Most women wear 20-30 percent of the clothes they own on a regular basis. One of the best things you can do to maximize your wardrobe is cull your closet. Pull out everything and lay it on the bed. One by one, TRY ON each piece.  For each garment, ask:

• Do you love it?
• Is it in good repair? If not, is it worth fixing? See a tailor.
• Is it the right colour for you?
• Is the style still current?
• Is it the right silhouette for your body type?
• Does it fit you today (not some day when you’ve lost 10 lbs)?

If the answer to any of these questions is ‘no,’ then set the item aside to donate or discard.

(A word about donations: Please do NOT use your local charity as a garbage bin. If the items are ripped, worn out or stained, throw them out!)

Closet Organization

Sorting tips:

• Sort your clothes by season: winter or summer
• Sort your clothes by type: pants, blouses, sweaters, jeans, dresses
• Group your clothes by colour within each clothing type.
• Slip a tag on the hanger after you’ve worn an item. After a month, you’ll know the ones you wear most.

Storing tips:

• Do not hang sweaters! Fold them and put them on a shelf or in drawers
• Use cotton garment bags to store your off-season clothes, special occasion clothes or mementos. Never plastic or dry cleaner bags. Use thin hangers so they take up less room in the closet
• Use drawer dividers to organize your lingerie and socks
• “Waterfall” hangers can organize all your skirts easily and compactly
• Put paper in the handbags you are storing so they don’t lose their shape
• Hang or fold scarves, and group them by colour
• Organize jewelry using a divided tray, jewelry box or hanging jewelry storage
• Organize your shoes by season first, and store the off-season shoes at the back of your closet or in another room. Organize your current season shoes by colour.

It’s a great time to get yourself organized. Have fun!