Fashion Friday | Tips for Sorting + Organizing Your Wardrobe

First off, let me say a HUGE thanks to all the love and support you guys showed my first fashion type  post. If you haven't seen it yet, it's right here. It really got me excited to do some more but the reality is that I'm terrified of bugs and just, AH! It's so hard to take a picture outside when you're constantly running in fear around and away from the camera. Also, I wasn't all too thrilled with my outfit. Was it something I really wanted to share? Not really, which brought me to analyze my closet and realize there's so much in there but so much I don't wear or fit anymore. Then I realized that before I could properly transition a little section of this space into "fashion posts" I'd have to sort through and organize my wardrobe.

It took 2 days to sort through and find an organization system that pleased me, mostly because I kept getting distracted. Depending on your ability to stay focused on one task, this shouldn't take more than a day! Through this process I've come up with some tips for sorting through your clothes to decide what to keep and what to toss and how to organize it when it's all said and done.

Tip #1⌇Tidy your room and yourself. This is a big one to really get you started with such a task. Clear your room of excess clutter so that when you start sorting through your clothes you don't have to worry about extra mess. Same goes for yourself. You don't have to go the nine yards but a little mascara and maybe letting down your hair will make you feel better as you try on clothes.

Tip #2⌇Take things out of your closet. Yep, everything out. Turn your closet into a clean state. If things are on hangers you don't have to take them off just yet because you may just be creating extra work for yourself if you end up keeping the item. Lay them into piles on the floor in categories (i.e. bulky sweates, jackets, dresses, short sleeves, long sleeves, etc.) It'll make it easier to go through things and see what you have that may be similar. 

Tip #3⌇Try things on. You don't have to try everything on but if you're unsure of wether or not you want to keep that skirt or dress, just try it on. It won't hurt and you'll get a better feel for the fit of the garment and wether or not it suits you any longer. Plus, this'll be a way to discover some new gems that you may have forgotten you had!

Tip #4⌇Organize by color then style. When you've finally gone through all your clothing and figured out what you are keeping, my advice would be to organize by color and then by style. I put the whites, creams, and beiges in the front, work my way down the rainbow, and end with the grays and blacks. Within that color organization I then sort them by sleeve size (i.e. 3/4 length sleeve, short sleeve, tank, etc.) With the longer sleeved shirts I just put from thickest to thinnest material. It's a system that has worked great for me and made it much easier to put away clothing when I know exactly where it's supposed to go.

Tip #5⌇Throw out. Donate. Sell. Once you've put all the 'keeps' back into your newly organized closet, it's time to sort through the 'not keep' pile. If there are obvious signs of stains and wear, sadly, you'll just have to toss those. If there are articles of clothing that are in good condition but just no longer fit you or your style then see if you can't donate them to a family member, friend, or clothing donation bin. You can also try your luck at selling some pieces if they are in good to great to almost perfect condition at consignment stores, thrift stores, websites like thredup.com, or even through the poshmark app. I've never had any luck, but it never hurts to try!

What are you favorite ways/tips to organize your wardrobe?