Categorize, colorize, and personalize.

Keep it simple - If you have to sort your clothes into colours, then within that sort them into the order of when you last wore them, and when you bought them... Obviously I'm exaggerating but you'd never keep up with sorting things into a ridiculously complicated system every time you did the washing! ;)

Also it may look lovely with those boxes arranged 'just so' but if your everyday makeup is stored in the one at the bottom, you'll never bother to faff around getting everything out & putting it all back in again. :P

So keep everything simple & easy to use, and if it's not working how you've got it, change it!

Agree with all the above. Another tip would be to use the same hangers and buy enough to fill your closet. Then, don't buy more clothes than you have hangers for. Same with shoes--don't buy more than you have storage space for. Get rid of something when something new comes in.

I agree with all suggestions above + The Container Store:

Take Inventory:
Begin by noting everything you would like to store in a particular closet. This includes hanging and folded clothing, shoes, accessories, linens and miscellaneous items, such as sporting equipment, luggage, gift wrap, etc.

Clean House:
Donate anything you don’t or can’t wear or use any more. Use the two-year rule — if you haven’t worn it in two years, it’s time to say goodbye to it. These items take up valuable space and probably won’t be missed.

Remove Barriers:
If you have one lone closet rod at the top of your closet to hang your clothes on — remove it. One rod severely limits your ability to visualize available space and does not allow you to double-hang clothing. Measure your entire closet space from front to back, side to side and floor to ceiling. Note the height and width of doors and door frames, as well as the location of built-in shelves, fuse boxes, cables, ducts and other obstructions.

Use All Available Space:
Be sure to select a closet system and completion products that maximize all of the available space, including vertical space from floor to ceiling and the often-wasted space behind the door. Sample is from ContainerStore.com

Purge. I found that to be the best way to keep a closet organized. I know that after having children I just won't be fitting back into my size 6 Seven jeans so I send them on their way to a charitable organization. Also be thoughtful about what you store in your closet. If you live in Hawaii and won't be using those knee high Uggs to cross Madison Avenue in mid-January any time soon then it is best that the Uggs get stored elsewhere with other winter clothes. Also a jewelry box is key for me. I think a place for all your jewelry to be on display so that you can access it and try on and return whatever pieces you are not wearing keeps things tidy. If you don't like the look of a jewelry "box", I buy the decorative bowls from Anthropologie and place them on my shelf - one for rings, one for necklaces and one for bracelets that I wear most often. Their colorful pops of color also lift the feel of the closet and make it feel super personal to me.

Flocked hangers.

I was really surprised to see how nicely organized clothing looks when done by color and from light to dark. Did it for the first time in my new apartment. Makes putting together an outfit easier too. I paid a lot for my custom-built closets (3 of them!) and they are worth every cent---but since I moved to Israel, i'd say they are worth every shekel!!!

Here's some things that work for us:

1. Use all the same kind of hangers. Cedar if you can afford them or plastic will work also.
2. Go through your clothes and accessories every six months and pull out the things you don't use, that are stained/torn/worn, or that are not serving you (NO -- you should not keep the pants you are hoping to get into one day!).
3. Take 5 minutes each day and put your stuff away. It helps you not get overwhelmed by a big mess.

Finally .. be gentle on yourself. An organized closet is a wonderful, calming thing, but it does not determine your worth!

Here's one of our closet options.

If you are going to invest in custom closets, do not over customize them. Make sure hanging rods and shelves can adjust to fit or switch to changing storage or function six months or six years down the road.

Huggable hangers by Joy Mongano , sold on HSN. I'v also seen them at Target. There are also some knockoffs.
It's unbelievable how much less space it takes to hang your clothes because of their thinness.the clothes stay on well and are kept neat.

I always make a special effort to fold my clothes neatly and then chuck them in the draw lol. Then when I go looking for something, I mess everything up even more so every month I have to take everything out and sort it. Then I do it all again haha. No tips here, totally hopeless

My partner is organised I should have mentioned; I often ask him if he needs to be tested for OCD.

I am still working on the system to organize my and my husbands closets (we have two). For my I try not to over complicate things and not to over organize, so it is easy to maintain the semi-structured look. In my past homes I tried too hard to have a separate bin for everything, which actually ended up looking worse, because it was harder to keep complex organization looking its best. Every weekend I usually go though the entire house, including the closets and tidy things up a bit, but not too much when it comes to closets.......

Would like to figure out a way to keep folded tee shirts etc neat and yet accessible.

I like to organize by colour and mood: ROYGBIV warm...[Red, orange, yellow] + cool... [green, blue, indigo, violet] + neutral...[tan, brown, black, grey, and white]. It makes it easier to put together outfits [monochromatic, analogous, triadic and complementary], plus much faster to put away clean laundry since there is a system in place. Additionally, it becomes obvious when you have too much of one colour [i.e. black] and it's time to purge. :)

Closet organization with vertical partitions help keep folded items neater. This is achieved by creating sections sized to fit two folded garments wide, and shelves spaced to allow stacking items 2-6 high depending on bulkiness. Each stack can "lean" against the partition to help maintain stability.

