Ready Your Closet for Fall Clothes

When it’s time to ready summer closets for bulkier warm weather clothing, indulge yourself in a little spring cleaning this fall to make your closets more hospitable for your cashmere, wool and angora fall pieces.
What brings on the urge to try to wrestle order out of an overloaded closet? Is it just to make more room to buy more stuff? Dr. Abby Calisch, professor of psychology at Argosy University/Dallas explains that “the need for organizing or cleaning in the fall may be related to changes in light and the circadian rhythm.” For example, she says, days get shorter and people are driven to prepare the home for survival matters, similar to animals that hibernate in the winter.

Now we know there’s real science behind the need to reorganize. And according to Natalie Swindell, a fashion design and fashion marketing instructor at The Illinois Institute of Art, many of the same rules we use for spring cleaning apply to the fall as well.

”You’ve heard it before, but it really is one of the most important rules to abide by when you’re cleaning out and reorganizing a closet,” says Swindell. And that is purge items that have not been worn in more than two years, or clothes that no longer fit.

“How many of us are lucky enough to have a closet that lets us house clothing we ‘hope’ to fit into again, or an outfit that cost so much you’re overwhelmed with guilt about giving it away?” she asks.

Don't feel bad about keeping clothes that have a sentimental attachment such as a wedding gown, prom dress or heirloom items. Just be sure they are properly cleaned, and stored. Many dry cleaners will not only clean these items, but box them so they can be easily stored away. It’s not an inexpensive service, but if it’s something you want to keep, says Swindell, it’s a justifiable expense.

Once you’ve made donate and toss piles, it’s time to assess your closet needs. For example, says Jamie Hurd, academic department director of interior design at The Art Institute of Portland suggests taking measurements of the space to determine if you can use double rods to hang clothes.

According to Hurd, “This will give you twice the mileage in one space. Take stock of how many items you have to hang at full length and then put the rest on double rods. This might also help create space where you can add drawers and shelves.”

Think about installing pull-out shelves with a wicker base, which allows air to move through, and keep your sweaters looking and smelling their best. Prioritize where you will place things in your closet in terms of use. You want to save higher in your closet for clothes that are currently out of season and then switch around your wardrobe the following season.

If you are always searching for the right outfit for the right occasion, consider sectioning your clothing in your closet by occasion: put all of your casual clothes in one area, all of your work clothes in another and formal clothes in another.

Other closet organization tips include:

* Keep everything as accessible as possible. Installing full-extension sliding shelves or drawers will allow you to pull out the entire shelf or drawer and see everything at once without having to guess at what might be stuck in the back.

* Check out home improvement stores, home organization stores, and even specialty hardware stores that focus on cabinetry to find the organizational systems to fit your closet needs.

* Short on cash? Get creative and find everyday items around your house that could do double duty as storage. For instance, save used yogurt containers, wash them out and dress them up -- they make great storage for small items like jewelry or extra buttons.

What about all those fancy storage containers that lure us into thinking we’ll be more organized? Says Hurd, “It’s important to have proper containers to store the items you are keeping. Don’t use cardboard boxes -- they attract bugs and don’t hold up.” Instead, use plastic storage bins with snap top lids. They’re inexpensive and practical.

Never store wool or silk in plastic because the fabric cannot breathe. Instead, try using a cloth bag. If folding sweaters, use cedar and lavender to keep away the moths (they like summer sweaters too). Delicate knits are best stored in wooden drawers or a cedar chest. Try to avoid excessive dry cleaning, it wears the fibers down.

If your donate pile contains gently used, but still very wearable work pieces, consider donating them to an organization like Dress for Success (www.dressforsuccess.org). A not-for-profit organization, Dress for Success helps low-income women make “tailored transitions into the workforce.”