Strategizing our fall wardrobe doesn’t end with a shopping list or even the purchases. In fact, that’s just the beginning. And once you bring those new items into your closet, you still have work to do. My closet isn’t just a place to store those seasonal purchases; it’s the staging area for creating great outfits. I’ve also noticed that I set up my closet a little differently for each season. So today I’m sharing my fall wardrobe organization secrets for women 50+. Step this way!
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By the way, before I welcome you into this fairly intimate space, let’s agree that this is a no-judgment zone. Ha! When it comes to wardrobe organization, we all have to work with the space we have. And we all do things differently. I don’t know that I do everything expertly, but what I do really does work for me. I value my clothes and accessories, and I take very good care of them. So organizing my closet for efficiency and good apparel care is a big priority for me. That said, take what you want from this and realize that everything that works for me may or may not suit you.
Functional Fall Essentials & Organization
Welcome to my closet! I share a fairly small walk-in closet with my husband. And, thinking back, I realize this is probably the smallest space I’ve had to store my clothes in about 24 years. While all of today’s photos were taken with my iPhone, some were taken with a wide lens setting, so they make the space look larger than it really is. The photo below shows the full extent of my hanging space.
Obviously I’ve curated a wardrobe that is uniquely for the fall season. I’ll be sharing exactly what is in my fall closet at the end of this post in a shopping widget. But it’s also important to organize your closet in a way that works specifically for the current season as well.
The “Core Four” Fall Staples
If you look carefully at my hanging clothes you’ll see my “core four.” These are the styles I lean into most at this time of year (more than other seasons) in order to create stylish, seasonal outfits.
- I wear a lot of button-up shirts and blouses because I can wear them alone, layer them over a tee or tank or wear them under a vest or sweater. Talk about versatile!
- During the previous season I didn’t wear many jeans at all, but during the fall I look forward to increasing my selection of denim. I have ankle and full length options at the ready.
- To me, fall is jacket season! I’ve made sure I have a nice variety, ranging from elevated blazers and a stunning suede jacket to barn jackets, leather jackets and one with sequins all over it.
- My fourth core piece is the seasonal sweater. I don’t wear them as much as I do in the winter, of course. But I have short sleeve options and cardigans that serve me well. And I often drape or tie a pullover sweater over my shoulders during the fall.
Transition Pieces
Because fall, like spring, is a transitional season, my autumn wardrobe contains a wide variety of clothing styles. I’ve learned to save items like thick, chunky sweaters and cashmere turtlenecks for winter. I have those in another closet right now (in a guest bedroom) so I can bring them in when I’m ready. At that point I’ll probably move out some of the tank tops, short-sleeved t-shirts and ankle length jeans and pants that are in my closet now.
Presently the top drawer above contains tank tops and short sleeve tees I can layer under jackets and shirts. But later I’ll put those away to make room for layering turtlenecks and other winter essentials. I’ll probably put away some of my jackets once winter is here, too. I don’t tend to wear those as frequently once it’s truly cold outside, so I may put them in that guest bedroom closet where I can get to them if needed.
Because temperatures are up and down during the fall, I like to incorporate a lot of lightweight button-up shirts into my wardrobe. I don’t just select those I can layer under things, but also those that look stylish by themselves. You may even notice that I have a couple of button-up shirts in my fall closet that are sleeveless. They work beautifully under blazers and other jackets this time of year.
And because the weather is unpredictable, I also have an assortment of t-shirts at the ready, from tanks in my drawer to the short and long-sleeve options in my closet. Why do I keep t-shirts in my closet? Several reasons. My drawers in my dresser are fairly small and they mostly contain my workout clothes. But also I just do better at putting together outfits if most everything I need is visible in the closet. Out of sight, out of mind, you know!
Another transitional item I make space for in my fall closet is the athleisure pant. Remember, it’s important to create a wardrobe that reflects and works for your real lifestyle. I’m not at all ashamed to reserve a good bit of room in my closet for athleisure, lounge and activewear. I buy good quality in these areas because they’re the ones I wear frequently. And I’ve learned how to style them in a way that looks a little elevated and stylish.
Does your fall closet reflect the fluctuations in weather? Does it reflect your real lifestyle? Take a look at your closet and see if there are items you might want to move out until winter arrives. I’ve discovered that curating a fall wardrobe that really reflects the season and my lifestyle helps me stay more organized. And having a little extra space in my closet helps me to feel more creative when I’m putting together outfits.
Smart Storage Solutions
Yes, a little extra space is a good thing. A cramped closet restricts creativity and fosters a sense of overwhelm. So I think it’s better to keep some of your clothes (those you’re not wearing on the regular at the present) somewhere else if it will help free up a little space. That’s why you don’t see my coats here, for instance. They’re either in our foyer coat closet or my office closet. But what else can you do to create a little space in your hanging rack? Wardrobe organization is about much more than just “getting everything in there.”
I think hangers are a big key to having an orderly and spacious closet. I use these velvet non-slip shirt hangers along with these heavy duty velvet hangers for jackets, heavier shirts and dresses and these velvet hangers with clips that accommodate skirts, pants and suits. Having good quality, all matching hangers has been a game-changer for me when it comes to feeling good about my closet and the clothes in it.
I also limit the number of hangers I have in my closet. I actually allow myself fewer hangers in the fall and winter because clothes are thicker and take up more space. The extra hangers you see in the photo above belong to clothes that are being worn or that are in the laundry.
When it comes to wardrobe organization, storing sweaters presents many of us with a quandary. Perhaps you are like me and find that they just don’t fit in the drawers of your dresser. I have to store mine in the closet. When we purchased our home four years ago it had these wire closet units. They’re certainly not my favorite option, but they’re what I have to work with. And I haven’t wanted to pay for something else. So I do my very best to keep my sweaters nicely folded and stacked (alternating the fold so they sit up nicely) on the wire shelves at the top of my closet.
If I choose to wear the sweater on the bottom and discover that it has those pesky “wire markings,” I just air it out or even steam it quickly. That generally takes care of the problem for me. I have my sweaters arranged by type of neckline, by the way. That just helps me to know what I’m looking at. The stacks above, from the left to right, are cardigans, turtlenecks, crewnecks, and V-necks. And yes, that’s the only place I have to put my hairdryer, so there it sits. Ha!
Across the walk-in closet (it’s not very wide) I have a few adjustable racks where I store elevated loungewear. I wear these A LOT. I frequently change into a set in the evenings after work, so I like having them handy. I also have a small bin with scarves and a hanging rack for my belts.
Under those racks I have most of my footwear. Truthfully, I have many more shoes where these came from. Hahaha! I keep a lot of shoes in my office; it’s just the way the job rolls. But in my closet I do have most of the ones that I wear most frequently, and they’re arranged on the floor and on wire racks. I have booties on the other side of the closet under my clothing.
So what do I have in my dresser? It’s a large dresser, but has surprisingly small drawers. So not much! But I’ve learned to pack things in “packages” rather than just folding them. That helps me to make the most use of the little bit of space that I have. Yes, even the way we hang or fold items makes a difference when it comes to wardrobe organization.
My small underwear drawer holds about 40 pairs of panties and probably 10-12 bras bundled this way. Underneath my undies drawer, I have a cabinet with two little drawers full of socks. I haven’t organized them lately, so nothing to see there really. To the right (shown below) I have a catch-all drawer at the top and then two drawers with activewear and a few tanks and tees.
On the left of my dresser I have sleepwear and other lingerie.
The top drawer above contains my shapewear and slips, camisoles and tights. These are all rolled or folded into little bundles so that I can easily locate what I need.
I have two drawers full of sleepwear. Of course, cold weather pajamas take up more room than those I wear in the spring and summer. So I have to be very selective.
Working Your Closet Like a Staging Area
While I’ve had smaller closets…and I’ve had larger ones…I’ve learned to make this space work for me. I want my closet to be more than a place to cram my clothes. I want it to spark creativity, generate ideas and launch stylish outfits. I’ve learned there are a few wardrobe organization keys that help me to develop that atmosphere.
