Tackling the Out-of-Season Closet

Did you follow any of the 31-Day bloggers during October?  I followed two or three really good ones!  One of them, Sarah at Bless Your Dress Mess, inspired me to tackle my out-of-season closet in the guest room.  My main closet off the master bedroom is usually pretty tidy and organized, but my out-of-season closet?  Not so much!  Sarah offers some great tips for sorting through clothes in a way that fits busy lifestyles.  You don't have to do it all at once or decide immediately whether something is a keeper or a tosser.  Check out her series!

Back to my out-of-season closet.  Here are some Before photos.  The closet already had double-hung rods, but as you can see, out-of-season clothes were just hung any which way.  Some of the items had hung out in this closet for QUITE some time, too.  That giant tub held things I haven't worn in at least three years.

 Here's another look at the lower half of the closet.  See all those folded items piled on the shelf above the hanging items?  And can you spot the red leather sleeve of my son's high school letter jacket?  He graduated in 2004, and it has been hanging there all this time.  (Don't worry, son -- I didn't get rid of it!)

To the left of the closet opening is a rod for long hanging clothes.  

I went through the clothes on each rod, deciding whether each item really belonged in that closet -- was it something I would definitely wear next spring/summer?  I found some items that I'll pass along to my mother next spring, so I kept those in the closet, too.  Everything else I moved to another spot or put in a bag to take to Goodwill.

Then I organized everything by clothing type -- tops together, sorted by sleeve length and color, etc.  Here's how the closet looks now.

 Yes, there are actually empty hangers -- and space for guests to hang their clothes.  What a concept!

I am happy to have this closet in good shape again!  Thanks, Sarah, for the motivation!  Now, if I can just get my husband to tackle HIS out-of-season closet. . . .