The Importance of a Good Closet

First of all, I have to hand it to Heineken's advertisers for producing a highly effective beer commercial. Not only does it appeal to both sexes, but it is funny and I now associate Heineken with the clever commercial. Hell, it may even make me choose the green bottle next time I order a drink. Furthermore, it has brought to my attention the significance of a good closet.

a girl can dream...

As a pennyless renter, I still have a few years (or decades) until I achieve a dream closet of my own such as the one on the commercial. Fortunately, Ruffles and Heels has once again been my motivation to reorganize/recreate my closet as I know it. With a few tools, tricks, and toiling around, my closet has hopes for a bright future...

A closet may seem like a great place to stash anything you want to be out of sight. However, this is totally the wrong way to think of your closet. The bedroom closet is actually a crucial foundation for your sense of style on a daily basis. If your clothes are thrown about like junk, you aren't going to envision them as masterpieces to be worn. If you can't find your favorite belt, you're going to fluster yourself scrounging for it, and most likely create an unnecessary mess. And if you can't see the jackets that are jammed way in the back, you're going to forget about them until dust collects on their precious collars. So if you're closet is a disastrous cubby hole (mine currently), time to revamp.

First and foremost, go through every single piece residing in your closet. I am one who tends to keep everything. A voice in the back of my head is always there to say "Well, what if..." Seriously. I am 23 years old. There is not one good reason why I still own a shirt from 6th grade. Okay, I am being dramatic. But you get the point. If you haven't worn it in the past year, if you hate the way it fits, if it is a terrible color on you, get rid of it.

If you are like me and lacking ample space in your closet, it is absolutely necessary to biannually store the clothes you won't need for the upcoming season. With Spring here, it is safe to say that my giant knit scarves, ski pants, snow boots, and cable knit sweaters are not going to be needed for the next several months. Time to box them away and shove them to the least accessible place in the closet. If you have room elsewhere in your house, send them there. My personal method for doing this is storing the items in my unused luggage. The suitcases have to be there anyway; I might as well stuff some clothes in it until I need to pull it out for travel time.

Make sure there is organization to reduce the clutter. Whether it be by color, style, or seasons, have some sort of system that prevents you from throwing whatever wherever. I like to color-code my clothing because it tends to be more appealing to the eye. I also use only white plastic hangers. Random colors and different materials of hangers tend to make it look unnecessarily messy.

the uniformity of the hangers and stackable shoeboxes give it a neat appearance

Next, add some flair to the room that will inspire your creative side. An easy way to do this is to purchase decorative boxes in a favorite color and/or pattern. Use the boxes to compartmentalize, while also adding some excitement to the place. Or if possible, splash some paint on the wall. Another option is to create an inspiration collage. Piece together some of your favorite magazine clippings, photos, fabric clippings, and anything else that puts a twinkle in your eye. Update it regularly to keep it from becoming too drab. Especially at 6am when trying to put an outfit together, these are likely to spark some creativity so you look your best.

now that's flair!

Lastly, make the most out of your space. Utilize hooks, shelves, boxes, hangers, and anything else that will create a systematic way to view and find the necessary pieces at any given time.

Ultimately, stop hindering your fashion genius, and make certain that your closet allows for the utmost opportunities to create your looks. For some of us it will be awhile until we have our dream closet, so we might as well make the most of what we do have. And thank you Heineken, for not only giving us a good chuckle, but also inspiring us to live better lives with better closets. Cheers to that!

And for your viewing pleasure, the commercial: