Ten Tips for cleaning out and organizing your closet and keeping it clutter free

(p.s. One particular tip I like is for after you have cleaned your closet every time you buy something new you have to get rid of something existing your closet. Then you never acculalate an abundance of excess clothes.)

If organization isn't your strong suit, chances are that your closet needs work. Many people don't even know what's in their wardrobe; clothing and shoes are strewn about or buried on the floor, while the clothes that never get worn hang right in front. If you aren't sure how to organize your clothing, try these ten tips for getting your system up and running.

1. Start at the bottom

Dig out everything from the floor and find temporary storage for your shoes until you can buy a shoe organizer, which will keep them all in one place. If you don't have floor space, get a hanging shoe organizer instead of a box system.

2. Spend a half hour a week going through your closet.

(Don't worry; you won't have to do it forever. Once it's tidy, go to once a month organizing). Pitch everything you aren't wearing into one of two boxes: one box goes to the Goodwill and the other into a separate storage space. The goal is that the clothes you wear often should be in the closet and the rest either in storage or to people who will wear them.

3.Put your "fat clothes" or "thin clothes" into a separate closet.

We all have fat and thin clothes! Separate them. This is also good for the morale. If you must have your fat clothes in sight to stay on track with a diet, pick out the best item and keep it around.

4. When you buy something new, throw out something old.

Now that you've bought those new suede slippers, do you really need those funky, ratty old cloth ones that belonged to your boyfriend before they came to live at your house?

5. Put a light on it.

One reason people avoid dealing with their closets is that they can't see inside them. Hang up a clip light or a battery operated stick-up light from the hardware store if you don't want to actually deal with wiring. Or just put a new bulb in the light socket. When you can see what's going on in there, you'll be more likely to deal with it.

6. Hang the things you rarely wear towards the back

of the closet and the ones you wear often near the front.

7. Hang all your pants together,

then all your blouses, sweaters, etc. to make it easy to find the pieces when you get dressed. (You may want to do this twice, for the things you wear frequently and the things you don't)

8. Get a second-stage piece of furniture where you can lay clothes

that are in that fascinating in-between state; not really dirty, but not totally clean. We all do it: maybe we'll want to wear those lightly worn jeans tomorrow to go sailing or to scrub the kitchen floor. Why do more laundry than we have to? Use an old quilt stand, a lounge, or even a fruit crate to keep your in-between clothes off the floor when you aren't committed enough to either hang them up or wash them.

9. Match your hangers to your clothes.

Pants should have pant hangers, skirts must have skirt hangers, and if you're the kind who hangs her lingerie, get hangers that can hold skinny little straps. The right hangers will keep your clothes from slipping off and winding up on the floor.

10. When you're shopping for clothes, try to buy things that will coordinate

with as many of your current clothes as possible. The idea is relatively seamless integration of new garments with old, so you won't find yourself standing in front of your closet with half an outfit on and nothing that matches it.

Receive Weekly Plus Size Clothing Sale Updates

Women's Clothing Information
	Plus Size Clothing Styles

	Plus Size Lingerie Advice

	Plus Size & Full Figure Clothing Do's & Don'ts

	Plus Size Body Types

	Women's Fashion Tips

	Wardrobe Advice

	Clothing Care & Storage

	Home

Our Top 5 Plus Size Clothing Stores

Catherines Clothing
Classic, comfortable women's styles with petites and tall length available in plus sizes.
www.Catherines.com

Plus Sizes at Romans
Stylish plus size clothes for work and leisure in sizes 12W to 44W at great value pricing.
www.Roamans.com

Jessica London Fashions
For the fashion forward plus size woman who want figure flattering clothing with classic style.
www.JessicaLondon.com

Ulla Popken Comfort
Comfortable European inspired designs for a fuller womens figure in sizes 12 and up.
www.UllaPopken.com

See More Stores