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The rule is to separate your suits so you can view them as separate skirts and jackets. (Photos.com)
Every time I see a picture of a beautiful closet, I salivate because I want it so badly. Not the clothes; I love the clothes I have. No, I want the closet, itself. I want a beautifully custom-built closet with shelves and rods to my order. But that's not to be since I rent, and I am not about to increase the value of my landlord's property. But I am blessed with six large closets, and I am highly organized so as to make the most of them.
Both my parents were very organized, so I grew up realizing how important organization is. It's part of my DNA. Here are some of the ways I organize my closets and my life, for if your closets are organized, then your life will be, too.
When I get undressed at day's end, I examine my clothes. If a seam is open or a button loose, I sew it immediately. Needs washing? I wash it immediately and hang it to dry. Wrinkled? I iron it. If it needs cleaning,I bring it to the cleaners the next morning. Nothing goes back in my closet or drawer unless it's ready to be worn again.
There's one exception to this rule and that's shoes. If my shoes need lifts, I know the next time I wear them that I must allow time to go across the street to my shoemaker and have him put on lifts while I wait.
I hang everything in my closets facing in the same direction. And like goes with like, meaning I put all my skirts together, all the pants, and so on.
I wish I could say that all my clothes hang on beautifully padded hangers, but they're very expensive and I have a lot of clothes. So I use some wooden hangers, and I'm even ashamed to admit that I use some wire hangers. But, here's a tip: Wrap an old towel around the wire hanger and you have a padded hanger!
I keep my purses on hanging storage shelves that attach to the closet rod with Velcro. They're meant for sweaters, but I keep my sweaters in my chest of drawers.
The rule is to separate your suits so you can view them as separate skirts and jackets. I don't adhere to that rule. I hang my suits on the same hanger but do think of them as separate pieces.
My next column will continue on how to have excrutiatingly correct closets—if you can stand it!
Miriam Silverberg is a freelance journalist and owner of Miriam Silverberg Associates, a boutique publicity firm in Manhattan. She may be reached at silverbergm@mindspring.com.
