organized
Debbie Williams is an organizing strategist and founder of OrganizedTimes.com. She is the author of  "Common Sense Organizing" from Champion Press.

Closet Organization

Question: I have 2 5ft. closets and I cant decide whether to organize by season (1 for spring/summer, 1 for fall/winter) or by function (casual vs. work). Right now, they are a bit of both because my blazers/sweaters fit underneath by suits. Its not working right now as I go into both to figure out what to wear. Is one way better than the other? Any suggestions?
Sharon

Answer: Depending on where the closets are located, as well as your geographical location, it's hard for me to offer you a streamlined system for your wardrobe. But if the closets are in separate rooms of your home, it can be quite a time-waster for you to run back and forth to dress yourself each day! If the closets are double closets in one room, that's quite another story.

If you live in a climate where you have 4 seasons or at least hot and cool, you can easily separate your clothes by spring/summer and fall/winter to help you better organize your closet space. Seeing the visual clutter of bulky sweaters and ski pants in the sweltering summer is NOT a pretty sight, is it? And who wants to stare are that swimsuit after holiday binging? But if you are like me, living in warm Texas weather with almost no winter months and constant changes in the temperature, it's much better not to store away your off-season clothing in a separate closet.

Once you choose the location, take the time to invest in a second clothing rod, hung parallel to the first. It sounds as if you already have one for blazers/sweaters to hang beneath your suits right now-- just utilize the 2 rods in both closets. That will literally DOUBLE your storage space, enabling you to organize clothing by color, style, and length. And you'll be able to spread them out a bit more so you can easily find what you have and keep it from wrinkling.

There's no ONE way to organize anything, and that holds true with closet organization as well. The way you store and group your clothes will depend on what makes sense to you personally, so be sure to set up your new system so that it makes sense to you. Getting your closet organized (and your wardrobe) will streamline your morning routine, freeing up your time in ways that you won't believe. And you'll save money as well because you'll see at a glance what you have, what you don't have, and avoid duplications (who really needs 5 black blazers anyway?).

Good luck,
Debbie Williams

Also see:

  • Ask Debbie your questions
  • Recently answered questions
  • Organization in a small kitchen