Rave: The Perfect Closet

Okay, let me just admit it up front - I actually enjoy organizing my closet. No, I'm not one of those people who must have everything in a certain way (Anthony spaces his hangers equidistant from each other-talk about OCD!) - I'm quite the opposite actually. But I do, however, take special interest when it comes to my wardrobe. To be honest, I get lazy and my closet can go weeks at a time without seeing me hang a single item, but this pushes me to have an ultimate cleaning day where I completely re-organize all of it.

First off, I think that a clean closet is important for everyone. It really is the penultimate accessory for any fashionista! Not only does it show your care and value for the clothes you own, but it also makes it a lot easier to find clothes when in a rush. No more turning over your entire bedroom trying to find that purple blouse wrinkled beneath a pair of jeans. While it would be fabulous to have one, you don't need to have a huge walk-in closet to achieve the perfect closet. I've found that color-coding my closet helps me put together outfits, which is definitely an added bonus, and of course, it helps me work with my limited closet space. And i mean, who doesn't like throwing open their closet doors to find a colorful masterpiece where the medium is clothing? Your own personal fashion show, where everything (hopefully) fits, n'est pas?

My Tips to Obtaining the Perfect Closet:
1. Only keep things that you need/will wear. I know this is especially hard, considering most people hate throwing stuff away. But the less junk you have in your closet, the easier it will be to find things, and the more space you'll have for things you will actually wear (as well as more space for the things you haven't yet purchased!).

2. Figure out the best way to organize and utilize your closet space. If you are a huge dress fanatic, make sure you have the room to hang long dresses; if you love shoes, make sure to include plenty of space (including shelving if necessary); if you love sweaters, you may want to invest in a closet organizing system so you can fold your sweaters and still have room for those items that need to be hung. Just like every other aspect of fashion, the Perfect Closet depends mainly on the likes and dislikes - the fit -- of the person who owns it, and only you can decide the optimal way to use your space.

3. Organize your clothes in your closet in a way that will enable you to reach and find your clothes in an efficient major. For me, this is best achieved by color coding my closet. On these days, I follow a ROY G BIV color scheme from left to right. Neutrals, blacks, greys, browns, and whites go before the red section. Within each block of color, I organize the clothing by weight -- thickest item to thinnest. If two items of clothing match in warmth, I put the darker of the two to the left. Jeans and other pants share a shelf under all of the tops, and are folded and tucked away. All the delicates and casual wear are stored in my dresser. And as for shoes -- they're everywhere - my bedroom, the laundry room, my car, and so forth. Any ideas on how to organize these while minimizing space would be highly appreciated.

This isn't the only way to organize your closet. You can go with color temperatures (cool colors vs. warm colors), or clothing type (shirts, pants, t-shirts, jeans, etc.), designer, dressy vs. casual -- the options are limitless.

4) Maintain your newly modified closet. This is the hardest part for me! But if you can keep your closet clean and tidy, your life (as well as your prying mom's eyes) will be a lot happier!

Of course, I'm still waiting for the day when I can have a two-story walk-in with a chandelier, chaise, and huge three way mirror, but for now, my closet is organized in a manner that allows me to enjoy all of my clothes whilst providing a clean, bright environment for all of my new purchases.