Spring Cleaning Your Closet

The state of my closet is a direct reflection of what is going on in my life. When my closet looks organized and holds just the clothes that I am currently wearing...my life also seems to be organized and sailing along swimmingly. When my closet gets away from me and becomes chaotic I find that things in my life are also uncertain and crazy. I don't know which comes first....the closet or the life, but I do know that they are related!

So, as I look at my closet this weekend (the last official weekend of winter), I got that Spring cleaning bug. All of a sudden I wanted everything out of my closet. I really am a less is more girl and prefer to have 10 fabulous outfits in my closet instead of a bunch of stuff that isn't perfect for me. I dug in and got my closet back in order and it felt so good.

I have been working with women for years regarding their appearance, shopping and the dreaded closet organization. The thing that is hardest for women to do for themselves is get in that closet and get it working for them. I thought I would share with you the steps that I use with clients and for myself.

1. Look at each piece in your closet with brutal honesty and ask yourself if you feel great when you wear that item. Ask yourself if it fits well, if it is in good condition, does the color look good on you and does it reflect your personality. I have a beautiful, turquoise, cashmere sweater that I bought several years ago. It is the perfect color and it was expensive. I finally gave it up and got it out of my closet because it just didn't fit well. You have to be very honest with yourself when you go through this step...even if it means that you are getting rid of the majority of your wardrobe.

   Clothes that do not make you feel great can actually damage your self esteem.

   Take anything out of your closet that needs attention. Whether it is alterations, dry cleaning, repair, ironing or anything else. Put these items in the appropriate stack and make a pledge to yourself to get these taken care of, in a set amount of time, so that you can enjoy wearing them.

   Neglecting clothes that would work for you is like leaving dollar bills just hanging uselessly in your closet.

   Take anything out of your closet that doesn't have something to go with it. I have this rich, caramel colored, silk blouse that has to have something under it because it is so low cut. The color is beautiful on me and I love the top. I have not had anything to wear it with for close to a year. I just haven't made it a priority to get something to go under it. This weekend I took it out of my closet, made a note in my planner to get something to go with it and promised myself that if I haven't gotten something by the end of the month then it really isn't that important and I will give it away.

   Things that hang in your closet without purpose create clutter in your mind.

   Finally, take the clothes that are left and organize them in a format that works for you. I am going to share with you several ways that I organize clients closets. Everyone has a different personality and therefore a different approach to organization.

• Hang your clothes by type: all blouses together, all skirts together, all pants, etc. The person who is traditional and classic prefers to hang her clothes this way and make the most out of her wardrobe overall.
• Hang your clothes by color: put all of your blues, browns, reds, blacks, etc. together in groups. The person who like to hang her clothes this way is creative and likes to pull together outfits by color vs. type.
• Hang your clothes by outfit: put an entire outfit together on the rack including blouse, jacket, pants, scarf, etc. The person who enjoys organizing her wardrobe this way doesn't want to spend any time trying to pull together an outfit. She would rather wear the same combination over and over for the ease of having it together in her closet.

Organizing your closet according to your personality is the way to create a sense of well being whenever you get dressed.

It is important to put ourselves on the list. Many times women put off doing something for themselves because they are so busy taking care of everyone else. I promise that if your closet is not in the order that you would like for it to be and you take the time to do something about that...it will positively impact your life.