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Welcome back to the latest in the Starting Style from Scratch series: caring for your closet! There's no point in spending a single dime on your closet if you don't have the tools and methods to care for it properly. Quality care of your clothes and where they are kept will elongate their life. We grown-ass women know overshopping is bad for our wallets, our style, and our planet. This post will help you keep what you love and have less need to replace and rebuy.
This article is the kind that you will want to read, then plan, then read again. Some parts may be easy, and some parts may take a Saturday afternoon. Remember, this is time well spent to reduce future shopping, increase your style quotient, and get the wardrobe you deserve.
How to Care for Your Closet
This section is all about taking care of your literal closet and how to fill it in a manner that will make getting dressed each day more enjoyable. We will also go over how to care for your shoes so they look their best and last as long as possible.
Create a Clean Slate Closet
My friend, it's time to clean your closet. Not clean out your closet, but clean the closet. From my years of retail, I know that a dirty closet creates a damaged closet. Sticky dust, fabric-loving critters, broken hangers snagging garments, schmutz in the carpet scraping your leather shoes... on top of that, a clean closet smells good and inspires one to keep it looking clean and organized.
Take everything out of your closet. Place it on the bed or a clean spot on the floor and clean this closet like Tim Gunn is coming to hang out in there and drink tea. Vacuum the carpet and damp dust the shelves, the baseboards, and the walls. Get some soapy water and scrub those bars; you will be shocked at how incredibly dirty they are (and each time your hanger slides across, that dirt is disturbed and falls onto your clothes).
Check Out The State of Hangers
While waiting for your closet to dry, let's assess the hangers your clothes are on.
- Broken hangers need to go. They will only frustrate you and damage your clothing.
- Take your dry cleaner hangers back to your dry cleaner; they can reuse them and they will only damage your clothes if used longterm.
- Have trouble losing things in your closet? It may be because you're using a variety of hangers. If all your hangers are the same type, everything hangs at the same height and width and nothing gets lost.
- Another reason is using hangers in different ways. Have everything facing the same direction, have all pants hung in the same manner with the same kind of hanger, make sure everything is properly hung, buttoned and straight.
- Clothes fall off your hangers? Consider investing in velvet flocked hangers. They are streamlined and take up very little space in your closet and the velvet grips clothing without damage.
- Items not worn often (winter suiting, occasionwear, etc.) should be protected from dust. You can buy clear plastic garment protectors to slide over hangers, or you can just cut open a plastic bag and poke the hanger through the top and let it fall over the clothes like a poncho.
- Structured clothing does best with structured hangers, especially if they're not worn often. Consider switching your blazers and suit jackets to molded hangers.
- Knits should not be hung; over time gravity will cause them to stretch and you'll get dents in the shoulders. If you have nowhere to place folded knitwear, this YouTube video shares a hack to safely hang long-sleeved sweaters and knits and still see them in your closet.
- If you're using clamp clips to hang skirts and pants of delicate fabrics (this includes velvet, leather, and even faux leather), cut up an old tea towel or other piece of non-stretch garment into rectanges and fold over the clothing before using the clip. This will reduce the chance of dents and garment damage. The heavier the garment fabric, the heavier the protective fabric needs to be (layer up).
Assess the Shoe Situation
This may be the least fun part of this process, but it is the one that will save you the most money in the long run. We're going to take care of those shoes. There are a few things you will need:
- Horsehair buffing brush for shoes
- Black Sharpie
- Black shoe polish
- 2-3 old rags (cloth diaper, washcloth, microfiber cloth, or even a cut up old shirt)
- Old toothbrush
- Optional: Lexol leather cleaner
- Optional: Old pair of tights, stockings, or trouser socks
We're going to clean up both your leather and your canvas shoes. These instructions are super basic for those who have never polished leather shoes and don't have all the supplies. Other sites have more detailed processes:
- Use the toothbrush and some soapy water to clean the soles of all your shoes. The toothbrush will help you get into the tread.
- If the top of the shoe is dirty, wipe with a clean old rag. For extra dirty shoes or for an annual update, clean with Lexol.
- Lay down some newspaper or go outside
- Remove any laces
- If there are any places where the leather has worn away or the black stain on the soles has faded, this is where you use the Sharpie. I like to Sharpie before polishing so the polish helps hide the spot.
- Take one of the old rags and wrap it around your fingers and dip it into the polish. Then use the pressure of your fingers to spread and rub in the polish all over the exterior leather of the shoe. I'll twist part of the rag into a point if I need to get polish into a nook or cranny.
