In the first article in this series, I talked about ways to sort through clothing in order to remove unneeded and outgrown items. In this article, we dig deeper into the remaining pile so that you can sort and store what’s left.

Sorting through the Pile

A pregnant friend of mine recently received 50 pounds of hand-me-downs from another mom. Being that this is her first child, her plan was to sort through the clothing and store it by the size on the label. The mom that gave her the clothing had another plan in mind: Sort by actual size. They sat down together and, piece by piece, created piles of clothes according to a) how quickly the mom’s child had grown into the clothing, and b) the cut of the clothes. In sorting this way, they wound up with piles filled with a variety of “sizes”, but which would fit a child similarly at about the same time.

You won’t always have a friend on hand to help you sort through the pile based on their experience, but there are some ways to organize hand-me-downs and sale purchases that will help you reduce the likelihood that your child will outgrow clothing because the label is different from the fit.

Tips for Sorting and Categorizing Clothes by Size and Season

First, separate remaining clothing out by the size on the label. Pretty quickly, you’ll see that some are smaller or larger than others. Take the items that seem most out of place and move them to the piles where they seem to fit better. Holding items against each other for comparison is one way to do this.

Once your piles are pretty well-organized, keep similarly-sized items together, but separate them into categories that further simplify the task of finding what you need later on. Some categories to consider:

• Clothing types – group clothing together by type, such as tops, bottoms, underclothes, etc.
• Outfits – group clothing items by how they go together
• Seasonal vs. not – group seasonal clothing (like coats and swimwear) separately from anytime clothing that can be worn no matter what the weather is like when your child eventually grows into them.

Putting it all away – Kids Clothing Storage Strategies

How you store clothing that won’t be worn for a while depends on the type of space you have available in your home.

• Plastic storage bins, labeled with sizes, are great if you have space in the basement, an upper shelf in a closet, or any other places where you can stack them. These bins can also be labeled easily with size ranges and contents, and can be purchased in clear plastic so you can quickly see what’s inside.
• A spare dresser or cupboard area is a great alternative to bins. They are not only attractive, but can also be affordable when found at thrift stores or garage sales.
• Drawers that can be stored under the bed are a terrific space-saver and are easy to access when needed.
• Hangers designed for children’s clothes are helpful for bulky and special occasion items that won’t fold or fit into a bin easily. Store items in the least-used part of the closet.
• Plastic bags can be helpful in holding outfits or small items, but keep in mind that many bags degrade over time and may cause discoloration or leave a sticky residue. Using twine, cloth baggies, or clothes pins to group items may be a better way to go.

In general, remember to label your clothing or groups of clothing by when you expect your child to grow into them. Each time your child is getting close to outgrowing their current clothing, grab the next group of items and see if they fit yet. As your child grows, you may need to check the fit and adjust your labeling accordingly.