The Dappered philosophy is all about looking good without costing an arm and a leg. While that usually means finding great pieces and even better prices, this series is about how to store what you’ve already got. We’re going to look at how to clear the clutter, how to outfit a closet, and how to use that closet to its full potential. 

If you’ve followed the previous article on outfitting your closet, you’re on your way to having a workspace that works for you instead of against you. Where the last article was about building your closet, this one is about using it. The goal is to have a closet where it’s easy to find things and easy to put them all together into outfits that work for you.

 SEVEN STEPS TO BUILDING A SYSTEM FOR YOUR CLOSET

1. Don’t over-crowd it

Overcrowding your closet will make it difficult for you to find anything and will defeat the purpose of the rest of this list. If you have too many shirts hanging on rods, you won’t be able to see everything. If you have too many pair of shorts in your drawers, you’ll never know what’s at the bottom. You can avoid overcrowding in one of two ways (and they’re not mutually exclusive). First, get rid of the clutter. Second, spread your stuff as evenly as possible across all available rod and drawer space. If you seriously just have that much stuff, you may want to consider revisiting the article on clearing clutter.

#1 and #4 in action. There’s room to breathe, and shoes are at eye level.
Check consignment stores for used, but still good looking armoires for your shoes & suits.

2. Choose an organization scheme that works for you

The scheme you choose is not nearly as important as simply having one in the first place. Some people organize their closets by color. Some organize by occasion. Others organize by type of clothing. Personally, I organize by clothing type followed by color. Do whatever feels right to you. Just make sure you keep it consistent.

3. Store coats separately if possible

Coats can take an incredible amount of space. If this is a problem for you, consider moving them completely out of your bedroom closet. If you have a coat closet, that’s where they belong. Otherwise, consider getting a hall tree or coat rack.

4. Make shoes easy to find

Just because they go on your feet doesn’t mean they belong on the floor. Marketing research shows that grocery store shoppers have a tendency to buy things near eye level and are more inclined to ignore things that are too low or too high. Similarly, bringing shoes up to eye level will make it easier for you to “shop” in your own closet. If shelf space is at a premium, consider rod-hanging shoe organizers. Just make sure to find one that’s wide enough since many are made to fit women’s (i.e. little) shoes.

5. Rotate clothing into/out of storage by season

When it’s winter, you’re probably not wearing those white linen pants. And you’re probably not wearing your heavy sweaters in summer. These aren’t items that are merely being seldom used. They’re items that aren’t being used at all. There’s no point for them to be taking up so much valuable closet space. Take the things that are out of season (whether on rods or in drawers) and put them in “deep storage”. Flat containers for under-bed storage are a good place for them. Even if you have room for them in your closet, they’ll end up cluttering the space and making it harder to find what you want (rule #1).

Get it off the ground storage, and get it on the ground storage.

6. Do laundry before it’s necessary

I used to consider it a point of pride that I could go a month without doing laundry. But by the end of it, I was wearing stuff just because it was clean and not because I actually wanted to wear it. Doing the laundry is a necessary evil. But if it has to get done one way or another, it’s best to do it sooner than later. That way, your closet will always be on its “A” game. You’ll always have the full spectrum of your wardrobe available at a moment’s notice.

7. PUT IT BACK WHERE IT CAME FROM!!

This is the one that I think a lot of people struggle with most (myself included). But if this rule isn’t maintained, the rest of them aren’t worth crap. It’s the one thing that keeps the wheels in motion. If your system is a machine, this rule is the grease. Just do it.

Head here for the entire three part series. When not de-creasing shoes or keeping his closet in good shape, you’ll find Roving Style Contributor Alan S. participating as an active member on Threads.

The Dappered philosophy is all about looking good without costing an arm and a leg. While that usually means finding great pieces and even better prices, this series is about how to store what you’ve already got. We’re going to look at how to clear the clutter, how to outfit a closet, and how to use that closet to its full potential. 

If you’re following along, you’re well on your way to clearing the clutter. You won’t be fully de-cluttered if you’re using the “reverse hanger technique” (step 3 here), but you should still be off to a pretty good start.

Now, we’ve got to customize your closet to meet your needs. Just as an organized workspace can help you be more productive, an organized closet can help make you better-dressed. There are a few extra steps that can help you take your closet to the next level, and most of them are pretty cheap.

11 TIPS FOR OUTFITTING YOUR CLOSET

1. No blank walls

You’ll want to maximize your space BEFORE you start filing it up. That means you need to create as much useful space as possible with what you have, and blank walls are not useful space. If it’s your own closet, build out more shelves or rod space (whichever you find yourself needing more of). If it’s an apartment, throw a chest of drawers against that wall. You can’t ever have too much useful space, but you can easily have too little. So again, do this first, even if you don’t think you’ll need it. Trust me, Sooner or later, you’ll need it.

