Little Closet, Big Style

Like many of you, I made a few new year's resolutions for 2022, And I just completed my first one!

'Clean my closet.'

I think the first step to enjoy fashion is a 'Well-organized closet'. It's important to love the clothes you have before you go on the hunt to buy new ones. And it's a new year, which means it's really a good time to do something you've been putting off for a while.

Below is the actual process of how I re-organized my little closet. If you have an overflowing closet, but never have anything to wear, this post is for you!

Let's get started! Little Closet, but Big Style

1. Clean out your closet in small parts.

Choose a small section of your closet you want to start with and spread out the items on the floor. For example, you could start with jeans, tops or what’s on your hangers. It can be overwhelming, especially when first starting out. But remember, you don't have to do everything at once or all in one day. But, it might be a good idea to set a deadline to stay on track. I set my deadline for 10 days which was enough time without feeling too pressured. Start slow and keep pushing forward. I ended up finishing in a week and only spending about 1-2 hours a day. Like my husband always says, under promise, over deliver.

2. Decide what to keep.

Divide everything into 2 big groups - 'Keep' & 'Out.’ When trying to decide, think about how often you wore them the past year. That's the best way to discover your favorite styles. As always, it's important to feel confident and comfortable in the clothes you wear. Keep only the garments you love and plan to wear often.

3. Make a ‘Once upon a time’ box.

As we all know, there are always exceptions. I like to name them 'Once upon a time' items which can be like the following:

- Memory things : You almost never wear them, but you have an emotional attachment (a gift from someone special, wedding dress, school uniform)

- Event things : For a holiday or special occasions (party dress, Halloween costumes, ugly sweaters)

I packed these items separately and wrote them out on the side of the box. Now it's much easier to remember and find them.

Clear individual packing is an easy way to spot the items and keep them protected.

4. Grouping

Styling is much easier when you can scan all the items at once. Grouping the same category in the same box is really helpful. Check out my way of categorizing.

I like 'TOPS' to be specific because the fabric weights are all different. So if you divide them like this, you can find what’s the most weather-appropriate. Obviously, you can change the categories depending on your style. If you’re a denim lover, you can make your own 'Fit-specific' categories like Skinny, Relaxed, Wide, etc. And after finishing this process, you’ll be able to see how many items you have in each category so you don’t waste money buying similar things over and over.

5. Folding

My little closet has a shelf above the hanging bars so I chose these foldable fabric bins to divide by category group and use the shelf space efficiently. And I folded each item to fit into the box so there are no wrinkles.

I’m used to folding this way by hand but if you are just starting, definitely look into buying a folding board like this one. It’ll make your life so much easier.

6. Hanging

Usually for jackets, special tops & dresses.

I like to hang sleeveless items like cami tops or vests first. And for long sleeve jackets, I put the lightweight ones first. If they are the same weight, I put the lightest color first. If you follow this method, then the winter coats and dark color outerwear are going to be towards the end. When I'm styling and matching items, checking different items & colors all at once is the best way to do it without actually having to wear them.

This sounds kind of simple but if you follow this practical rule, it can actually make a huge difference.

7. Group 'OUT' items.

I made 3 groups for all my ‘Out’ items.

- Flea market : These are more stylish, colorful items that I haven’t worn in a while. I'm planning to sell these at a flea market soon.

- Donation : Wearable, clean, but more basic items.

- Trash : Clothes I can't donate. Too faded, ripped or eaten by Clyde (my cat son).

I have 2 suit cases for flea market, one big bag of donation and 2 bags of trash. I might share about the preparation for the flea market in another post.
Starting next year, I’m hoping I won’t have this much trash!
And finally, this is my little closet after finishing everything.

This is our little closet which is approximately 20 square feet. I know it’s not like the fancy closets on Pinterest but what’s important is that I can see everything at once which is really good for easy and quick styling. Try it out!

I divided his & my stuff like above. The little box in the middle is for our cat babies. If you have a little stool, it’s much easier to find things on the shelf. For harder to reach places, I put the 'Once upon a time’ boxes and some other housing stuff.

When I fold the tops, I try to do it so I can tell what it is right away, like a logo or graphic. Also, I found the perfect little space to keep my yoga mat.

If there's a tricky space like a corner, try using recycled boxes. You probably have some empty boxes lying around from all that online shopping, right? It’s like a Tetris game. If you find a better box, then just switch the boxes whenever you want. I used covered boxes for seasonal stuff like scarves, gloves and swimsuits. You can manage your closet much more efficiently by arranging the places you will use often and those you will use occasionally.

I hang my woven pants which can get wrinkled easily. Like I said before, when you hang clothes, remember : 'Sleeveless, Light weight, Bright color first.'

If you want a more minimal look, get matching hangers. I'm ok with my current hangers, so I just grouped them.

I think the standard of 'MINIMAL' can be different depending on your style & space. You don't have to throw everything away to make a minimal life. It’s all about finding the best way to make your closet efficient so you can spend more time enjoying fashion, and less time deciding what to wear. It's not about how much clothes you have, but more about the special character and qualities of each item that you like.

I love fashion but you can only wear one style at a time. If you realize that, then you don't have to buy so many clothes for your overflowing closet. I promise your satisfaction about fashion will be higher and you can match your items more easily. I don't know about you, but I don’t want to live with piles of clothes I would never wear.

Lastly, repeat the whole process in six months or at least once a year.

This simple process is my way of enjoying fashion with my little closet. Try it out and you can have both a sustainable & stylish wardrobe! Little closet, big style.