Your Mess is my Muse!

As a professional closet organizer and personal stylist specializing in capsule wardrobes, I LIVE for the oppurtunity to transform your closet clutter into a humming "cute outfit" energy center.

In 2017 when I launched my signature service, the Ruthless Wardrobe Edit, I did not have a standard organizing procedure. After three solid years transforming closets throughout Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York I can sum up my process in three simple steps that create immediate and massive change.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Ready to craft your dream closet? Start strong with my free step-by-step visual guide.

Step 1: Clear the Perimeter

In my early days as a closet organizer I went straight for my clients’ hanging wardrobe to start my process. By the time my sorority sister and friend Jenn hired me to transform her Annandale, VA closet last spring (photos throughout), I’d long since realized that a closet’s deepest clutter traps are the dark corners above, below and to the side of hanging racks.

It's a powerful (and challenging) exercise to address the perimeter first. Shoes, bags and accessories are easy to rationalize - it's the random stuff that trips you up. Prepare to purge pockets of excess you've avoided for years, items like sentimental clutter (ticket stubs and birthday cards) as well as a random assortment of price tags, bra pads and shoelaces. Once you purge the junk, use a combination of clear bins and baskets to display and organize the items that actually belong in your closet (Shoes, bags, accessories, etc).

How To Clear the Perimeter

1. Remove all items from floor, top shelf and any interior closet shelves

2. Put all items in a bin (or several) and move bins to another room

3. Vacuum or sweep the closet floor. Dust and wipe down all shelves

4. Take a deep breath and inhale the energy of the clean space. Power on

5. Purge the contents of the bins (this is a process worthy of it's own blog post)

6. Display and contain the items you've kept in a combination of clear containers and baskets

To make the most of your wardrobe, you must be able to see the majority of your wardrobe.

Also, nothing is to touch the clean floor of your closet ever again. Period. The End.

Perimeter Closet Organization Picks

Step 2: Outerwear? Out of there!

Bulky coats, jackets, vests are just taking up precious wardrobe space - move them to the coat closet immediately. If you don't have a coat closet, designate one. Hang hooks near the front door. Get a coat tree. If you have no immediate solution for your coat collection just humor me and put it with the cleared perimeter items for the moment. Move on to Step 3.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Ready to craft your dream closet? Start strong with my free step-by-step visual guide.

No Coat Closet? No Problem.

Step 3: Replace all Hangers with Matching Velvet Huggable Hangers

FREE DOWNLOAD: Ready to craft your dream closet? Start strong with my free step-by-step visual guide.

This is very straightforward. Matching velvet huggable hangers save SO MUCH closet space and the visual effect is streamlined and pleasing to the soul.

Huggable hangers are affordable and available everywhere, including Amazon (especially Amazon). Buy 50 hangers minimum but not more than 150 because you don't need that many clothes.

Despite the simplicity of Step 3, it generates many questions. I've prepared a FAQ list to make this easier to understand.

FAQs: Matching Velvet Huggable Hangers

Q: What about wooden hangers?

A: NO. Replace all hangers with matching velvet huggable hangers

Q: What about plastic hangers that all match?

A: NO. Replace all hangers with matching velvet huggable hangers

Q: What about velvet hangers in a few different colors?

A: NO. Replace all hangers with matching velvet huggable hangers

Q: What if my husband hates velvet hangers?

A: NO. Replace all hangers with matching velvet huggable hangers and then tell your husband to call my husband and they can rant about it together.

Q: What about wire hangers that I get free from the dry cleaner?

A: I refuse to acknowledge this question

Q: What do I use for pants and skirts?

A:  Matching velvet clips, mam.

I Repeat: “Replace All Hangers with Matching Velvet Huggable Hangers

It's Not Closet Organization - It's Catharsis

Don't look at closet organization as a chore, approach it as therapy. You will feel so much better about everything in your life once you can see everything in your closet. You may find a bunch of cool things you forgot even existed! I once found a 3.1 Philip Lim Pashli Satchel at the bottom of a client's closest. You'll may break a writer's block or decide to end a few unsupportive relationships. You will definitely be able to put together a cute outfit.

A clean closet is a stylish closet.

HELP ME JENN! I can’t do this alone.

I understand.

You are a busy Washingtonian who desperately needs to purge and reorganize her closet because:

1. Your closet is a energy vampire that sucks all the positivity out of your morning

2. It takes forever to put an outfit together (and the outfit never ends up feeling cute, TBH)

3. You don’t even know what your personal style is or where to find it

4. Cleaning out a closet is not the way you want to spend the precious time you aren’t working

5. You are a successful, professional accomplished grown woman and you are ready to throw money at this problem

Good news! I currently have four openings for TCTS Ruthless Wardrobe Edits in March/April. Click here to schedule a free consultation call so you can prance (prance, I said!) into Spring 2020 with a minimized, organized and sparkling energy closet to match the fresh personal style perspective I help you cement.