#2, #8, and #10 in action in the wild.

2. Double rods

If you don’t have to share your closet with a woman, you don’t need full-height rods. Instead, add a second rod underneath to double your rod space. If you have a 3/4 length rod, you may want to consider keeping it if you have longer jackets, unfolded hanging pants, or any coats for which you can’t find another home. If you have to share a closet with a woman, well, You’re not really sharing. It’s her closet. You’re just squatting.

3. White doesn’t lie

When light bounces off of a colored surface, it reflects a “cast” that changes the color of the light. This will screw up the color of anything else that the light shines on. So in order to get the most color accuracy out of your wardrobe as possible, you’ll want to introduce as much white as you can. Having white walls is a no-brainer, but also consider painting you cabinetry white. This will help your clothes to be more true-to-color when they’re hanging on the rods. Since white  surfaces reflect full-spectrum light, it’ll also be brighter. And as we’ll discuss in rule #5, we’ll need all the light we can get.

4. Use full-spectrum or “daylight” fluorescent bulbs

Traditional incandescent bulbs typically have a red or orange hue to them. Switching to fluorescent bulbs can fix the situation, but make sure you’re getting full-spectrum or “daylight” bulbs. Full-spectrum bulbs are preferable since they provide pure white light, but daylight bulbs are the next best thing. They have a very slight blueish tint that mimics standing underneath a blue sky on a bright day. Since the light is more accurate, you’ll be able to see what your clothes REALLY look like. If you have a reach-in closet or wardrobe, just replace the lights in your bedroom.

5. Make it as bright as possible

It’s common knowledge that as light gets dimmer, your vision starts to break down. However, what many people don’t realize is that your ability to see color is the first thing to go. This can be avoided by providing as much light in your closet as possible. This is easy to do with the fluorescent bulbs mentioned above. Since they run at lower wattages than incandescents, you can get brighter bulbs than you could normally use. Most closets have only one or two bulbs so make them work for you. And since fluorescent bulbs take a minute or two to really warm up, turn on the light a few minutes BEFORE you go browsing.

6. Hang a full-length mirror on the door

Even if you have no room to hang a mirror out in the open, you can always hang one inside the closet door. The benefit of a full-length mirror is obvious for seeing your whole ensemble at once. Ever have trouble deciding which shoes to wear? Ever have trouble deciding if the pants are working with that jacket? Problem solved.

7. Use proper hangers for suits/jackets/pants/etc

This may be obvious, but it’s so important that it’s still worth mentioning. Suits and sport coats have structured shoulders that can be damaged over time if left on skinny hangers. These pieces will often be sold on a hanger which you can continue to use. Otherwise, you should go out and get some. Pants on a thin wire hanger will leave a crease. At the very least, they need a wider bar. In truth, those basic cardboard pant hangers from the dry cleaner work just fine if you’re on a budget. But if you’ve got the funds, dedicated pant hangers are going to be better.

Now that my friends… is a hanger. Wide shoulders to support blazers, sportcoats, etc.

8. Use a hotel-style safe for valuables

Whether it’s a $1000 watch or just a $5 tie clip your grandpa gave you, some things cannot afford to be stolen. There are tons of safes on the market, but if you’re not concerned about fire damage, a simple security safe will work just fine (and save you a few bucks in the process). Plus fire safes can be difficult to secure to a floor or shelf whereas security safes are specifically made for that purpose. SentrySafe makes a a Card Access Security Safe in creme that fits easily on an existing shelf and blends well into its surroundings. It’s just large enough to hold the things that matter without taking up too much space for everything else. Is it the Vault at the Bellagio? No, but if you secure it with the included bolt down kit, it should provide enough resistance against a smash and grab job.

9. Use cubicle drawers for clean storage

Closets often come with shelves when what you really want is more drawers. These cubicle drawers have a handle on the front and a label to let you know what’s inside. They’re designed to fit into cubby holes, but they also fit conveniently well onto closet shelves and for overhead storage. Any time you’re tempted to stack something, think about using a cubicle drawer. They really help cut down the clutter.

Can’t stop it? Contain it. With these.

