Make Way: How To Prep Your Closet for Fall

Fall is the season of aesthetic color-changing leaves, scrumptious pumpkin spice lattes, and, most importantly, fashion! Now that this fan-favorite season has arrived, you’re probably thinking about your closet.

As the weather gets chiller, you’ll need to swap out your summer shorts and tank tops for autumn jeans and cardigans. But before you tear apart your closet, check out these top tips on how to prep your closet for fall and make way for cozy fall fashions seamlessly.

Clean and Organize Your Closet

To start, you’ll want to clean out your closet and organize your summer clothes. Remove all articles of clothing from your wardrobe (including shoes and accessories) and sort them into piles. Have one pile for items you want to keep, another for items you want to sell or donate, and another for items that you want to keep but that require professional cleaning or tailoring before you can wear them.

Next, grab the cleaning supplies and clean up your closet. Use a duster or a damp rag to wipe down any surfaces and a vacuum or mop (depending on whether you have carpet or hard surface floors) to tidy the floors.

Summer Stuff: Store or Keep?

The next step in prepping your closet for fall in is sifting throFall is the season of aesthetic color-changing leaves, scrumptious pumpkin spice lattes, and, most importantly, fashion! Now that this fan-favorite season has arrived, you’re probably thinking about your closet.

As the weather gets chiller, you’ll need to swap out your summer shorts and tank tops for autumn jeans and cardigans. But before you tear apart your closet, check out these top tips on how to prep your closet for fall and make way for cozy fall fashions seamlessly.

Clean and Organize Your Closet

To start, you’ll want to clean out your closet and organize your summer clothes. Remove all articles of clothing from your wardrobe (including shoes and accessories) and sort them into piles. Have one pile for items you want to keep, another for items you want to sell or donate, and another for items that you want to keep but that require professional cleaning or tailoring before you can wear them.

Next, grab the cleaning supplies and clean up your closet. Use a duster or a damp rag to wipe down any surfaces and a vacuum or mop (depending on whether you have carpet or hard surface floors) to tidy the floors.

Summer Stuff: Store or Keep?

The next step in prepping your closet for fall in is sifting through your keep pile. These are items you know you want to keep, but where are you going to store them?

Shorts, tank tops, and sandals aren’t warm enough for the winter, but fall tends to have milder weather and temperatures, which means you can transition a lot of your summer clothes to fall. You can wear shorts with tights or leggings underneath, and you can easily toss a cardigan over a tank or short-sleeved shirt.

Like before, sort your items into piles. Make one pile for items you won’t wear in fall and another for ones you will. Place the former pile into boxes and store them somewhere safe, and re-integrate the latter pile back into your wardrobe.

Break Out the Jeans and Jackets

Before you start cramming your fall and winter clothes into your closet, give them some time to breathe.

They’ve been crammed into a container for months and probably smell like cardboard or plastic—not the most fragrant scent! Depending on how airtight the container you stored them in is, they may even be covered in dust or have families of creepy crawlies living inside the sleeves. Gross!

Let them air out for a day (24-48 hours), and then toss them in the wash before you fill your closet with them.ugh your keep pile. These are items you know you want to keep, but where are you going to store them?

Shorts, tank tops, and sandals aren’t warm enough for the winter, but fall tends to have milder weather and temperatures, which means you can transition a lot of your summer clothes to fall. You can wear shorts with tights or leggings underneath, and you can easily toss a cardigan over a tank or short-sleeved shirt.

Like before, sort your items into piles. Make one pile for items you won’t wear in fall and another for ones you will. Place the former pile into boxes and store them somewhere safe, and re-integrate the latter pile back into your wardrobe.

Break Out the Jeans and Jackets

Before you start cramming your fall and winter clothes into your closet, give them some time to breathe.

They’ve been crammed into a container for months and probably smell like cardboard or plastic—not the most fragrant scent! Depending on how airtight the container you stored them in is, they may even be covered in dust or have families of creepy crawlies living inside the sleeves. Gross!

Let them air out for a day (24-48 hours), and then toss them in the wash before you fill your closet with them.

Simple Ways To Make Your Dressing Room More Organized

Having a dressing room is a fantastic asset when it comes to organizing your home. A separate space that is dedicated to your clothes and accessories will free room elsewhere in your home as well as helping to keep everything in one place, saving you time when you’re getting ready. 

However, it can be overwhelming to know the best ways to organize your dressing room, so here are a few simple tips that will work for dressing rooms of any size! 

1. Keep The Floors Clear

One of the simplest things you can do to keep your dressing room organized is to keep the floors clear. Having shoe boxes, storage boxes or general mess on the floor can make the space feel so much messier than it normally would be, so keeping them stored away elsewhere and decluttering is the best option. 

