With the popularity of the Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, I get asked a lot of questions about how to keep your closet organized. What's the best way to organize your bags? Accessories? Shoes? Granted, each and every closet is unique to your lifestyle. But working with my clients over time, I've found some tried and true necessities to keep closets organized.

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How to Keep Your Closet Organized With These Twelve Essentials

I have clients with small closets who do a fabulous job of organizing. And clients with large closets who have a hard time managing the space. Whether you have a large walk-in closet or small reach-in, all closets work best with utilized right. When you can see your everyday items and are able to store your seasonal pieces, it makes for one tidy closet. Over the years, I've come to recommend the same closet organizing tools over and over again. And why? Because these pieces really work! If you're on the hunt to keep your closet organized, here are 12 essentials that will help.

1 | Shelf Dividers for Your Bags

Shelf dividers help keep your bags, clutches, pants, hats, and sweaters, organized. I always recommend that my clients' purchase acrylic dividers as a starting point for closet organization. Just adding these is a simple way to upgrade closet shelving. They keep items in their designated space and it allows you to easily see all the bags you have. Here is a great example of what they look like in a walk in and inside a reach-in.

2 | Boot Inserts for your Boots

Boots are kind of an awkward size & shape. They are tall and can take up a lot of space in a closet. But then they can fold over if not properly stored. The answer to this problem is to purchase boot inserts. Boot inserts are great for storing boots upright protecting their shape. If you have a larger closet with more hanging rods, these plastic boot inserts to hang your boots is a great option too.

3 | Bamboo Shoe Rack for Small Closet Spaces

When we moved into our current home, the closet space wasn't/isn't anything to write home about. So I had to get creative with storage. I wanted something to be visually pleasing as well as practical. Especially when it came to my shoes. I love shoes. The answer to my search came in the form of a bamboo shoe rack. They are wonderful for smaller closet spaces. I have three of them and find them to be incredibly useful. Another great storage idea for shoes would be to store them individually in clear stackable shoe drawers. If you have a larger closet, this method of shoe organization is ideal.

4 | Accessory Organizers

Accessories and jewelry are a big challenge to keep organized! We've all been in the situation where we're trying to untangle a mess of necklaces. What a headache! However, if you spend a bit of time creating a space for your accessories and jewelry, there are a lot of creative answers. First, start with acrylic or cloth drawer organizers for those larger pieces of jewelry, such as cuffs, belts, and scarves. Then, hang hooks on the inside of your closet walls for shoulder bags (see #7). For smaller rings, necklaces, and earrings, small catch-alls on your dresser are perfect.

5 | Baskets for your Sandals & Slippers, Hats, Etc.

I can't say enough about how wonderful baskets are for storage purposes. Not only do they look visually appealing but they are just downright practical. Wicker baskets are perfect for keeping your seasonal sandals & house slippers in one place. Wicker, wood, or wire baskets are great for scarves & hats. These can be stored outside or inside of the closet, or in between shelves.

6 | S Hooks for your Denim

One very nifty method of organizing your denim is to hang them on S-hooks. If you aren't dedicating one drawer to your denim, this is a great alternative. The S-hooks are a similar concept to what Madewell does with their denim on their clothing racks and it's a great idea. It allows you to take a quick glance at your denim and also allows for quick hang ups/put backs. You can also use these to hang up your bags as well.

7 | Hooks for Hats/Shoulder Bags

If you don't have a closet with custom built-ins, storage for bags and hats can be at a minimum. One way to beat that issue is to hang hooks inside the closet along the walls. You can purchase hooks that match the paint color of your closet to keep the look cohesive. Hooks are perfect for hats (which can be hung on walls) and bags (hung inside closet).

8 | Large & Small Plastic Bins for Seasonal Clothing & Shoes

Bins are a must-have for organizing seasonal clothing. Seasonal clothing includes those pieces you aren't wearing year-round, such as heavy sweaters, shorts, swimwear, boots, and sandals. Bins are advantageous because they can also help keep out moths, etc if stored properly. Be sure to include cedar balls or lavender sachets inside the bins and wash or dry clean each piece before storing. You can label the bins by season (ie: winter, summer) and store on the top shelving or bottom floor of your closet. They can also be stored in a side closet or guest closet. Break them out again when the weather starts to warm up or cool down.

9 | Garment Bags for Seasonal Dresses/Coats

One of my mantras when working with clients is that you should have what you wear front and center. And what you don't, have stored away. The reasoning behind this is that it not only keeps your closet more organized but it makes getting dressed more efficient. Why? Because you're only looking at wearable options. Not spending time scanning through items that aren't in season or don't fit. Garment bags are the perfect solution for storing seasonal jackets, special occasion dresses, and summer skirts/dresses. Have a few garment bags on hand and label one for winter, summer, and special occasion. Store away all those pieces that aren't getting everyday wear in them. Then when you need those pieces, you'll know exactly where they are.

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10 | Matching Hangers (Felt, Wood, or Otherwise)

Uniformity is key here. It helps create a cohesive overall look, which will immediately make your closet appear more organized. When you pick up clothing from the dry cleaner, take them off the hangers and put them on your own at home. I prefer felt but also utilize wood hangers for blazers, jackets, and special occasion pieces. Use whatever works for you but make all hangers match. It's amazing the difference they'll make!

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11 | Shelving or Shoe Racks to Opt as Shelving

Some closets doesn't have any built in shelving. So to make the most of the space, utilize the one top shelf with tiered stackable shoe racks. On them, store larger seasonal bags and totes that can be used for travel, or special occasion, rather than everyday. The shoe racks are perfect for storing in the back of the closet to create non-built in shelving when your space is limited.

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12 | Small Clothing Rack

This may come as a surprise for being a closet organizing necessity but hear me out. Having a small clothing rack will help in a number of situations. For one, you can use it to prep for travel packing, to actually lay out and see what you're about to put into your suitcase. You can also use it to hang clothing you've worn only once but don't have the patience to put back into your closet. Or you can also use it to hang clothing on as a reminder to hang it back in your closet. Finally, you can use a clothing rack to keep your weekly outfits organized. Whenever I do a style session video on Instagram, I always hang my clothing on the rack to see what ideas I have in mind.

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With those twelve essentials, you should have closet organization nailed down! If you still find it incredibly difficult to get things in order, you can always hire me to help you organize in-person or virtually! What do you find is the easiest or hardest thing to keep organized in your closet?

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How to Keep Your Closet Organized With These 12 Essentials