Maybe I can give you some inspiration and tips you didn't already know about ;)
Since I am living under the roof, finding the right place for my stuff has been very challenging. There is simply no space for a real closet, so I put up those rolling racks (they're from ikea) and use the place behind them to store bags, jeans, shoes etc. in boxes.Whenever I need something from behind the racks, I just roll them to the side. The laundry basket it also behind the racks.
That's what it looks like:
1. Hangers
One of the most important things when organizing your closet is to find the right hangers. Since my closet is open, I can't just throw my stuff in there - I really need to hang and group everything so it looks tidy! In the following pictures you can see three types of hangers that I use.
I came to the conclusion that the typical wooden hangers from Ikea are good for jackets and maybe pullovers, but for shirts and blouses they are way too thick and the pieces keep slipping down the hangers. You can save a lot of space and trouble by using thin hangers with a special velvet coating that keeps the pieces in place. I ordered mine from amazon (here on amazon.de, and here on amazon.com)
The second type of hangers are pant hangers. I don't use skirt hangers because pant hangers usually are a little cheaper and do the same thing, practically. If you have certain pieces that really need a skirt hanger because the material will get hanger marks, go for it. :)
The other thing why I like that certain kind of hangers so much is that it is a nice way to store scarfs and neckties. I do not own so many of those because I almost never use them. But the ones I have are being folded and put on those hangers whenever I don't use them (which means all the time during the warmer months... ) - here you can see them on the right side.
The third type of hangers are these normal, wooden hangers from Ikea that I already told you about. those I use for blazers, jackets, gilets, etc... just anything that needs a thicker hanger. (Look at that beautiful flowery blazer on the right - I got that just a few days ago at a really small second hand store, I'm crazy for it!!)
It is also very advisable to keep some spare hangers somewhere near your closet, in a box maybe, so you never run out of hangers.
2. Folding
Okay, I have to be realistic: I can't just put everything on hangers, it really takes too much space. So I have those hanging closet-like thingies... also from Ikea. I must say that I really hate folding. I mean, back in the days when I worked at Hollister, I had no problem with it - at work. But at home, I just don't like it because it gets messed up so easily. Because all the shirt are different materials and sizes and cuts, they become just as messy as in that picture below. I could have just folded everything nicely before taking a pic, but I wanted to show you what my closet really looks like all the time and not just when I prepare it for a post ;)
I guess the most important thing is to sort everything by colours, it helps a lot.
The bottoms of the clothing racks can be used for storing shoes and/or bags - but I own too many, so I just put some of my favourite pieces on display there. It makes the whole closet look more decorative and it can be really inspiring. Sometimes I just like to have a pair of shoes in sight that I haven't worn for a long, long time because I never knew how to combine it. But always having it in sight and with most of my clothes hanging just above, many different outfits and styling ideas for that particular "problem"-piece start popping up in my head.
4. Belts
I hardly ever used belts for quite a long time because I never had them close at hand. I kept forgetting that I even own belts because they were hidden in some drawer. No that I had to rearrange, I just found a nice way to store them. I just roll them up and put them in a long box, so I can always see each and every one of them. I am not a friend of putting belts on hangers because to me that looks messy and uncoordinated, since they are all different lengths.
I usually store this "belt box" on the bottom of the clothing racks.
As I said at the beginning, there are so many different inspirational posts on organizing closets, and here are two of my favourites:
This Chick's Got Style: 10x Perfect Clothing Reacks + Styling Tips
WhoWhatWear: The Best Ways To Keep Your Wardrobe Organized
If you have any other tips or inspiration, please share! I would love to get some more ideas on how to store my clothes properly.