By using shelves instead of drawers, you can access the bottom item in the stack by pulling it straight out while lifting slightly the items above. This minimizes disruption of the stack.

If concerns arise regarding visual neatness or dust, doors can be used in front of the shelves. And the doors can cover a number of shelves, providing more cover at less expense than individual drawers.

Finally, this is the best way to utilize upper storage where drawers are inaccessible.

I like to use drawers for smaller items like underwear, lingerie, socks, workout gear, or what I call "innerwear". Shelves are best for larger items, such as printed tee shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, or jeans, items I call "outerwear" - clothing visible to the public.

HELP _ I have wardrobes in 3 sizes. Yes, i fluctuate that much, that often. I .live in Chicago so i four seasons that overlap. I currently try to organize by season but thats not working

Cwbueno, get a T-shirt folder. They sell them at The Container Store and other places. You can then stack them very neatly on a shelf, or my favorite trick -- on end in a drawer so you can see them all at once.

1212. Try some of the multiple hangars for out of season/ or not quite fitting clothes. ( see below). I love the lustig bench from ikea for my entry and bedroom. Comes with 2 shelves for shoes and is only 15 inches x 39 inches so fits anywhere. See below pic

Since the weather changes so often in Chicago, I organize by color. This way, I can wear a summer tank with a fitted jacket in spring or fall or maybe even winter. I don't want to limit my choices by season. I also do a spring cleaning and give away items I haven't worn, don't fit just right or don't like/love. It takes a long while to try on every pair of pants and every dress, shirt, jacket, but I know that whatever I'm picking out in the morning will make me feel good because it is something that I love.

cwbueno, my all-time favorite "As Seen on TV" purchase: the flip-fold, helps keep my tee shirts, etc. nice and neat plus they take up less room. I gave each of my daughters one when they established their own homes, and they use theirs as much as I use mine. http://www.containerstore.com/reviews/laundry/laundryAccessories?productId=10009850

I use a flip fold also! It makes getting the shirts into the drawers much easier and I can see them all.

How I hated going through my closets and deciding what to keep and what to get rid of. Then I had a brainstorm. Instead of going through everything, the first week of January I place a small rubber band on every hanger. Throughout the year, when I wash clothing I put the things that were washed on a hanger without a rubber band. Next January I know what I wore and get rid of most everything that I didn't wear. I have a few outfits for weddings, parties, funerals that may not be worn, but are still reasonable to keep.

Used allen and roth closet system from Lowes - affordable option to custom. Put upper rod at 84" and bottom at 42" and added additional lighting so I could see everything better.

Something I'm pretty proud of is my narrow & deep kitchen utility closet. I mounted an elfa door rack on one side and a tie rack on the other. I showed the store manager a picture of the finished product and she had all of her employees come see. A small thing, maybe, but I love it. It holds a ton and everything's really easy to get to and to put away.

Easyclosets.com

Love them! We had our master closet done right after we moved in and ten years later there are still 2 sections that we don't use since we are so organized.

I came from a full time career in teaching plus family, rescue animals and supporting elderly parents to 'retirement' adding renovating a French property to the above.
My wardrobe was not a top priority! It was out of date and inappropriate to my new life in South West France.
My clothes were already arranged according to; dresses, trousers, shorts, skirts, jackets and tops, long to short, heavy to light, dark to light. Underwear, hosiery, vests, tees, jeans, leggings and sportwear were folded in drawers. This way they were easy to put back after laundering.
But after several outings marred by a last-minute scramble to find 'something to wear', leaving me feel badly-prepared, hassled and inappropriately dressed, this is what I decided to do;

1.Write down what I did and where I went during what weather; what clothing would I need? Then based on that, I planned some basic ‘uniforms’, suitable for different occasions and seasons.
2.I went through every item and ask; does it fit, do I have a use for it and do I love it? Yes to all and it stayed in.
3.Made label for each item i.e. ‘Black Stripe Sweater Dress’
4.Went through every item again and tried it with different items, including shoes. Made a note on the label which season/s occasion/s it would be suitable for and which items (including underwear, shoes and jewellery if necessary) were best to complete the outfit. This took some time, but there were some nice surprises. If the outfit needed something to complete it I made a note of it, i.e. white shrug needed for Blue Patterned Sundress.

Labels can be kept on hangers, on cards as a file or the details on a document, either hard copy or on the pc.
Now whenever I have somewhere to go, I can refer to my data and see exactly what choices of outfit I have.

Below is an example of one label;
Black Stripe Sweater Dress; Town; Mid/Winter
Red Long Sleeve Tee
Purple Long Sleeve Tee
Black Leggings and Ankle Boots (or)
Black Tights and Long Boots
Black Padded Jacket (or)
Black Padded Coat

All this sounds a lot of work, but it was sooo worth it; I can relax, knowing I have something suitable to wear at a moment’s notice, and can just enjoy the occasion.

