I’ve received an overwhelming number of emails asking about closet and clothes clutter.
It seems you all have “too little closet space” — or MAYBE, you just have TOO much stuff!!
Either way, I’m thinking it might not be a bad idea to do a few different posts about clothes clutter. And I’m planning to start off by bringing you on a full-blown tour of our FINISHED master bedroom closet. {You can read about the closet system installation here}.
This time of year is one of the best times to purge and organize clothing — the seasons are changing, kids are getting ready for school, and the fall months always seem to encourage more shopping 🙂 But before we get started on our mini clothes clutter series, and before I show you our new closet, I want to know…
What is the biggest source of clothes clutter for you?
Do you have WAY too many shoes, purses, belts, scarves, or other accessories?
Are you wasting space with clothes that are too small, too big, or just look horrible on you?
Do you keep buying more without getting rid of anything?
Are you struggling to find the best way to store and organize your clothes?
Do you have several items you never wear but hang onto for emotional reasons?
Are you storing anything besides clothes and accessories in your closet?
Do you just have too much of everything?
Leave your “clothes clutter issues” in the comment section — and then check out the lists of posts below. They might help you get started on your mission for a clutter-free closet!
Clothes Clutter Motivation:
1. Check out our master closet renovations
2. See how I organized our nursery closet
3. See what my closet in our old house looked like
4. Here’s my opinion about the things that should NOT be in your closet
5. A few tips to organize your kid’s closets {just in time for school!}
6. Interesting information about saving space with a Family Closet
7. Have you heard about the 80/20 rule for your closet {get ready to purge!}
That should keep you busy reading for awhile… and make sure to leave your “clothes clutter issues” in the comments below!
Oh, and don’t forget to come back next week for a tour of our new closet!
Alex says
My biggest problem is having a baby heehee 😀 We ALL share 1 closet mommy, daddy, son… and I have VERY few clothes, but we dont have much space still we also share 5 drawers and we store christmas decorations in our closet too all those should be in an attick but we dont have an attack things so anyone got any advice?
Marcie says
I recently saw a post where a smart lady turned all her hangers backwards in her closet…When ever she wore something and after laundered she hung the out fit back in her closet the right way…so by the end of the season she took all the clothes still hanging backwards and purged them. She didn’t wear them all season so it was pointless for her to keep them any longer.. I’m going to give it a whirl!
Suzanne says
Funny, if I think about closet clutter, only two things come to mind: 1) my shoes falling out of my hanging shoe organizer (it is too full and I have too many) and my bras. I just don’t know how to store them well and have easy access. I have only plastic drawers in the closet, so I end up just laying them out on top of the dresser. Otherwise they get all smashed in the drawer. Would love suggestions!
Ann says
Sorry to say I have to claim all of the above as problems.
MelissaPete says
This is an interesting topic. I have trouble getting rid of things that aren’t worn out or damaged. Right now, I have a closed full of clothes I can’t wear due to recent weight gain. This is not my normal weight, and although I’ve purchased a few pieces so I don’t have to walk around in sweats all the time, I cannot get rid of my clothes. #1, I am working to get this weight off (it’s new weight and not my life time typical size) and #2, I can’t afford a new wardrobe. So what I did was go through and really, really look at what I was keeping. If I was keeping clothes in a size I haven’t been in since I was married 20 years ago, I finally parted with those cute things. And if I haven’t ever looked good or liked myself in a piece, I pulled that item out as well. I gave my most beloved things to some friends, and the rest is being donated. I definitely have an issue with hanging on to too many things, but I’m getting over it.
With my girls, it’s easy to purge because of size changes, but sometimes we have hand-me-downs that cause bulging drawers or closets. These things all fit and they are cute, so what to do? I finally went with my gut and that was to choose the most loved items and donate the rest. We live in a country of excess, and even though my family is not wealthy, we do accumulate and hang on to too many things to create an excess of “stuff”. I’m so over that.
Can’t wait to read other comments and glean from other’s experiences. Good topic!
Rebecca says
Our closet is just too small for two people. I’m not making excuses, well at least not for myself.
I take out seasonal clothes to try to make it look better, but the truth is, it’s just not functional. It’s a standard closet with a top and bottom rail. Mine is the bottom and it only goes about 80 percent across the length of the closet. Since I had some open space, I put a little plastic drawer unit in there for my socks/underwear/etc. The rest of my closet rail is just pants, seasonal shirts and sweatshirts. I even keep my dresses in a hanging rack from Ikea in the basement because I just don’t have the space.
My husband has more space, but he hangs on to clothes forever. I purge about twice a year. Maybe I’m just getting to that time again. I also wish his rail was up higher so that I could have a shelf on top of my rail for jeans and sweatshirts, things that don’t necessarily have to be hung up, but if his rail is higher, I can’t reach to hang up the clothes.
It’s very awful. In fact, I’d be happy to post pictures and take advice!
Allison says
Our problem is not space but space configuration — the rods and shelves are just not working for us. I would love a custom closet with the works – different levels, drawers, etc. but we have some other home inprovement projects to do and a custom closet is at the bottom of the list. Right now it is a jumbled mess of plastic storage bins, hanging shoe holders, etc. It drives me insane! I would love some inexpensive solutions (I don’t mind a little DIY) that would help maximize the space so we could use its full potential.
lauren k. says
I’m a newlywed and am working to purge so my husband and I can comfortably fit in the closet space we have.
Before meeting my husband, I spent a lot of money on clothes and shopped frivolously. I have trouble getting rid of things I know I spent a lot of money on. I feel guilty, but in all reality, I’m not wearing half the stuff. It’s an on-going problem, but I’ve been enjoying your blog for the encouragement to crack down on myself 🙂