How to Organize Your Closet To Refresh Your Look

Last month, we talked about how to refresh your wardrobe seasonally to make it feel fresh. This month, we're exploring organization. This is where a lot of closet advice goes sideways. People organize for aesthetics (I'm also guilty), when in reality, you should organize for how you actually get dressed. So let's explore.

What Do You Actually Wear?

Whatever you consistently reach for first should occupy some of the most accessible real estate in your closet.

A dress is the easiest starting point for me: one thing on, then shoes, jewelry, bag, jacket from there (it's almost like elevated PJs). That means that the first thing I see when I open my closet is seasonally appropriate dresses, loosely by color.

Your starting point might be completely different.

If you’re a T-shirt person, put the T-shirts near the front. If outfits usually start with trousers, make those easy to see. Once you have your category, organize it enough that it’s easy to navigate. Color is a great secondary category as it is usually the next quality that you consider when you're choosing a piece. Though I encourage you to spend a little time here and really think about how you get dressed. From there, you'll know exactly how to organize for yourself.

Pro tip: if you're feeling like your wardrobe is tired, or that it's time for a renewal of your personal style, try swapping out this section. For example, if dresses have been your go-to for a few years, put trousers in their place for a little while.

Stop Organizing by Aesthetics Only

Every section does not need to be meticulously styled. That's right, your wardrobe does not need to look like a luxury boutique. The section you build outfits around most (what we just talked about above) often should be the easiest to use. Everything else just needs enough organization that you can find it.

The easiest route is to group types and then just go by color. Don’t invent a complicated system that becomes another chore. The point is removing friction from getting dressed. If it looks beautiful but you can’t find anything, the system isn’t working.

Your "Special Occasion" Shoes Deserve More Attention

Shoes are my favorite way to make an old outfit feel new.

I treat everyday shoes seasonally the same way I treat clothing: sandals and summer styles don’t need prime space in November - rotate them out.

Hot take: your “special occasion” shoes are probably more versatile than you’ve decided they are.

We mentally assign categories to our shoes (and clothes) that we have to unlearn. For example, I'm sure there are shoes that come to mind when you think about wedding shoes, dinner shoes, party shoes, work shoes. See? Unlearn this. Amazing pieces end up sitting, waiting for the next event we’ve decided they’re allowed to attend.

Instead, take an interesting shoe and put it with something you’ve worn twenty times. A metallic heel with jeans, a jeweled shoe with a simple black trouser, or a dramatic boot with an otherwise ordinary outfit - look at that elevation! You're brand new.

When you’re trying to make old outfits look different, shoes can change the entire personality of something without requiring you to reinvent the outfit itself.

How to Shop Your Own Closet

Once your closet is edited to what makes sense for right now, finding new combinations gets easier. That’s what people mean by “shopping your closet”, not pretending your wardrobe is a store.

One of the easiest tricks: change the starting point and work backwards.

If you always wear a blouse with the same jeans, don’t start with the blouse. Start with a shoe you’ve barely worn or trousers you normally save for work, and everything changes.

Who knows, you might even decide this is a more fun way to get dressed and change the above category (your focal category) multiple times before you land on your new style.

Cheers!

Alyssa