Getting Organized

The time has finally come to clean out and organize my closet! That's right. Though I've attempted it many times in the past, I've never quite hit the mark. My dream of a clean, open, organized closet with a limited selection of truly exceptional pieces of clothing that I love (and that fit me) has eluded me my entire life.

In bringing in Lisa Reep of Closet Concierge (www.ClosetConciergeBayArea.com), I'm finally admitting that I can't do it myself.

Here's the process we'll go through and one I suggest you try:

1. DETERMINE YOUR GOALS, STYLE PREFERENCES AND CHALLENGES

First on her list is to discuss my goals, style preferences and challenges. Even if you don't have a professional helping you, this is the first step to getting it right.

So, what is your goal? Does your closet make you crazy and you need some relief? Do you want to be able to find your clothes quickly instead of standing and staring for 20 minutes before you find the blouse you were looking for? Do you want to be more confident in coordinating your outfits? Whatever your goal, you need to know what it is or you will never reach it.

Next, style preferences. Think about your lifestyle and what you feel good wearing. Are you Artsy? Classic? Bohemian? Sporty? or a little of each? Knowing your style preferences is the best way to ensure you buy only the clothes that you'll love wearing.

And finally, what are your challenges?  One of my biggest challenges is sale shopping. Another is emotional shopping. But, others specific to my closet include too many clothes and shoes for the space I have, mixing winter and summer clothes, too many extraneous things in my closet. What challenges do you face?

2. EVALUATE YOUR CURRENT WARDROBE

Next, you need to evaluate what you have in your current wardrobe and measure it against your goals, style preferences and challenges.

This is where it’s helpful to have an objective party because it can be difficult to be honest here. One thing a professional like Lisa can do is help you create combinations from pieces that are already in your closet in ways you may not have even imagined!

3. ORGANIZE

Once you've pared down your wardrobe to include only those pieces that really work for you, you can begin the process of reorganizing your closet in an aesthetic and logical way that makes it easy for you to find the clothes you're looking for. For example, hanging like colors together or pieces that can be worn together.

4. PLAN AND SHOP

Once you've done this, you can develop a plan - determine what is missing and what you need to purchase to complete your wardrobe.

Here are some photos from our closet clean out.

Lisa getting started

Sorting through my clothes

We're just beginning!

And, now we're finished.

All my jackets, all in a row.

Everything in its place

Even the shoes!

Ta da!

I'm one happy, organized woman.

We did it!

One of my "new" outfits!