Last week, I talked about how getting rid of my son’s dresser and having used only his closet for clothing organization was a success.  Many of you responded on Facebook that it was a great idea and that others have tried it with success. So today, let’s stay on the topic of clothing organization.

At the end of each season (now for example) is a good time to purge and re-organize your wardrobe.  Taking a look at what you did not wear all season and deciding to donate it or give it to a friend.  Some friends even have “swishing events“, where they swap clothes that they are no longer interested in and create a whole new look with some new (free) pieces.

This is also the time to look at the incoming season’s clothes and decide what key pieces should be purchased this year.  Using a personal style consultant like my friend Krista Carlson can help you to select a few pieces to add impact to your wardrobe without spending a fortune.  I had Krista come over and help me see what was missing from my wardrobe.   She also helped me to see new combinations I had never considered!

Organize your clothes by category: shirts, pants, jackets, etc.  Then organize each category by color: greens, blues, browns, etc. Seasonal sweaters are better stored folded than on the hanger; you don’t want to have it mis-shapen.  If you want to store your sweaters in the closet, purchase shelf dividers.  If you place them 10 -  12 inches apart, you can stack folded sweaters in between and have your stack stay neat and tidy. You can find them here. Another option for sweaters that works well for handbags, scarves and hats is the hanging sweater shelf.

While you are working on your clothes, create a space or system for those things that need to go to the dry cleaners.  Install a hook in your closet or behind a door. Place a laundry bag on the hook and when the bag is full, go to the cleaners.  No more dry cleaning lying around “in wait”!

I recently went to a community event where the speaker delivered valuable information on AD/HD or ADD.  This topic is always of interest to me as one of my sons, now 19, has ADD.  He was diagnosed in the 3rd grade and was on and off medication.  The side effects of the medication were lack of appetite, hard to sleep, and “feeling weird” (per my son).  So we set about to find other solutions that worked for him.

One of the solutions was to get rid of his dresser.  Sounds weird, right?  But we had a constant battle with him about his clothes.  We expected his room to be cleaned up ( just once a week) and his clothes were always the biggest hurdle.  There were clothes on the bed, on the floor, falling out of the dresser – pure chaos to his professional organizer mom!  One day when he and I were arguing about this,  I asked “What’s it going to take to get you to put away your clothes?”.  His response was “I don’t like my dresser.”

What??!! What is there not to like about a dresser. It’s not your best friend, but it does hold your clothes… Then I asked more questions.  He eventually related that he hated having to open and close the drawers.  He only wore the clothes on top because he couldn’t see the ones underneath. He felt the drawers were a hassle.  I really listened and realized that although most Americans use dressers, it didn’t mean that he had to.  There were other ways to manage his clothing.  So we removed the dresser and here’s what we did:

1. Purchased more hangers, and hung up all his clothes. Yes, even his jeans and skater t-shirts.
2. Put 2 baskets on the shelf above the closet rod; one for socks, the other for underwear.
3. Seasonal items like his gloves, snowboard pants, and other winter gear we put in a clear zipper bag under his bed.

This simple solution cost less than $10.00 and has worked for the past 5 years!  Even now that he does his own laundry!  It works for him because he can “see” all of his clothes at a glance, he doesn’t have to fold anything, and he doesn’t have to open and clothes several drawers to get dressed in the morning.

Sometimes we have to step out of the mentality of  “that’s what everyone does or uses” and come up with systems that work better for us, whether we have ADD or not!  Please share some solutions you have come up with to help stay organized and on top of your day-to-day activities.   I would love your comments!