Six denim shirts. 12 blazers. 20 pairs of jeans. These were some of the clothes I pulled out of my closet last weekend. Needless to say, I don’t need six denim shirts, 12 blazers or 20 pairs of jeans. I realized I was suffering from a pretty common dilemma: an overstuffed closet where I buy the same items multiple times because I didn’t realize I already owned them.

Sigh.

With fall unofficially here and officially arriving in a few weeks, I took two hours this weekend to get my closet together. And luckily, there were only two major steps involved. Not only will this revamped closet make it easier to get dressed, it also benefits the wallet. When your closet is clutter free, you know what you have, which means you won’t spend money buying duplicates.

1. Keep Everything in Sight
Have you ever been shopping at a store and the rack is so full of clothes and hangers that it’s nearly impossible to even see what’s on the rack? That’s what happens when you keep hoarding clothes in your own closet. It’s tempting to just stuff your closet rack to the max or store things away in boxes and bins. But this is one of the worse things you can do.

When you don’t see what you own, you tend to not wear it and/or buy more of it {hence my six denim shirts}. Instead, store your clothes where they’re easily seen {racks, shelves, etc.}.

I recently purchased a shoe rack from Target and it was/is the best thing ever. Ninety percent of my shoes are in one place {my tall boots are nearby} so I have a perfect snapshot of my flats, booties and pumps. Whether your space allows for shelves, cubbies or whatever, just be sure everything is visible. Target and Bed Bath & Beyond are my faves for affordable storage solutions.

2. Purge
It’s natural to have an attachment to some clothes and accessories. Beyond being cute, sometimes you attach a memory or feeling to them, so letting them go is far from easy. As hard as it is, if you haven’t worn a piece of clothing in the last season, you don’t want it. You don’t need it. You forgot you even owned it. Let it go and free up some space.

Try creating four piles for your clothes and accessories:

Seriously, taking some time to get your closet in tip top shape will change the way you dress and shop. Be sure to check back later this week for a few of the fall pieces you need {you probably already have a few of them in your closet}.

And be sure to enter my blogiversary $50 gift card giveaway. All entries must be submitted by tomorrow.