Have you looked in your closet lately? When was the last time you actually — *gulp* — cleaned it out? 

If your closet looks kind of like mine right now with shoes covering the floor…..clothing hung haphazardly (honestly – it’s probably not hung at all)…..purses strewn about….belts, ties and scarves threatening to choke-hold you anytime you get near the closet door….then you need this guide, probably yesterday. #whoops

Happy #fashionwednesday! It’s a new year – which means its time to clean out those closets and get organized for the year. I’m taking this week to sweep out the old and bring in the new (because Christmas was good to me and I need to find spaces for all my new shoes). It’s super important to keep yourself clean and organized so you have time to worry about more important things. I find that I work better, am happier and all around less stressed when my home is clean and organized. Here is The Ultimate Closet-Organizing Guide For The New Year!

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The Ultimate Closet-Organizing Guide For The New Year

Odds are you have a ton of clothes wasting space in your closet right now. They’re either too old (I’m looking at you, top-I-wore-as-a-senior-in-high-school), too small, too big, out of date, etc. The list goes on and on when it comes to why it shouldn’t be in your closet – but the point is, if it doesn’t make you feel 100% confident like to boss woman you are, then it’s time to toss it. Let’s dive into this.

The Ultimate Closet-Organizing Guide For The New Year

First stop, Pinterest some inspiration for that beautiful closet of yours.

If you need some help looking for the right way to organize your closet, Pinterest should be your first stop. Find out what kind of organization style works for you and see how those people are organizing their closets and making their lives easier and less stressed. Create a new closet organization board and get pinning.

Next, stock up on the organizational essentials. 

It’s important that you have things in place to help you organize. Start with some space saving bags to put away out of season clothing so you can see what you are working with right now. If you don’t have any shelves, consider putting in some shelves (or temporary shelves if you can’t put holes in your wall). Grab some bins to put on the top shelves to hold other, smaller items and consider getting a shoe rack if you have the same problem I do (hello, too many beautiful wonderful shoes). Consider replacing your hangers for thinner, sleeker designs meant for space saving and potentially invest in tie or scarf racks to hang those items.

Third, ask yourself the right questions and get into the right frame of mind.

Go into this with the idea that you are going to dedicate a solid few hours to making your closet the space of your dreams. Know this ahead of time and plan for: short breaks, snacks and hydration. Don’t get frustrated or upset when you have a large pile of clothes that have to go. Think of it as making room for newer, more YOU items. 

While you go through your clothing and shoes, ask yourself this one simple question: does it serve you RIGHT NOW? If it doesn’t, it’s time to go. Think on these additional questions, too: Does it fit me RIGHT NOW? Not some ideal version of myself — does it flatter and fit you right this very second? Do you feel confident in that? Does it bring you joy to pull this out of the closet? If the answer is no to any of those – it’s time to, as Elsa aptly puts it, let it go. 

The Ultimate Closet-Organizing Guide For The New Year

Next – make 3 large piles while going through your clothing. KEEP, DONATE, TRASH.

There are always organizations that could use your gently used clothing – just because it didn’t serve you, doesn’t mean it can’t serve someone else in need. If it is still in good shape, consider donating. While I’m sure many of your clothes fit the gently used description, you know there are some that don’t. That holey tee that you keep meaning to patch, the jeans with the button missing, the weird run in your favorite leggings….trash ’em. Any clothing with obvious (non-manufactured) defects need to be let go. They had a great life, but it’s time to bin them. The other pile is obviously your keep pile. When you put these clothes on, they should make you feel strong and fabulous. Go back to those questions above and continuously ask them to yourself to ensure you only keep the clothes you look best in.

Organize by a certain type.

I choose to organize by season, and then by color. I put away my off season clothing and then organize my current season by appropriate color, and then by sleeve length within each color (more of this during the summer – I don’t really have varying sleeve lengths in the fall and winter. It’s most all long sleeves). It makes sense to keep your closet organized by the way you see best, so decide how you prefer to do it and DO IT. I love doing it by color because it makes me feel like I can choose what speaks to me instead of digging through tops to find one I really like. 

KEEP THINGS VISIBLE.

If you can’t see it, you aren’t going to wear it. It’s the truth. Out of sight, out of mind has never rung more true than when it comes to clothing. Think about it — you probably keep about 3 or 4 pairs of shoes out where you can see them and you wear them all the time. What about that cute pair in the back you can’t really see? Do you ever think to pair it with your current outfits? Probably not. That’s why it’s best to organize what you have in an easily visible and accessible way. I leave my shoes in their shoes tree by season – if I can’t wear them right now, they get put in a box. That ensures room for all my in-season shoes and allows me to see everything at a glance. 

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The Ultimate Closet-Organizing Guide For The New Year


Organization doesn’t have to make you pull your hair out – I promise. I am a firm believer in easy and concise organization because I believe to key to a happy home is a clean and organized one. When everything has a place, you don’t have to look for things. They’re right where they belong. 

Are you planning on doing a closet clean out any time soon? Let me know in the comments below if you found this Closet-Organizing Guide helpful!!

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68 Comments

  1. I did a similar post today on decluttering – great minds think alike 🙂 These are great tips! Going through my closet/dresser is always such a daunting task but I’m ready to tackle it!

  2. I need to organize my closet SO bad, it’s something I’ve been putting off for the last few months. Love all of your tips, Taylor!

  3. Love all of these tips! Having the space for it definitely helps in keeping things organized but it’s also important to focus on having items in your closet you actually wear and use. I used to be bad about holding onto old stuff, but thankfully I did a huge purge last year and it’s helped a ton!

  4. I just HAVE to clean out my closets this weekend. Our spare closet is STILL full of clothes that we’ve been wanting to get rid of for the past year. This weekend…it all goes.

  5. My problem is I hold a special bond with so much of what I buy! Then I finally donate stuff or sell it and then 7 years later it all becomes in style again and I wish I had it back (hello tommy hifiger sweaters and guess tees)!!! What to do, what to do!!

  6. I always put off clearing out my closet haha. It’s such a task but I always feel so refreshed when I do get around to it. I LOVE searching Pinterest for closet inspiration – so much prettiness in one place! *insert heart eyes emoji here*
    Great guide, girl. I’ll have to keep it in mind for when the dreaded clear-out time comes. 🙂 x

  7. I have a teeny tiny closet and I have to share it with my husband. Our old house had the greatest closet and now I’ve got this small box. It’s been an awful adjustment!

  8. I have a stack of clothes I need to get repaired, but you’re probably right, I don’t need them haha. These are some really great tips you shared!

  9. I looove this! I’m slowly but surely decluttering and organizing my closet – it’s a huge job haha! Love your tips!

  10. I might not know you BUT I feel like this post was written for me LOL! Seriously this is inspiring me to do something that I’ve needed to do for years!!! Thanks for sharing this!!

  11. My closet is definitely on my to-do list for this year. I would like to be able to walk down the whole thing! Thanks so much for this!

  12. Our closet is actually on our To-Do list for this year. It’s looking pretty shabby and in desperate need of an update. I love the concept of the organizational systems.

  13. I WISH my closet could look like this. Unfortunately ours are on the small side so our clothes get pretty crammed in. I am big on organizing by color though to make it easier to find pieces 😛

  14. I’m actually proud to admit my closet is quite organized! But I know once my fiancé and I combine closets, that’s gonna change and I’ll need all the help I can get hah!

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