I don't have a t shirt folder so i just fold them myself. Works almost as well and i don't have to store it. Photo looking down into drawer.

i like your ideas

laura, I too, am retired and have tried to find outfits in my closet for occasions other than walking our dog in the woods or shelving books at our library (volunteer work). I think your method of listing occasions (special and daily) for wearing what clothes I have, will prove helpful. Thanks for that idea.

My husband has many many T-shirts and very few " tidy genes". Our solution is to roll the shirts, similar to how you would pack them into a suitcase, and stack them on cubby- like shelves ( kind of like wine bottles). Easy for him to keep them neat, and they don't wrinkle much, either!

I divide my clothes by type - pants, skirts, dresses, long-sleeved tops, short-sleeved tops, jackets. I don't colour-code or put away a thing but the truly obvious seasonal item. When I choose an outfit, I start with the bottom (which I rotate through, choosing the most appropriate for my day). Then I rotate through my tops, choosing options that "go", but often discover an unusual option that I have not paired previously. Doing it this way, I don't get stuck in a rut and have lots of variety. I often will use a sort-sleeved or even sleeveless item with a jacket in the winter (and, believe me, it does get cold in Canadian winters).

I also use the backwards hanger trick, using my birthday as a reminder date. I am often surprised at how much I have actually worn, even though I have a lot of clothes.

Jewellery is as follows: necklaces mostly hanging, bracelets in a basket, and rings in one of those plastic craft boxes with a lot of sections. Rotate through those as well.

Now, if I could only find a better way to do shoes...

What's ORGANIZING??? Just kidding, I know what it is but I never do it.

I sometimes find it hard to do a real closet purge because of the 'what if...' questions in the back of my mind. My solution for the last few years is to have a basket or a big shopping bag in the corner of my closet at all times. As I sort through my wardrobe and find something I haven't worn in a while (out of style, faded, doesn't fit well, whatever...), I place the item in the basket. Once it's full after a couple of months, I go thorough the pile quickly and usually have no regrets about what's been phased out. Then, off to Goodwill I go. Once in a while I do two trips -- one to a donation site and one to a nice consignment store, which makes it easier for me to get rid of things that were expensive and still in good condition.

I find that doing this gradually keeps me from feeling too anxious about getting rid of something I fear missing, and I'm a little more decisive about what I put away since I know I will have a chance to give it a second thought before it's out of the house.

One "what if" might be: what if I were moving to a smaller place.

The first thing I’d do is to clean out the closet and get rid of clothes and accessories that I no longer wear. Then I’d rearrange my wardrobe and organize them into several groups by season, style, and type. I'm currently using these storage bags to reclaim more space in my closet. I store my T-shirts, shorts, tank tops, and sportswear in separate storage bins, and stack them on top of one another. These storage bins are super helpful, they’re not only space-saving but also allow for easy viewing and access to stored contents.

There're many types of storage bags on the market. I love to use this kind of cloth storage for off-season clothing, bed sheets, and blankets. It's water-resistant and features a zipper closure to keep the stored items from dust and moisture. The carrying handle makes it easy to move the bag from one place to another. There are many ways to incorporate the storage into your space. You can store them on the higher shelves of your closet, bottom drawer of your dresser, and even under your bed.

I’d recommend these cube closets for those who live in a small apartment or move frequently since it's very easy to set them up and take them down. The closet is spacious and provides multiple compartments to store different types of clothing and accessories separately.

If you need a place to store your frequently worn clothes and accessories, the open closet system is a great choice for you. Most open closet system can be modified to suit your needs, but open closet system is more complicated to install and most of them need to be fixed on a wall for proper stability.

You can also choose this kind of simple clothes rack. They are lightweight and easy to move around. The ideal rack is one equipped with caster wheels for increased mobility.

For scarf storage, I’d recommend these scarf hangers; each hanger can hold and display multiple scarves for easy accessibility.

Get more tips in Blog:Emma Walsh's Organizing Story

sorting things by type, and then by color within that category. I have a pretty small closet that I share with my boyfriend. Ive divided the closet in half. We use hanging shelves to store our jeans, one on his side and one on mine. Using the slim felt hangers is good to save space, and helps the clothes stay on the hangers.

Purge all the clothes you're not wearing anymore. Move in the back all clothes you wear rarely or only on special occasions. Use drawers for laundry, socks, and other small items. Categorize them by type. Also, organize all your clothes by type - all the shirts together, all sweaters together, etc. Hang dresses, skirts, shirts, and other clothes that need ironing. Once a week, make sure everything is in its place. Mark each new season by going over your wardrobe and throwing away (or passing to someone who needs them) clothes you don't wear anymore and moving in the back clothes suitable for the season that had passed. In general, stuff we don't wear anymore create a mess, so purging all the items you don't use will help you the most in organizing your closet.