Every time I see a picture of a beautiful closet I salivate. I want it so badly—not the clothes, I love the clothes I have. No, I want the closet itself.
I want a beautifully custom-built closet with shelves and rods to my order. However, that’s not to be since I rent and I’m not about to increase the value of my landlord’s property. But I am blessed with six large closets and I am highly organized so as to make the most of them.
Both my parents were highly organized so I grew up realizing how important organization is. It’s part of my DNA.
Here are some of the ways I organize my closets and my life. If your closets are organized, then your life will be, too.
When I get undressed at day’s end, I examine my clothes. If a seam is open or a button loose, I sew it immediately. Needs washing? I wash it immediately and hang to dry. Wrinkled? I iron it. If it needs cleaning, I bring it to the cleaners the next morning. Nothing goes back in my closet or drawer unless it’s ready to be worn again.
There’s one exception to this rule and that is shoes. If my shoes need lifts, I know that the next time I wear them I must allow time to go across the street to my shoemaker and have him put on lifts while I wait.
Everything in my closet hangs facing in the same direction. And like goes with like; meaning all skirts together, all pants, etc.
I wish I could say that all my clothes hang on beautifully padded hangers, but they’re very expensive and I have a lot of clothes. So I use some wooden hangers and, I’m even ashamed to admit it, some wire hangers as well.
But, here’s a tip: Wrap an old towel around the wire hanger and you have a padded hanger!
My purses are kept on hanging storage shelves that attach to the closet rod with velcro. They’re meant for sweaters, but I keep my sweaters folded in my chest of drawers.
The rule is to separate your suits so that you see them as separate skirts and jackets. I don’t adhere to it. I hang my suits on the same hanger, but I do think of them as separate pieces.
I have more tips which I’m saving for another column. Do you have any organizational tips you'd like to share?
Miriam Silverberg is a freelance journalist and owner of a boutique publicity agency in Manhattan, Miriam Silverberg Associates. She may be reached at [email protected].
