Hello Sweaters! Time to Organize Your Fall Closet

Shorter days, cooler nights: fall's sweater weather is here. Create room in your closet for bulky cold weather clothes and boots with our simple steps for a well-organized wardrobe.

So Long Summer: Free up room for cold weather fashions by saying good-bye to seasonal items until next summer. Retire flip flops, sundresses and bathing suits from your closet into off-season storage. By editing your closet to house only seasonally appropriate items, it'll be easier to dress each morning.

Assess the Dress: Give all fall items a through onceover asking yourself three questions: Does it fit? Do I wear it? Do I love it? If the answer to any of these questions is no, the item needs to go.

Move On: Gather unwanted or ill-fitting clothes into groups: one to donate, one to pass along to friends and another to trash. Consider enlisting a friend to help you assess your closet; their unbiased eye will help you weed out what no longer works. Be sure to keep receipts for any items donated to charity.

Identify Transition Items: Find a spot in your closet to house transition items, such as tees or lightweight dresses that can be worn with tights and belted cardigans. While some summer items can transition through a cool fall, they often must be retired during a cold winter. By grouping these items in one spot, you can keep track of them and ensure they eventually make it into storage rather than cluttering up the closet.

Color Code: Once your wardrobe is edited down to seasonally appropriate items, it's time to color code like items. By grouping items by color, specific items can be found more readily. Also, consider grouping items into zones: low rods for shirts, tops and folded pants, and a higher rod for dresses and long skirts.

Embrace Order: Opening the door to a tidy, well-organized closet each morning can be a moment of Zen. Arrange your hangers in the same direction and banish sloppy piles by storing items that require folding draped over hangers. Keep a small trash can to corral dry-cleaning bags and wire hangers. Aim for clutter free calm.

Tame Odds & Ends: Corral accessories and small items which can easily take over a closet. Use bins to capture handbags and larger accessories. Think vertical, using closet walls to display hats or favorite bags. Belts and scarves can be stored on the back of the closet door or in specially-designed hanging units.