10 Ingenious Ways to Organize a Closet, So You’re Ready for Fall

Sick of your sweater stacks toppling over every time you open the closet door? This shelf divider prevents clothing from sliding and falling, and it can help you stop rummaging for that one shirt that always seems to get buried under piles of clothes. How? Wendy Silberstein of The Aesthetic Organizer in New York City recommends buying a few dividers to separate different categories of clothing, from jeans and tees to sweatshirts. Suddenly, everything has a defined place, making things easier to find. 

This one is an oldie but goodie. If you’re pressed for space, you’ll want to vacuum seal your seasonal/bulky items—from down comforters and puffer coats in the summer to beach blankets and pool towels in the winter. Then, you can place them in a basket (or under the bed), so your everyday wearables get top priority. Oh, and did we mention that these guys can really come in handy during your next move? “I recently bought these vacuum seal bags for a move and it's the best thing I could've done. They legitimately compact your luggage when packing and give you a little bit more room to squeeze in some smaller items into your suitcase. I highly recommend for travel,” raves Associate Editor Stephanie Sengwe. 

The easiest way to keep a closet from looking messy? Make sure your hangers are monochromatic. This set is made from sturdy, FSC-certified beechwood (so they won’t break or bend over time) and includes 10 coat hangers with trouser bars, five classic shirt hangers, five skirt hangers and five pant hangers. 

Who says you have to cram, fold and hide your boots in the back of your closet? Instead, take a page from Netflix’s Get Organized with The Home Edit, where the team organizes Reese Witherspoon's boot collection with acrylic shoe shapers (which come in a variety of heights and sizes) to better preserve the shape of her fabulous knee-grazing footwear. Display them on your shelves during colder months and move them to top shelves in the summer to give your closet the Saks shoe salon treatment. 

Love the idea of displaying your designer wares (but don’t exactly have enough closet space for shoes on display)? Hang your belts, bags, sunglasses and scarves on the back of your door. The unit above includes four wide bins with a sturdy metal center; simply slide the top hook over any closet door, then anchor it all in place with a bottom bumper that includes removable adhesive. Perfect for showcasing your latest accessories.

Otherwise, if you’re not into the idea of having your footwear on display, you can try adding a hidden shoe cabinet instead. This unit includes three-layer flip drawers with nine shelves that can hold up to 27 pairs of shoes. Not to mention that it also has space for you to display your keys, photo albums and plants on its ultra-chic countertop.

If you’re someone who likes to plan your outfits visually, hanger hooks are going to change your life. Basically, these ingenious little connectors allow you to stack hangers on top of each other so you can see what your skirt, top and jacket ensemble looks like pulled together. What’s more, you can use it to save space in your closet by cascading your pants or jackets together (and open up hanging room you didn’t know existed). 

For some, meal-prepping is the first thing to pop into your brain when you wake up. For others, it’s what you’re going to wear today. And if you fall into the latter category, adding a wall hanger makes pre-planning your ensembles infinitely easier—and you can even hang the next couple days’ outfits there in advance, so it’s one less thing to worry about in the morning. This number works on a swivel—so you can tuck it into the wall after you’ve *finally* decided on what you’re going to wear—and comes in a brushed gold finish that’ll look fabulous next to your 24-karat baubles.