- Arrange clothing in a way that makes sense to YOU. You can see I have mine grouped by types of clothing. What may surprise you is that I’ve arranged my jeans in alphabetical order by brand name. I did the same thing in the summertime with my linen pants. That’s just the easiest way for me to find what I’m looking for.
- Use the same kind of hangers throughout for consistency, aesthetics and order.
- Keep items hung up when not in use; don’t allow clutter to accumulate.
- Keep the floor clear.
- If possible, give yourself a space for planning outfits. Above I’ve hung a dress with a jacket that I plan to wear Sunday. I occasionally hang things here as I think about them; otherwise, I may forget to create that outfit.
- Keep your closet as pared back as possible. At least for me, I can actually create more and better outfits with fewer clothes than with too many. I need to see white space. And I need to be able to really see what I have in my closet, not just a wad of clothing.
Jewelry Wardrobe Organization
As intimate as our closets are, our jewelry collections are also unique and personal. And we all probably have different preferences about how these baubles are stored. I’ve tried several methods, but right now I’m back to working with my large jewelry box.
In the past I have kept smaller collections in little boxes in my top drawer. But really I find that I can see everything better in this box. And again, that’s the key. Out of sight, out of mind. But if I organize my wardrobe – including my jewelry – where I can easily see it, I’m more like to wear a variety and be more creative. I do have my fine silver Lagos jewelry in the pouches they come in in the drawers that are closed.
Caring for My Clothes is Part of Wardrobe Organization
Of course I could write another blog post about caring for my wardrobe. And maybe I will. Would that be helpful to you?
But I have found that caring for our clothes begins in our closets, not in the laundry room. Again, keeping a little space in your closet helps clothes to breathe and maintain their shape and form. I also do generally hang my clothes on their hangers but in the open space overnight before returning them to their place on the hanging rack. That way I don’t have to launder them as frequently. I only wash my clothes if they are soiled or they stink. Or, even if they don’t stink (LOL!), I wash them if I’ve worn them several times. But truly, over-washing our clothes will shorten their life span and wear them down. I’ve invested in a sustainable wardrobe, so I want to lengthen the life of each piece.
And when it is time to launder my clothes, I have my laundry hamper in the closet for easy access. We had a wicker hamper in our closet for years and years. But it never looked great even though it costs a pretty penny. Recently I got this new Nori hamper and I’m LOVING it. It was the easiest thing I’ve ever assembled – truly amazingly easy. And I like that it has vents and optional roller wheels (we don’t have those on). It also comes in a pretty white.
Do You Have Tips?
Like I said, I’m sure we all curate and organize our closets differently. Depending on space and personal preferences, we will have different habits that work well for us. I’d love for you to share in the comments what works well for you. And if you need to do a closet edit, you might enjoy my blog post from the archives, 10 Things to Remove from Your Closet to Refine Your Wardrobe.
I’m also sharing all of the clothes and accessories that I have in my fall wardrobe below. In fact, I keep this collection fluid and it changes as I add and delete things from my closet. You can always find out what’s in my current curated wardrobe through the link at the top of this website, KAY’S CURATED CLOSET. In fact, that will give you the better view, whereas below I’ve collected them in a scrollable shopping widget. Let me know if you have any questions.
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Blessed for My Day
If you’re struggling with anything at all today, this is my prayer for you. May the Lord help you to focus on how much He loves you. May He fill your heart with that powerful, consuming and extravagant love. Remember the sacrifice He has made to bring you into relationship with Him. And think on the many things He has done for you out of pure and passionate love. He has undoubtedly pursued you, forgiven you, blessed you and comforted you.
And when your mind wanders to hurts or injustices or slights against you, may you bring your attention back to the faithfulness of Christ. Remember that He is your advocate, your defender, your redeemer. He has been faithful to live and die for you. And now He faithfully prepares a place for you. Some day He will return and restore righteousness to His creation. And He will welcome you with open arms. Focus on these things.
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:5
Thank you for sharing how you organize your clothes and things! It all looks very nice. I need to get busy with mine now! Yes, I would like you to share about how you care for your clothes too.
Very organized. Puts me to shame. Thanks for sharing.
I used to have wire shelves and to avoid the wire imprint I put a very thin smooth piece of word on the shelf; it worked beautifully. Now that I live in a warm climate where I can wear the same clothes mostly year round, I don’t need to move my clothes around but I do move some tops to the forefront. I wear those lightweight quilted vests a lot especially if the mornings are cool as I head out to the golf course. Those slippery buggers would not stack in my armoire so I purchased plastic compression bags (the kind comforters and sheets often come in) to store them by color. They now sit nicely in 4 bags about 14 x 14 and when I need to wear them a little shake fluffs them up.
We have liners that my husband found at Lowes or Home Depot that we put on our wire shelves, to take away those pesky lines. They are perfect. There are little bumps on the bottom that help keep it in place.
Thank you for sharing your closet and clothing storage. I have maintained a 40# weight loss this past year and had to basically start over with my wardrobe. When purchasing new clothes I bought quality over quantity. So less clothes has made storing them much less cumbersome! I love your channel!
Very good blog post! As for me, I got tired of swapping out my clothes every season so now, much to my husband’s dismay (haha) I’ve taken over our guest bedroom and our 3rd bedroom which serves also as office/craft room/pantry. I have a rather large walk in closet in our bedroom and hubby has 2 smaller walk in closets. My bedroom walk in closet was really a small room off of our bedroom that previous owner used as an office. It’s used as my main closet. It’s where I keep my “core everyday” wardrobe which consists of camis and tees, long sleeve tees, buttons downs, blouses, some sweaters that I have hanging and I have a small chest in there for all my cashmere sweaters that I keep folded in 3 drawers. Also in this main closet are my linen and cotton pants, jeans and cargo pants. I keep my handbags on shelves in there too.
My guest bedroom closet has all my jackets and coats. I have 2 hanging racks in my guest bedroom with my “resort/vacation” clothes, workout/athleisure sets and all my straw and “dress” bags along with dress shoes.
The third bedroom which is our office/craft/pantry room has a closet and another clothes rack. There I keep all my suits, blazers and formal wear that I don’t wear often. Also all my skirts and dresses (don’t wear that much) are in that room along with vests, cardigans, more sweaters, hoodies and cargo/trucker type jackets. All of my categories in all areas are arranged by color. Makes it sooo easy for me to put together outfits. I have rarely repeated an outfit in quite a few years! I didn’t plan it that way, it’s just the way it’s worked out.
I do change out my shoes/boots seasonally to keep the ones I wear the most in my main bedroom closet. The rest are split between 3 over the rack doors, an under bed storage and in drawers in guest dresser.
Phew, I know it’s a lot but I did inherit some cherished items of quality clothing (including furs) from my grandmother, mother and sister. Oh and I love my standing jewelry armoire that I inherited from my mother. It looks like a piece of furniture and blends seamlessly into our bedroom decor. A real game-changer for me as far as jewelry organization. One of my favorite things.
It is always helpful to see the way a great closet is organized. Thank you, Kay! One space I have used well is the back of the door to our bedroom. I have hung a shoe organizer and this is where I have my socks, bras, and underwear stored. Some of the pouches hold 2 bras and I can get several pairs of socks in a pouch as well as multiple undies. A recent clean out of this space allowed me to empty a small drawer of odd pieces of lingerie into the pouches as well (half slip, longer shapewear).
Hi Kay.. I loved the closet tour today. Many companies make wire closet shelf covers that lay on top of the shelf so nothing is right on top of the wires and then you have none of the ridges on sweaters etc., that are caused by laying directly on the wire rack. Ace, Wayfair, Amazon etc. Have a good weekend.