When you get into the habit of keeping things on the floor, it will be much more difficult to keep things tidy, so doing a bit of a reshuffle and finding space for things in cupboards or wardrobes, rather than the floor, is the best option. 

2. Close Things Off With Doors

Having open wardrobes can look great when you stay on top of your organizing, however for some people, having closed doors is a much better option. This is a great way to block off anything in the wardrobes to keep things looking really nice and clean. 

With open wardrobes, it can often be tempting to organize things in a way that look good, but it may not be very functional when it comes to finding what you need. So, having doors is the best of both worlds as you will have a beautiful space and you can also organize your things however works best for you without worrying how they look! 

3. Install A Wall Shelf

Installing a wall shelf works particularly well for a smaller dressing room, as you gain so much extra space that you might not otherwise have. If you have some space on the wall, look at installing 2-3 shelves with a decent amount of space between them. 

You can use this space to display some of your most prized possessions, such as your favorite shoes or handbags. Not only will this be a design feature but it will also free up space elsewhere. This is also a fantastic opportunity to accessorize, with wall art prints, artificial flowers, plants or candles. 

Final Thoughts

Life is so much easier when your dressing room is organized. You will save so much time as everything should be easier to access, so it is definitely worth spending some time to get organized and you will continue to reap the benefits. 

Closet Organizing: What to Invest in and What to Donate

One of the most difficult and dreaded areas to tackle when organizing is your closet. Since most of us already have a surplus of clothing, it can be difficult to know what clothing items we should keep, which ones we should invest in, and which ones we should donate. While every closet clean out will be different, our goal for this guide is to help you on your journey to a more organized wardrobe:

What wardrobe basics should every closet have?

It’s safe to assume that your closet is already filled with the essentials every wardrobe needs, but if you’re on the fence about the basics, here is a brief list:

Durable Undergarments: The category of clothing you probably wear most often is your undergarments, so make sure they’re of high quality. For women, this means owning or investing in long-lasting seamless underwear that is both comfortable and reliable. For men, this means upgrading to durable undershirts that aren’t stained or worn out from everyday wear. While these items aren’t the most glamorous closet additions to invest in, they are a practical necessity that you won’t regret having on hand. 

Quality Socks: When was the last time you went through your sock drawer or even thought about how many socks you own? If it’s been a while, now is the time to ditch any socks that have holes in them and purchase new, quality socks that won’t rip after months of wear and tear. 

Formalwear: Everyone should have some kind of formalwear option in their closet that they feel good about. Whether you need a suit for an upcoming wedding or a dress for a summer baby shower, if you don’t know the rules of formal attire or have a dressier clothing option ready to go in your closet, it’s time to go shopping! 

Outerwear: By outwear, we simply mean having weather appropriate jacket options. Since you’ve probably built up a collection of coats over the years, take some time to examine each jacket that you own. Do you have a rain coat for the wetter months you can rely on? When was the last time you replaced your winter jacket? These are the kinds of questions that will help make organizing your closet space and donating old items easier!

Casual Basics: Finally, make sure that as you purge your closet you keep and leave room for the casual basics you love to wear. From your favorite plain white t-shirt to an old, but still sturdy pair of jeans, the casual basics are what make your wardrobe yours, and they’re what you’ll wear the most. 

How do I know what to donate?

A good rule of thumb to stick to when donating is the six month rule. For every piece of clothing in your closet, ask yourself if it has seen the light of day in the last six months. One caveat to this rule, however, is to consider if you regularly wore an item before the pandemic. In some cases, you might not have donned a certain outfit in the last six months simply because you had no reason to leave your house! If this is the case, keep the item and reassess donating it at the end of the summer when you’ve had more opportunities to wear it. 

Aside from the six month rule, another thing to keep in mind is the sizing of your clothes. If you’ve been holding onto something you hope you’ll fit into one day for over a year, it’s probably time to let that item go. Don’t let clothes that don’t fit hold you back from having an organized and curated closet space! 

How do I organize my closet after donating and curating my closet basics?

Ultimately, how you choose to organize your closet is based on personal preference, and the size of your closet space. If you are organizing for the whole family and not just yourself, be sure to read into closet organization tips for large families. Either way, here are a few organizing options for anyone who is unsure of where to start: 

By Color: One of the most popular closet organizing techniques is to rearrange your clothing by color. You can have fun with it and hang each item in order according to the rainbow, or keep things more practical and put your favorite colors in the most accessible area instead. 

By Item: Seemingly the most convenient way to categorize your clothes is by item. Hang all of your shirts/blouses together, all of your pants side-by-side, and all of your cardigan/blazer options in the same area. This will help keep things efficient when getting dressed in the morning and makes things look very clean visually.

By Season: If you don’t have enough space in your wardrobe to hang all of your seasonal clothes at once, you should be organizing your closet based on the weather. Pack your winter clothes away in stackable storage bins and give your spring/summer options the space they need to shine. 

