From

Easy Steps to a Happy Closet

(ELLE.com) -- The clothes closet is one of the least respected areas in the house. It's often stuffed from floor to ceiling with clothing, purses, shoes and vast armies of mismatched hangers. Heed the old saying, "Less is more." Here’s the shortlist of 10 steps to thinning out your overstuffed wardrobe – for the full article, check out ELLE.com Decor.

Getting Started

1 Get the proper supplies. Buy a starter set of 30 hangers, or 60 if the closet is shared by two people. Get the sturdy plastic or wooden ones.

2 Start with a clean slate. Pull out everything (yes, everything) that's currently in your closet. Keep in mind, as you're doing so, that you probably only wear 20% of your clothes on a regular basis, 10% of them are for special occasions, and the other 70% of them are probably never used at all.

3 Separate everything into 5 piles:
Pile A. Clothes that meet any of the following criteria: it is outdated, ripped, stained, or doesn't fit.

Pile B. Wire Hanger Pile (they're weak, and they damage your clothing).

Pile C. Clothes that need minor repairs such as replacing a button.

Pile D. Clothes you love and wear at least once a month AND clothes you love and wear at least twice a year (special occasion wardrobe). Your wardrobe should always make you feel good about yourself.

Pile E. Any other items that don't fit into Category A, B, C or D.

The Agony, The Ecstasy!

4 Piles A & B: OK, now here's the fun part. Grab a large plastic garbage bag and dump everything (yes, everything) from your A pile into it. Bring it to your local charity organization first thing in the morning or dump it now. If you're still reading this in disbelief, take a deep breath to get over the initial shock, then go ahead and donate or toss it.

5 Pile C: This pile should contain those articles of clothing that need minor repair. Get a basket or container. Dump this entire pile in it. Give yourself a 2 week deadline. If it's not done in two weeks, dump or donate the entire basket.

6 Pile D: Organize your Keepers. Sort everything in your D pile by category of clothing (tops, skirts, pants, suits, etc.) When done sorting, start with one category. Take one article of clothing at a time, put it on a hanger and hang it in the closet.

7 Pile E: If, due to lack of additional storage space, you have some items that simply have to be returned to your closet which haven't been put there already (your E pile), categorize them. Then, get some inexpensive organizing containers so that each category remains separated and place the containers on shelves in your closet.

ALSO AT ELLE.COM

• Street Style
  
• Style News
  
• Dress for Less
• Art Gallery