How To Organize a Closet

Separate your winter clothes from your summer clothes. If you have a separate closet for each, that’s great — tackle each separately. If you don’t, when it’s time to put things back, divide the closet you have into two equal parts.

Separate each set of seasonal clothing into two piles — one consisting of items you wear frequently during that season and the other consisting of infrequently worn specialty items (like bathing suits or ski clothing).

Sort both of the “frequently worn” groups into style categories — put dress shirts with dress shirts, sweaters with sweaters, pants with pants, shoes with shoes.

Within these separate style categories, group the individual items by color.

Once everything is sorted into groups, put each group into an appropriate container. Foldable items should be placed in large clear storage boxes or bins. Shoes go in clear plastic shoe boxes for easy identification.

Items that go on hangers should be shaken out and rehung.

Start returning the groups to the closet one at a time. If it’s summer, start with the winter items, and vice versa. Store out-of-season specialty items first, putting them deepest in the closet. Conversely, keep in-season items you wear most frequently toward the front.

Step back, admire your organizational skills, and lay those irrational fears to rest.