While organizing your closet and upgrading your clothes is not always a fun task, it can be quite rewarding in the end. Hopefully this process will help you to curate a wardrobe that you are truly proud of, while also decluttering your space!

Closet Organization Tips for Large Families

Having a large family is wonderful, and being a member of such means that there is never a dull moment at home. You don't know what being alone is as you are constantly surrounded by people who understand you, support you, care for you, people who love you. And while big households are great for our well-being, not all homes are equipped to deal with so many souls in one place. More precisely, not all of them come with enough closet space for everyone. Luckily, this problem can be solved by turning to certain closet organization tips, the biggest of which is replacing individual wardrobes with one big family closet.

What exactly is a family closet, and how can it make organizing easier?

The idea behind it is quite simple, actually. It involves saying goodbye to ordinary, tiny wardrobes and switching them for a room designed for the whole family to store their garments. Depending on the home's layout and size, the room could even function as a laundry room. Of course, in some instances, the latter isn't possible. If so, setting up a walk-in family closet close by it is highly recommended for added convenience.

But what benefits are there to it? Well, for starters:

• They make putting away clothes a piece of cake as everyone's things are in one place

• Individual clothing items are easier to spot since everything is on display

• It's easy to stay on track with the wardrobe you and your children no longer need

• You can lay out the outfits for tomorrow without making clutter

• The old closets can serve as storage space for other things

With so many advantages to having a one-for-all clothing area, it's no wonder why more and more families are beginning to utilize them. There are various ways to make them work for you, some of which are covered in the following closet organization tips.

Purge first, organize later

Before you begin working on the right organizing system for your closet, get rid of the things you and your loved ones no longer need. Maternity dresses, kids' outgrown clothes, and faded jeans all fit the bill. However, instead of throwing them all away, consider that those less fortunate could benefit from what you consider old rags. With that in mind, a smart way to deal with unnecessary clothes is to divide them into two piles. The first being things you will donate, and the second those you'll dispose of.

Decluttering is definitely one of the simple ways to get more precious space in both the individual closets you'll soon no longer need and the brand-new family one. Additionally, by transferring your clothes into the shared closet, you allow the previous ones to be used as storage for, let's say, toys or appliances.

For better closet organization, switch from racks to shelves

Some moms would say that keeping a large family's closet well organized is a nightmare. But it doesn't have to be. One way to sort out a messy wardrobe and provide room for all the garments is to replace the clothing racks with shelves. Combined with neat folding, these allow you to store a lot more items than you would if you were to hang them on a rack.

Think about the kids while arranging clothes

As far as family closet organization tips go, this one is golden. Before you come up with a system that works for you, bear in mind that you must also develop a system that works for your little ones. Shelves alone will make it easier for children to spot their clothes, especially if you commit to arranging them by color and labeling compartments with your kids' names. Also, you must make sure your kids can actually reach their outfits, so keeping them on lower levels is advisable. Higher shelves should be reserved for you, your significant other, or the things your family uses only on rare occasions.

Find a place for all the particular items

Your shared closet can only remain neat if you find a place for absolutely everything. It's not only clothes that require storing, but also things like shoes, bags, hats, and jewelry. To keep your footwear in check, you can introduce a shoe organizer to the area. You can keep bags on shelves, but, as far as hats and jewelry go, wall-mounted hooks are just the place for them! They'll stay on display, as well as be easy to grab on the go.

Keep the laundry basket in the family closet

This is one of those commonly suggested closet organization tips that are all about convenience. By keeping the laundry basket in the same room as your loved ones' clothes, you simplify the process of doing laundry. Just think about how time-consuming it is to go from room to room to check everybody's drawers (or floor) for dirty garments. With one closet for all, this scenario is a thing of the past. Thanks to it, you'll save both precious time and energy. Plus, if your washer and dryer happen to be nearby, removing the clothing items from them and putting them back in their place will turn into a breeze.

Decorate the shared area for a feel-good vibe

It's not all about creating a clever organizing system for your family home wardrobe but also keeping the room pretty. The goal is to transform it into an area that makes you feel good. Or rather, decorate it with a boutique kind of vibe in mind. This can be accomplished by sprucing up the walls with wallpapers, adding ambient lighting, a comfortable couch, and a full-length mirror. Either way, feel free to experiment in any way you like. Just don't forget to involve the kids in the process!

Final words

While initially meant for large families, these closet organization tips aren't only applicable to them. In fact, it's quite the contrary! Every family can make use of a one-for-all wardrobe. Not only will it provide the additional storage space they may need, but it will also allow for the area to remain tidy. Plus, keeping everything in one place will make finding particular clothing items more manageable than ever before. Sounds good, doesn't it?