News You Can Use

To keep or not to keep: Stress-free steps to a streamlined closet

University Relations
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Abby Barber
May 21, 2003

STARKVILLE, Miss.—We all have friends and family members who can’t recall the exact contents of their closets or who insist on keeping those out-of-style or ill-fitting outfits “in case there’s another Depression.”

To them, we offer three words of seasonal advice from a Mississippi State expert: organize, organize, organize. Phyllis B. Miller says a manageable wardrobe can become an easy reality when closet clutter is tackled in a step-by-step process. An associate professor of apparel, textiles and merchandising at the university, she recommends beginning with a “self-definition of your personal style and how you want to look.”

Miller’s process includes:

--Discarding items and colors that don’t suit their new status if you are graduating from college, retiring from a career or making other major lifestyle changes.

--Trying on every wardrobe item--including clothing, scarves, jewelry, shoes, and other accessories--with a critical eye. If it “doesn’t fit, doesn’t flatter or doesn’t please,” either discard it or make a contribution to charity.

--Repairing must-keep articles. Separate and bag all items in this category and take immediately to the dry cleaners, alteration shop or shoe repair, as the case may be. Replace buttons and polish shoes yourself.

Miller says closet organization is the next step once cleaned and repaired items have been retrieved. If necessary, she also recommends purchasing closet organizers, shoe racks, multi-tiered hangers, and accessory organizers that keep wardrobes in plain view. “Items hiding in drawers are seldom worn,” she adds.

To store clothes, Miller recommends avoiding dry-cleaning bags and wire hangers. “Instead, opt for bags made with muslin or non-woven materials, or store clothes in covered, hanging shelf units,” she recommends.

To discourage insects from ruining stored clothes, hang items on cedar hangers or place cedar balls or packets of moth-repellent herbs inside the garment bags or on the shelves. As a bonus, clothes will smell fresh and clean when worn.

“Organize garments by color, season, occasion, type or any combination thereof,” Miller says. “After you are done, you will enjoy your wardrobe as if it was brand new.”