10. Double your shelf space

Most closet shelves are spaced 12″ apart. If you like to store your shoes on shelves, that can leave a lot of wasted space. You should leave one of two shelves alone for boots, but you can pack more shoes into the rest by adding additional shelves between the existing shelves. If you have a modular closet, it’s as easy as adding pegs and dropping in more pre-fabricated shelf pieces. Otherwise, you’ll have to do it the old fashioned way. Pine 1″x12″ boards from your local lumber yard or Home Depot can be cut into sections (usually 2 feet) and attached using 1″x2″ cleats. Since most built-in closet shelving is 12″ deep (unless you have higher-end 16″ closet shelves), a 1″x12″ is going to be VERY close to the correct size. It may not be very pretty, but damn it’s easy.

11. Accessorize and customize

At this point, you have a closet that will work for 90% of the people out there. However, everyone is different. Most guys will want a belt rack, but even a hook or a long nail will work. If you have a lot of ties, a tie rack will be in order. As for me? I’ve got my eye on a wall-mounted shoe shine butler. It’s your closet so make it yours. Customize how you see fit. But remember, it’s a place to effectively store your clothes. So if Xzibit shows up to Pimp your Closet, that’s probably going overboard.

Coming up Wednesday, Part III: Building a System for moving forward. When not de-creasing shoes or keeping his closet in good shape, you’ll find Roving Style Contributor Alan S. participating as an active member on Threads.

The Dappered philosophy is all about looking good without costing an arm and a leg. While that usually means finding great pieces and even better prices, this series is about how to store what you’ve already got. We’re going to look at how to clear the clutter, how to outfit a closet, and how to use that closet to its full potential. 

Before you can build your closet up, you’ve got to tear it down. Clearing the clutter is an important first stage because it’ll let you know what you’re really working with. Once you know what you’ve got, then you can design your new closet around it. If you have lots of collared shirts, you’ll need lots of rods. If you have lots of sweaters, you’ll need more shelves/drawers. You get the idea. So on that note, let’s just dig right in. No really. We might have to dig.

Someone get the backhoe
.

SEVEN STEPS TO CLEARING CLOSET CLUTTER

1. Wash everything you own

The is step one for good reason. You’ve got to take inventory of everything you’ve got. Get it clean and put away where it belongs. That way you can survey your wardrobe in its entirety.

2. Slash and burn

Now we’ve got to thin the herd. Don’t stress too hard about what to keep and what to get rid of. We’ll worry about in the next steps. The most important thing here is to get rid of the things you obviously don’t want anymore. Using a numbering scale can help. If it scores a 5 out of 10 or worse, get rid of it. There are some suggestions coming up in step #7 if you need more help, but just make sure you scroll back up for steps 3 through 6.

3. Adopt the “Reverse hanger technique”

Now that we’ve gotten the stuff you obviously don’t want any more out of the way, it’s time to work on the less obvious stuff. This is a technique used by professional organizers. I’m not sure that it has a name so I’m just calling it the “reverse hanger technique”. Catchy, right? All you have to do is take all of your hanging clothes and hang them from the back of the rod instead of across the front like you normally would. Pull items from the closet and wear them as normal, but when they’re washed and go back into the closet, hang them as you normally would on the front of the bar. This will help you differentiate between what you have and haven’t worn.

The reverse hanger technique in action.

4. Do the same with folded clothes

Just because it’s not on a hanger doesn’t mean you can’t use the same technique. Use two different piles or two different drawers – whatever works for you. The key is to separate what you have and haven’t worn. How you do it is not nearly as important.

5. Wash clothes often

The secret ingredient to making the reverse hanger technique work is to wash often. If you’re not washing often enough, you’ll start wearing clothes you normally wouldn’t keep just because they’re clean. So keep your closet stocked with what you would rather be wearing. Most of us know when we’re well overdue for laundry. Try not to get to that point during this process.

6. After 90 days, decide on anything that hasn’t been used

If you haven’t used something in 90 days, what are the chances that you ever will? Of course, seasons and weather affect what you’re wearing so take that into account. There will also be exceptions for items like tuxes, but you get the idea. It’s decision time.

7. Judgement day

Now that you have all these unworn items, it’s time to go through them. You’ve got several options.

• If it’s damaged, just throw it away. That’s probably why it hasn’t been worn. If it was worth wearing, you would have fixed it.
• If it’s worth something, consign it. Craigslist and ebay are also options. Another great option is the Swap and Shop forum on Dappered Threads.
• Anything left can be donated. There’s no sense is tossing out something that someone else may be able to use.
• If you’re going to keep it after all of this, you better have a damned good reason.
• If it’s a 40R jacket or a 12D pair of shoes, you can always just give them to me for all of this helpful advice!

Coming up tomorrow: Part II: Outfitting your newly cleaned out closet. On Wednesday, Part III: Building a System for moving forward. When not de-creasing shoes or keeping his closet in good shape, you’ll find Roving Style Contributor Alan S. participating as an active member on Threads.