Weiss offers a few tips when it comes to selecting and purchasing bins and containers:
Ensure all bins are a good fit for your closet
You measured your closet dimensions, right? Right. “Avoid buying bins which are too short or too shallow for your shelf, as they will leave room for clutter to build up, either on top of the bin or in front of the container,” cautions Weiss. If you buy bins and containers that don’t suit your needs, the products themselves become a source of clutter.
Use bins and containers which fit your personal style preferences
“If you’re someone who wants to see all of your items in their respective bins, I recommend using clear bins. For instance, you may want to use clear shoe boxes so you can see each pair when planning which shoes to wear with a certain outfit,” she says. “If you want to add style and pop to your closet, you can buy cloth or wicker bins, depending on whichever fit the style of your room.”
Label all bins and containers
Weiss says that this creates a system to help maintain an organized closet. A Sharpie and paper taped to your organizational vessels does the trick just fine, or get extra credit for using a spiffy label-maker machine.
What organizing bins, containers, and accessories should I buy?
Here are a few of our favorite product recommendations for organizing your closet.
These lightweight bins come in three chic colorways (Stone, Carbon, Combo), so they are sure to look great in your wardrobe. We also love that each bin has a handle for easy portability.
No more closet space? No problem. The genius Temple Street Collection from the Pottery Barn is a vertical storage solution with modular capabilities. We love the space this clothing rack affords below hanging clothes for shoes, folded stacks, bags, and more.
The organization baskets to end all baskets. These are consciously handcrafted from renewable seagrass. They add a bit of decor finesse to random nooks in your closet, pantry, or virtually anywhere in your abode (like in the laundry room or under your coffee table). The braided handles are functional and look great to boot.
Made with recycled material, this is another top pick of ours from the organizational wizards at SortJoy. With an elegant, modern silhouette, this structured piece won’t lose its shape with time and comes with a lid so you can stack them one on top of the other.
If you’re in the market for clear storage containers, it’s hard to outshine this classic selection from the Container Store. It makes finding everything in your closet as simple as can be, and you can add an optional matching fitted large lid to keep dust away from your garments.
One oft overlooked part of closet organization is keeping your shoes in order. Prevent footwear mixups with this acrylic shoe rack that lets you scan your kicks at a glance. If you have a lot of shoes and enough closet real estate, consider placing two or three side-by-side.
Or how about you move your shoes out of your stuffed-to-the gills closet and into the entryway? We love this solution for apartment living, which double as a bench for you to sit on and lace up your sneaks. Bonus: This piece is made at a Fair Trade Certified factory.
What should I do with items I don’t want?
Weiss advises donating to charities such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and Green Drop. Traub especially likes to recommend clients use donation services that do routine pickups. “There are many services that will pick up your boxes of donations for you, and all you have to do is schedule a date and set them on your doorstep,” he says.