Molly
With little closet space in my home, I have to keep all my clothes in my closet all year long. It’s not too big of a deal, as I live in a warm climate and wear the same items most of the time. I’m still refining my organization, though, for maximum efficiency. I’m not there yet, LOL! But right now, I have my tops and dress pants all hung in rows, organized by color (and tops also by sleeve length). Knitwear on shelves, jeans neatly folded, shoes on dedicated shoe racks, and my scarves on special hangers. I borrowed from Marie Kondo’s method while I have been working on organization. I don’t follow all her advice, but some of her folding and storage methods are really good! Thanks for sharing this post!
Loved the post — especially the fact that you are willing to share your personal storage situation with us. So, thank you. I need all the help I can get. Although I have a great deal of storage space, it is still completely filled. When you have a lot of space, I think getting rid of items you should is much more difficult. But having too many clothes truly does make planning outfits much more difficult……
True but in my book I’d rather have that “problem” than when I used to say “I have nothing to wear”. I never say that anymore and having so many options makes getting dressed so much fun for me. But yes, it does pose a little more of a challenge when you have so much.
Kay…. It’s so nice to see how the everyday woman organizes her closet. Sure we would all love the huge walk in closet with the center island, but in reality that doesn’t happen. You’ll get no criticism from me, as mine looks very similar. I use wicker baskets for many items in my closet. Also my inexpensive jewelry and fun hats are hung on 3M hooks behind the door and an over the door hook system for various belts and bathrobes. Hat boxes work well for seasonal scarves and tights. Thank you again for being so brave in sharing!
Thank you for this helpful information.
I’m wondering where and how you store your handbags and tote bags, etc.
Thank you
Thanks for sharing your closet with us
Looks amazing and gets me motivated
Your closet and dresser organizing looks very similar to mine and I also use my guest closet for other season clothes. But…. I need to organize my undies and bra drawer like yours. Mine makes me crazy. lol I too only have two drawers for PJs. Also I don’t have all matching hangers so I’d like to do that but I can’t do the non slip. I don’t like how the clothes don’t slip right on. Plus they give me the chalkboard feeling. Lol Isn’t that strange. Jo- Lynne Shane uses the faux wood ones from Amazon I’d like to try. But…. The biggest game changer for me is I have my clothes arranged by color. This has helped so much from over buying one color and helps me make my outfits easier. I’ve done this for years now and it’s so great. I also fold and store my sweaters on the upper shelve but in no particular order and not color coded. I have sooooo many shoes and not enough room. But I make it work on wires racks and my floor. I have a walk in closet and I’m on one side and my husband is on the other. I really do think for me I’m finding less is more for getting dressed. But…. Haven’t mastered that yet. lol
I’m the same with color organizing…i feel like that’s how we remember an item (oh, I have that blue top that I want to wear) and then it’s easy to find them
Xoox
Jodie
Well…. That was eye opening!!Ha! Thank you for allowing us into your closet organization! It is perfection 🙂 It does appear that I have my work cut out for me!
I also have wire racks. I went on Amazon and found shelf separators in white wire that helps create sections so that items don’t crowd each other, I keep my purses on a wire shelf with these separators keeping them upright. Speaking of, Kay, you did not share how you store your many purses. For my sweaters, I have a hanging shelf unit, canvas, that was intended for shoes perhaps, but the sections are large enough for 3-4 folded sweaters. All my formal wear clothes are in the guest closet. Thank you, Kay for another good “how to” post.
Great post. I could use some help with handbag& scarf storage.
Lori, I have a large scarf collection and this worked for me. I bought some inexpensive drawer dividers on Amazon that were meant for bras and lingerie and put them in a drawer in my dresser. Then I folded each scarf into a long rectangular shape and rolled up each scarf into a compact size. I can fit many scarves in a drawer this way and they don’t wrinkle a lot. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much for sharing how you store your clothing and accessories. I am going to work toward reorganizing my closet and this will be a big help!
Lots of inspiration here! What did you mean by alternating folds on your sweaters?
I would love to see how and where you store your off season clothing. Do you wrap it in special storage bags, use moth balls etc?
Thank you Kay! That was a very helpful exercise. I only have room for my jeans if they’re folded so my challenge is always around how to identify straight legs from boot cut, etc. But I’m not complaining because it’s a very inconsequential problem to have, all in all.
