5 Genius Closet Organizing Tips That Will Simplify Your Life

If you’ve ever had trouble getting out the door because you were tearing your closet apart looking for your favorite top or the perfect bag to compliment your outfit, it’s time to do some reorganizing. Even if you have a small closet, you should be maximizing and utilizing whatever space you’ve got to ensure you know where everything is and you’re actually using it. After living in NYC for five years with minimal space, I’ve learned how to keep everything organized and actually worn! Read on for my closet organization tips and tricks.

1. Keep it categorized

Keep all like items together. Tops with tops, pants with pants, dresses with dresses, etc. After that, there are two ways to organize. By color and by style.

Color: If you’re someone who gravitates towards colors, color-coordinate each category, but keep like styles together within each color. If you’re someone who only wears black, this might not work for you.

Style: The most popular way to organize is to hang like styles together. The best way to go about this is by hanging tops and dresses by sleeve length and then hemline. So try to organize by sleeveless, short sleeves, and then long sleeves.

*Tip: Never hang sweaters. Hanging sweaters can ruin the garment and leave them misshapen. To extend the life of your sweaters, make sure to fold them and place them in shelves or drawers.

2. Display bags in sight

Bags are better off where you can see them rather than stacking them inside of each other or leaving them around your house (and forgetting where you put them). Free up your shelf space for other items by hanging acrylic cubes. Not only are they useful and space-saving, but they’re also pretty.

If you don’t have space on your closet walls, acrylic cubes are aesthetically pleasing and would even look cool in your room on a free wall (maybe even by your vanity!). When getting ready you can easily select the style that goes with your outfit.

3. Get your shoes off the ground

If you’ve ever dreamed of a beautiful shoe wall that influencers and celebrities showcase on social media, dream no longer. Look for tall, narrow shelves that can hold shoes. If you pile up shoes on the floor not only are you not going to be able to see what you own, but they can easily get misshapen and ruined.

Highlight your most-worn shoes in an easy-to-assemble shoe rack: They look like professional built-ins, without the price tag. Plus, if you line them next to each other, they’ll create a surface area for even more of your items. For any special occasion shoes, you can stack them in clear shoe boxes so that you can easily spot each style.

4. Organize your jewelry

It may sound simple but invest in a jewelry box with multiple sections. If you’re someone who keeps each bauble in its original box, you’re just wasting space.

Many people love acrylic organizers so you can see everything. If you have everything organized, there’s less of a chance of pieces getting tangled and broken and you’re more likely to swap out your everyday jewelry. Also, it makes accessorizing an outfit much easier. If you want a statement earring, you know exactly where to look!

5. Use all available space

Stack pieces you don’t currently need in boxes up top above your clothing rod—this will keep them safe and out of the way until it’s time to put them back in the rotation (make sure to keep a step stool handy).

Utilize the side walls, as well: Hang an acrylic organizer to keep all of your sunglasses organized. You can also use this to organize nail polishes!

Command hooks should also be your best friend. Hang one and use it to hang the bag you’re currently using. Plus, they don’t require any nails or screws, so they’re extremely rental friendly!

Did these closet organization tips and tricks help you? Tell us in the comments–then shop New Trends to add to your closet!

This post was originally published in 2018 and has been updated with new content.