- Take the horsehair brush and buff the entire shoe. This is a swift back and forth motion with pressure but not grinding. Put your other hand into the shoe so you can apply firm pressure and move the shoe so you can reach all places. Keep buffing until you have a consistent shine across all parts of the shoe.
- Optional: sprinkle some water on your shoe and ball up the old hoisery and use it to buff in the water. It's a weird hack but it will make your shoes extra shiny (thank you, Daddy for this tip!).
I am focusing on black leather because that is what is in my list of closet staples. If you have shoes in other colors of leather, each color needs its own brush, rags, and polish.
If I were chatting with a bunch of guys, this is where I'd say add cedar shoe trees to all your shoes to keep their shape and keep them dry (sweat and moisture destroy shoes). But we women likely don't have a row of loafers and oxfords and instead have ankle boots, flats, and pumps.
I recommend making or buying some sachets to place in the toebox of your shoes to keep their shape, keep them dry and smelling fresh. These can be cedar, or you can also buy charcoal sachets. Do know, these sachets won't remove smells from existing shoes but they will help reduce additional damage and keep your closet smelling better.
When it comes to sneakers, these are my tips for how to keep white sneakers clean.
Shoes should be placed so they don't rub up or smush other shoes. That really is dependent on your closet situation; I do find that having one shoe face front and one shoe face back will save space and keep the shoes in more of a straight line.
Organize the Contents
Separate clothing by category and then arrange it by color. For example, I have in my closet all skirts together, all pants, all blouses and shirts, all T-shirts, all dresses and jumpsuits, and then because I like rainbows, I put them in rainbow order. Not only does this look nice, it makes it far easier to find things in your closet. Trust me, you are more likely to find that black dress when all your black dresses are together than if they are spread out amongst other items.
If, like me, you don't have sections of your closet but one long bar, I recommend using categories to break up your closet to see things better. For example, hang blouses, then pants, then t-shirts, then skirts, then jackets. This will keep categories more organized when putting away clean laundry and also make it easier to find what you're looking for.
Update the Drawers and Shelves
Your clothes aren't all on hangers; let's take care of the drawers and shelves (and, if applicable, bins) where you store the remainder of your wardrobe.
Again, remove the contents and damp dust all surfaces. I don't know how my t-shirt drawer gets dusty, I keep it closed, yet each time I do this I'm gathering up tiny little bunnies from the corners.
As you put things back, keep a consistent folding method. You can Kon-mari, or roll, use a folding board, or whatever floats your boat.
- Personally, what I have started doing for everything from tees to sweaters is lay the garment face down. Fold sleeves into an X across the back, then fold the bottom hem to the top neck to fold the garment in half. Then, I fold it again so the front center of the garment is exposed when placed on a shelf. This way, I can see the t-shirt graphic or sweatshirt print.
- For chunky items and pieces with hoods and turtlenecks, I place one on the shelf with the neck to the right and the next with the neck to the left, and this will keep the pile from tipping over.
- With jeans, I fold them in half and half again, but I place the waistband out so I can see the label and pick out which pair I want from the stack of blue denim.
I have a single intimates drawer, and while they shift all over the place and drive me bonkers, I have drawer dividers to separate bras, underwear, and socks/tights. If I didn't own them, I think some cardboard strips held in place by masking tape would get the job done. Just having the separation makes putting away laundry and getting dressed in a rush far easier.
How to Care for Your Clothes
The closet is all tidy; shoes are shiny; now it's all about keeping what you own looking its best and lasting as long as possible. This is where you may have to make some purchases. However, I am recommending what I personally own and have found last for years and years, so fingers crossed it is a one-and-done sort of purchase.
Tools of the Trade
I am assuming you already own an iron. If you don't have a clothing iron, I don't think you should buy one now. Ironing can be an arduous chore and it's annoying to whip out the whole table just to press a self-belt or a collar. My goal is to provide real-life easy ways to keep your clothes looking good.
Garment Steamer
Get thee a garment steamer. Steaming removes wrinkles, makes well-worn items look fresh, and gets out odors. You can steam everything from chiffon to denim, and the experience is quite easy and satisfying. Keep the garment on a hanger and hang the hanger in a doorway, off a hook, or as I do, in the air vent over my full-length mirror. Hold the fabric taut, and run the steamer head along the fabric. The heavier the fabric, the more taut and the more pressure of the steamer you will use.
Use distilled water. Seriously, if you want your steamer to last and your clothes to look their best, get a gallon of distilled water (often in the baby section of grocery stores) and tuck it in your bathroom or linen closet to have at the ready. If you are in a pinch, boiled then cooled water can be used but distilled water will prevent build-up and "spitting" of hot water.
