Once you realize you can’t get enough scarves, you have to figure out how to organize them. Here’s perhaps a “Duh” solution I was really proud of: Hang them in half over a slacks or plastic hanger. You can fit 8-10, easy, and it doesn’t take up much space. I keep mine in the closet next to the belts, and need to start a hanger of winter scarves in the coat closet, actually.

If you have a manageable collection, you could also hang them from a cute hook rack, though mine quickly outgrew my three little hooks. If you have a spot for a cute basket, it would also be fun and easy to just toss them in there.

In my not-so-humble opinion, there is a wrong way to hang slacks and skirts. I just don’t dig folding them in half over a hanger because they inevitably slide to one end, and they’re twice as bulky in your closet that way. Plus, you get a fold-wrinkle halfway down your garment.

Instead, I’m partial to using skirt hangers. I like their easy-clipping action and the straight line of all the slacks hanging in a row. For skirts, you can even double or triple up on a hanger without looking sloppy.

To straight-hanging slacks, you need a rod that’s at least 4′ off the ground. If you don’t have enough closet room for this luxury, fold and stack as many pants as you can, and try a grippy, open-ended slack hanger for dress pants: easy-on, easy-off, and no slipping.

I detailed the perils of Puking Closet Syndrome in an earlier post, and it’s high time I start writing prescriptions for the cure. In Cures for PCS I’ll offer one-step-at-a-time solutions for common hang-ups in the closet.

“Do these jeans make my butt look big?”

Rods are usually such valuable real estate, you don’t want to crowd them with things that don’t need to be hung, like jeans, which don’t wrinkle. So stack ‘em!

• Fold in quarters (half, then half again) with pockets facing out for at-a-glance identification.
• If you don’t have cubes or cubbies in your closet, put something like this on the floor, or turn it sideways and put it on a shelf.
• Stack ‘em 3-4 pair high, no more, or you’ll have the leaning tower of jeans.

“For the next stop on our tour…”

The best perk of an organized closet is that putting away laundry will become almost cathartic because everything has its place. An unexpected perk: you’ll want to show off your closet when you’re showing your friends around, rather than threatening them with uncertain death if they peek.

You might have PCS if:

…you’ve had a panic attack in the past week while trying to get dressed and out the door on time.

…you’ve ever lost sleep because your clothes are taking over your bed.

…you’ve installed a deadbolt on your bedroom door to keep people from discovering your dirty little secret.

Anger. Anxiety. Panic. Shame. Put ‘em in their place. In the PCS Series I’ll show you ways to get and keep your closet organized, from showing your shoes who’s boss to using baskets as more than grandma’s kitchen decor.

PCS doesn’t have to rule your room or your wardrobe.

If you’re tensing up at the thought of taming your closet, relax. You can start small. Find one thing that’s driving you crazy, and think of a new way of doing it that would work better for you. Here are some common ones that you can do in under 2 minutes:

1. Gather all the loose and empty hangers and pick a specified place on the rod to park them.
2. Put any clothes lying around in the hamper. Even if you claim they’re clean. Commit to washing them, and put them away one load at a time.
3. Put all your shoes in one place — in a basket, in a box, on a shelf — just so they’re all together. (Not my fault if this takes more than 2 minutes because you have to go spelunking under your bed for that missing sneaker.)

Congrats. You’re on your way to taking back control of your closet.