Thanks too for the time and effort you put into your posts! You are appreciated.
No judgement at all – your closet looks great! But, even if I didn’t think so, I wouldn’t say so! Our house is from the 1920s and closets were small then – after many years we renovated and now I have a true walk-in closet with all my clothes for every season – I am so glad not to have to schlep things from other rooms in the house anymore. There is room to hang my husband’s suits, as his closet is still the original small one. I preview outfits on hooks on one wall and also air things there before putting them back on the rack after wearing them if they don’t need to be washed. I move things around so the items for a season are within easier reach and have shelving for shoes, handbags, one of those belt hangers and another for everyday scarves (good ones go in a box). I am grateful for being able to have everything in one place, and also have my grandmother’s dresser with sweaters, turtlenecks, etc. in those drawers. It is interesting to me, though, how in past times people did not have as many things as evidenced by the smaller closets of the time, but they actually seemed to dress up more! They had to choose carefully and take good care of what they had – not a bad thing!
Thank you so much for sharing this. Where do you keep your handbags? I have a special hangar for my belts and another one for scarves. I don’t have much closet space but if I can’t see my choices, I forget about them.
Thank you for inviting us into your closet. My take away is the hangers with clips for jeans. Right now all my jeans are folded and in an open fabric container that I pull off the wire shelf to select what to wear that day. I like the idea of hanging them up instead. As for my sweaters, these are in fabric cubes on my wire shelves as I do not want them to get snagged. I organize them by color and a window in each cube makes it easy to see what is inside.
I would love to learn how youn keep your clothing clean without “hurting” them. Please do a post on this subject. I used to think washing frequently was the right thing to do, but the past few years have taught me something different. Your thoughts on this is valuable and I hope you share with us soon.
Your Blessed for My Day is perfect for me. These always bring something into my life to ponder and pray on. Thank you, always.
Kay,
Thank you so much for sharing. This post was truly as helpful and encouraging as the other type of posts you make! I sure needed to hear it.
I find that cardboard (from boxes) makes a great ‘cover’ for the wire shelving and doesn’t leave marks in sweaters etc. I sort by colors and type of clothing. It’s simple and works for me. I have just finished the (huge) task of going through my summer and fall clothes and was rigorous about ditching anything that was on its last legs, especially socks, panties, and tees. I clearly don’t have the exercise clothes you do — note to self: exercise more!
Good post, Kay! It does help to see how others arrange their closets. I’m transitioning mine from warm weather to cool weather today. As far as hangers go, I’m with the reader who doesn’t care for the flocked hangers. Some readers might be interested in this: I found “petite” wooden hangers in white – they’re perfect for my petite sized clothing & help eliminates shoulder pucker 🙂 I ordered mine from both The Container Store and from Amazon. I also use clear plastic hangers for sleeveless items. Have a lovely Saturday!
Thank you for the great ideas every week!
I also have wire closet shelving. We had an appliance delivered about that time that came in sturdy clean cardboard. I purchased a fabric remnant in a print I loved. I cut the cardboard, wrapped the fabric around the pieces and attached it to the cardboard with broad tape on the bottom. Easy, inexpensive and matched the bins I had.
Thanks for showing us your closet. I keep casual clothes in my master room closet and dressier clothes in my guest room. It works for me. I recently bought an item from Amazon to properly fold tops. It seems to save space in my drawers.
I have several shelves in my closet and I had bins three across and three down on each of two sides of the middle support. This was OK and I had each bin labeled with what was inside, but I couldn’t see them very well. Last week I had an epiphany and I stood the bins on their ends so that I could see all that was stacked within them. I will try to attach a picture, but it has changed my life because I can see everything that I have which makes it easier to plan my outfits. I so appreciate your blog and your videos. Thank you so much Melanie Neal.
Very informative, thank you. My question is – Do you limit the number of tops/tees/blouses/sweaters that you have and how do you determine that?
I feel inspired. Thanks for showing us your closet.