I own an older model of this same Rowenta hand steamer (1875 watts). It has been the best steamer I've ever owned, even better than the heavy-duty pro one I got when I closed a retail store, and they were tossing all the backroom supplies. Don't keep water in it; when finished, dump out any residue.
A quick swipe of a steamer will elevate all your clothes, even t-shirts. They will like better, they will look newer, and you look like you still give a sh*t even if you have very few f*cks left. The more often you steam, the easier you will find the entire process.
Mini Iron
Got an old flat iron collecting dust? You own a mini iron. And personally, this is what I use 99% of the time when I need to iron something. I have a flat iron from the late 2000s, and that baby still heats up and smooths out creases in a self-belt, straightens a point collar, and makes the placket of a shirt or the cuff nice and crisp.
No need for that TikTok shop mini iron; if you don't own a flat iron or regular iron, head to your local Buy Nothing group and request a flat iron. Someone in your neighborhood surely has one they don't use anymore.
Sweater Shaver
Pills kill style. That could be part of a D.A.R.E. campaign, but it's a truth for your sweater collection. Get a sweater shaver, and do a swipe every so often. Keep it in your closet or near your chest of drawers so you remember to do it before putting sweaters away. I have this one in orange, and it is almost a decade old and still rocking.
Some prefer a sweater comb, which is also useful, whatever your preference (or maybe both as a comb is great for travel) please get one. Your sweaters will look like new and you will see you don't need to get replacements at the end of the season.
Critter Repellant
Moths can be such *ssholes. I have cedar chests for most out of season sweaters, and these cedar hanging things to keep moths and pests away, but still last month I pulled out my Universal Standard one-shoulder merino sweater and there was a tiny hole right in the center of my ribcage. Because those cedar rings and balls and such stop working and need to be replaced or sanded.
If you own cedar blocks, balls, or other small items to protect from moths and critters, get a bit of sandpaper and freshen them up. This should be done at least once a year; start now and make it an annual start of the year activity. And if you don't own any, get some. Use them not only to protect your sweaters but your outerwear, your winter hats and scarves, clothes with feather trim... just protect your things so they last.
Thank goodness the hole was small and I was able to mend with this method. If you have precious sweaters that have been damaged by moths or other issues, companies like AlterKnit New York exist to repair them to look like new.
Clothing Brush
We're kicking it old school. This sounds so retro, but a clothing brush like this is excellent for keeping clothes looking fresh. Especially excellent for wool, suede, velvet, corduroy, and clothing with a nap, a clothing brush will brush off pet hair, lint, dust, and dirt and also revive the nap. Also, if you brush your wool sweaters, you will be less likely to get the fuzz balls you then will need to shave or comb off.
A clothing brush works better than balled up tape, better than those tape rollers (and less waste), and better than those old red lint collectors we all had several decades ago. This is a win/win product. The brush I linked to is good for many types of fabrics, but if you wanna nerd out, there are brushes out there for silk, for heavy woolens, and everything in between.
Drying Rack
We all hate complicated washing instructions, but if you don't follow them you often pay the price. If anything, wash clothes less often and with gentler methods than the label suggests. And if an item says dry flat, please dry it flat. If you hang it, gravity and the weight of the moisture can cause the item to stretch out.
If you have space, you can place a couple of towels down on a table, lay the garment on them to dry, occasionally flipping it and replacing the damp under towel. Or you can get one of these drying racks that fold up small enough to tuck next to your washing machine when not in use. Unless you have a fancy wardrobe and only do laundry a month, you likely only need room to flat dry one or two things at a time so don't spend on a really complicated drying rack.
For things that just need to be air dried, I'll be honest, I hang them all over my house. Throw those undies over the curtain rod in your bedroom; they dry overnight. Use hangers and hang up your bras and such from your shower curtain in your bathroom. You don't need gadgets, you just need airflow. But please follow the directions, your clothes will look better and last far longer.
Respect the Costume Jewelry
The majority of my jewelry armoire is costume jewelry, and some of it is decades old. The way I keep it from tarnishing and looking old is by keeping the ones least worn in Ziploc baggies. I also take those silica gel packets that come in shoes and bags and such and throw them in the jewelry box. Moisture is the enemy of many parts of a closet, including costume jewelry.
In Summary...
I could go on and on about how to care for your closet, but I have already written a novel. This may seem like a lot, but what really is a lot is having to replace your wardrobe. It's hard to find replacements, and we all know quality isn't what it used to be and likely isn't improving any time soon. Whether the garment cost $5 or $500, care for it properly and you will extend both its lifespan and its style.