5 Ways to Give Your Closet An Instant Makeover
I love a good closet refresh for my clients and myself.
Doing a few simple tasks to upkeep your old space will help your wardrobe stay up to date with your life and make it easier to style what you love each morning. When you devote an hour or two to switch up what you see in your closet, the energy changes. Your space goes from stagnant to inspiring, from stale to fresh.
An updated closet offers you time to yourself, a chance to express your creativity, and the freedom to feel sexy and powerful. Maintaining and managing that space is how you get there.
So let’s get to it.
5. Donate any pieces you haven’t worn since March 2020.
This is a big one, both emotionally and physically. A lot of us have done some clean out during the pandemic, but chances are, you haven’t covered nearly enough.
Since March 2020, so many aspects of your life have changed.
That includes your style.
Nothing will make you feel more ready to take on 2022 than leaning into what your life and style are now (which could include shopping, yay!), rather than focusing on what it used to be.
Some things you might be getting rid of…
— Heels that no longer feel sensible
— Going out outfits that make you think, '“When am I ever going to wear this?!”
— Super businessy business attire (even if you’re going back into an office, work is more casual than ever.) Need a suit? Keep one or two. Donate the rest.
— Anything that you look at and think, “Well maybe someday I’ll wear that.” This action is typically followed by you instantly putting that piece back into the closet to continue collecting dust. It’s time to go.
— Anything that’s blingy, bedazzled, chevron-patterned, low-rise, matronly, overly boho or cleared outdated. If your mind goes to, “Well I once loved it,” it’s important to recognize that “once” is the key word. Once upon a time, it was loved. No longer. It’s time to say goodbye.
— Anything that’s old and you’re keeping because you “spent so much money on it.” Clothes depreciate in value as soon as they leave the store, so don’t focus on the price tag. If you haven’t worn it, it’s time to let it go.
In this process, remember that change is often hard, but necessary to moving your life in the direction you want it to go. You have the power to make your style as chic and cool as you. All it takes it a little push from you.
Next, it’s time to beautify what’s left.
4. Replace all your hangers with velvet hangers.
Never underestimate the power of aesthetics. A beautiful closet helps your mind be at peace and it helps you find what you’re looking for each morning.
Velvet hangers in particular do three main things.
— The narrow width means the hangers take up less space in each row of your closet.
— The velvet allows the hanger to grip the clothes better, so your shirts and dresses don’t fall off onto the floor.
— The velvet hangers create a uniform look, so you only see the clothes, not a bunch of mismatched hangers.
They come in a variety of neutrals, so you can match your interior decor and style.
Shop these hangers here.
3. Color code every single category.
First, put items into categories. You’re probably already doing this, but just to review — all shirts go with shirts, all dresses with dresses, etc…
Don’t go too specific with each category, meaning don’t separate things like long-sleeved shirts from short-sleeved. All shirts go with all shirts no matter the type.
Next, the rainbow is your guide.
Put each category into it’s own ROYGBIV rainbow, but do it in reverse. At the front of the closet, you’ll start with violet and go backwards all the way to red. On the side of violet, put black and grey pieces. On the side of red, put your white and cream pieces.
So when you do this in each category, each category will start with black and go all the way back to white. The reason for this is so that darks don’t get lost in the back of each section. Your eye naturally goes towards the light colors in the back, so you can scan, see, and style everything in each section.
2. Attack the jewelry head on.
If your clothes have stacked up over time, chances are your jewelry has too.
Jewelry can be tough to get rid of, because it can feel like a collection, like something you want to amass more of over time.
This is true for family heirlooms and the pieces that are real (not costume).
But the pieces that are costume, which tend to be the majority, need to be cleaned out regularly just like clothes.
Get rid of costume jewelry if:
— It’s more than 5 years old.
— It’s turning green or orange.
— It’s broken.
— It’s tangled in a wad of other costume jewelry (that can also go).
— It’s blingy, overly beaded, or so colorful that it feels like too much and a little wacky.
For anything that’s in good shape, you can always donate jewelry just like clothes.
1. Add personality to your space.
This is one of my favorite steps to making the closet inviting, and it often falls off the list of to-do’s in the closet.
Decorate!
You go into your closet every single day, which means giving it personality will make you more excited for those few minutes you spend in there each morning.
A few ideas…
— Paint it a bold color you’d be too nervous to paint a bigger room in the house.
— Add really personal pictures or nostalgic gems that may not fit your decor in other rooms.
— Add a funky wallpaper to give the space playful energy.
— Add gold or brightly colored hooks to hang hats and bags on.
— Add a cowhide rug or neutral woven rug to bring the room together.
This is your space to play, so let yourself do exactly that.
