Early Spring Cleaning: closet addition

​A fresh slate. Full of opportunities. Often I hear people speaking unfavorably about new year resolutions, but my opinion is that there is never a bad time to want to try and improve yourself or your current situation. In January I tend to feel a renewed sense of productivity. I want to get back to working out regularly, I want to take better care of my health, I want to up my house-wife game and commit to schedule with house cleaning and laundry. Ok, I'm totally joking, there is absolutely NO WAY I would ever stick to a schedule for that mess, it would only lead to disappointment. However, there are some ways that I will extend my "fresh slate" into my house keeping. One of my favorite places to let go and totally revamp is my closet. I have a border-line addiction to clothes shopping and my walk-in is only so big. No matter how large your walk-in closet may be, it’s just not sustainable to continue adding new pieces without revamping it, cleaning it out, and making room from time to time. My method is a little bit mad-genius, and I tend to make a massive mess before I am through, but when I am finished it makes me so happy to see the freshly organized product!
Get Rid of What You Haven’t Worn in Years
My first tip when tackling a closet makeover is to get rid of the things you haven't worn in years. We’ve all heard it: the tip where people turn their hangers one way and if they are not turned the opposite direction (after wearing said item) by the end of the year, they get rid of the item. This is a bit much for me, most of the time I'm dressing in a hurry because I am late to everything, and I am sure that I would forget to turn them around. Also, I can remember if I've worn an item within the last year (or more), or not, so there's that. My suggestion is to go through each article of clothing and make your decision based on three things: if you have worn the article of clothing (or accessory) within the past year, if you can fit into the item(s), and if you see yourself wearing it in the future. Now, when you do this, you need to be really honest with yourself because its crazy easy to rationalize keeping something that in your heart of hearts you know you never wear again. In order to make this closet revamp really work for you, it takes being willing to let go of things. If you are a clothes or shoe hoarder, you may need to enlist a bestie to sit and chat with you while you go through the process, that way they are there to tell you that you aren't ever actually going to shorten that bridesmaid's dress and re-wear it.
Keep it Seasonal
Low on space? It can be important to rotate your clothes out to fit the season. If you rotate your wardrobe based on seasons you don't have to fit every single thing in one area of your closet. Use what you know about the weather in your area to make a best guess of when during the year to do this. If you're like me and live in Georgia and South Carolina, may the odds be ever in your favor. I would suggest packing the off-season clothes in Sterilite tubs, or under the bed storage boxes so that they're not too far from reach for those 75 degree December days. Keeping your closet seasonal saves space and it also makes it much easier to choose an outfit that is weather-appropriate when getting dressed. Just make sure you weed through everything before storing it, get rid of what you do not need first.
Easy Access To What You Love
Every person is going to be different, but I like to organize my closet using these categories:
~ Dresses and Rompers
~ Sleeveless and Short sleeve tops
~Long sleeve tops, sweaters, and outerwear
~Shoes
~other accessories

I organize my shoes by color, style, and occasion!

​I am fortunate to have enough space in my closet that I do not currently have to swap out items as the seasons change. I do, however, have to swap out shoes. I truly would not consider myself overly into shoe shopping, but an inventory of my closet would tell a different tale. To solve this problem, I store my off-season shoes in clear shoe boxes, on the top shelf of my closet.

Look up top to see the shoe boxes I use.

​Add in Practical Solutions
Adding in practical solutions is very necessary when it comes to creating the perfect closet. The clear shoe boxes I mentioned are a great example of a practical solution. I chose clear so that I can see the item being stored- the thought here being that if I have my warm weather shoes stored, and plan a tropical get away- I can see the stored shoes, and grab exactly what I need with ease. At the same time, there are practical solutions that also look great and will help elevate the overall aesthetic of your closet. For example, wood hangers are awesome and look great, woven and/or wicker baskets are stylish, but also really help keep everything organized. I didn't want to waste money on wooden hangers that I could be spending on clothes, so I still went the plastic route. For the sake of appearances I chose all white, and the same style- little details like this, make a big difference when it comes to a beautiful closet. Similar to wood hangers, wicker baskets can be pricey- so I suggest checking out stores like Marshall's and TJ Maxx for good deals. Another alternative to wicker is woven plastic, which is what I did. The baskets I used are from Target and were completely budget friendly.

I use command hooks for my hats and the purses I have in rotation.

​Don’t Forget About Your Jewelry Box
Last but not least, don’t forget about your jewelry box! Every so often, you need to go through your jewelry box and sort through what you are wearing regularly vs. what you are not. This prevents your fine jewelry from tarnishing, and your unworn costume jewelry from taking up space you may need for other items. If for any reason some of your items are tarnished, most reputable jewelers will fix it for you, free of charge as long as you originally purchased the item from them. For example, I know that James Avery does this. If you are going to have to spend money in order to fix or clean your jewelry and you don't think that you will wear the item again, you might want to consider getting rid of it to clean out your jewelry box and/or make space for new items. Chapes-JPL is a great place in Buckhead to sell jewelry in Atlanta, GA. They are the nations premier jewelry lender, offering collateral loans on valuables such as diamonds, watches, gold, handbags, and more. They'll also by the valuables outright, as well. They say: “Looking to sell your jewelry? We know you have plenty of options. You could either sell it yourself online or take it to a typical pawnshop, gold buyer, or jewelry store. Selling it online has its drawbacks, You have to photograph it, list it, wait for a buyer, ship it, wait for payment and lastly hope that the item doesn’t get returned. If you want cash for your jewelry immediately, we can help. Why visit Chapes-JPL with your gold, diamonds, jewelry and Rolex watches? First, with over 38 years appraising and buying jewelry, our offers are fair and honest. Secondly, we will buy gold and jewelry in any condition. From brand new engagement rings to broken clasps and scrap earrings, we will make you an offer. And lastly, privacy, when you go to a typical pawnshop, gold buyer or jewelry store you are discussing your business in their public showroom. At Chapes-JPL all appraisals and offers are conducted within our private offices and all discussions are confidential.”

​Costume jewelry is typically not worth the hassle of trying to sell, so what I do when I am going through my jewelry and accessories is to make 3 piles. One is "keep", one is "sell", and the other is "Taylor". Taylor is my oldest niece and I love being able to bring her bags full of jewelry that I haven't worn in a while. I know that she'll put them to good use, and if any of it is too "grown up" for her, then her mom will happily take them off of her hands! If you don't have a niece to bestow items upon try your church's youth group, or donate them to a women's charity. To store my jewelry I use acrylic storage boxes that I purchased a Home Goods- I think most people use them for make-up storage, but I love them for my jewelry.

So that's it, y'all! That is my closet makeover, and suggestions. Do yourself a favor and beat Spring cleaning to the punch!
xoxo, Layne