The First Step: Edit, Edit, Edit was written by Susan Schwartz and originally published in The Montreal Gazette

A well-organized closet can mean not only more space but also more time. If every item has a place, then we’re not wasting time hunting down wayward shoes or blouses crushed somewhere in the recesses of the inadequate storage spaces, often featuring a single pole and shelf, that many of us call our closets. Something to consider.

A workable storage system can be designed for any budget, says Montreal professional organizer Susan Portnoy.

But the first step in organizing any closet says Portnoy, of Organized Success, is to go through every piece of clothing you own – every scarf and every pair of shoes and get rid of every single thing you won’t wear.

The fact is, says Portnoy, that we wear 20 percent of our clothing 80 percent of the time. We wear what we like best. And yet, we hang on to so much more than what we wear – clothes that no longer fit or suit us. We do it out of an emotional attachment to that skirt or jacket or because we simply can’t bring ourselves to part with items we believe we might one day want to wear again. Bad idea, say experts.

“I tell people, ‘If you haven’t worn it for two years, there is little chance you will wear it again,” said Viviane Djandji of Au Printemps, designer of custom storage systems and closets. “Give it to someone who will.”

Linda Chu, a Vancouver-based organizer and a board member of Professional Organizers in Canada, suggests asking these three questions: Do you remember you had it? When was the last time you wore it? Would you miss it?

Part with clothes that have stains that won’t come out and holes and tears that can’t be mended.

Set aside a bag for clothes that need repair or alterations – and see to it that they get done.

And each time you add something to your wardrobe, try to get rid of something old or rarely worn.

Realize that pruning your closet can be a tough job. You have to be resolute.

If you think you need help, with closet organizing, contact the Out of Chaos team. They can help you get from the first step: edit, to the last step of a beautiful and functional closet.