Organizing your closet is the kind of chore that you can constantly find excuses to avoid. In fact, it's such an undertaking that it usually takes a traumatic event, like losing your favorite jacket ‑- or having the closet collapse ‑- before you actually get to it. But where to begin? Well, there are actually professional closet consultants who can help. We asked one, Alison Lukes, to walk us through a pain-free way to organize a closet.

• Don't try this at home alone. Nobody can talk you into keeping things you don't need more than... you. "Women tend to lose objectivity and end up rationalizing why they're keeping ill-fitting or worn-out clothing," says Lukes. "If you can't afford a consultant, enlist a friend's help for the day." A true friend will tell you that if you actually wear those skin-tight purple suede pants, she won't be walking next to you.
• Divide clothing into three piles. The "keep" pile should consist of clothes that fit and are worn on a frequent basis. The "maybe" pile is reserved for clothes that fit and classic styles that won't go out of fashion. ( They may be "maybes" because you don 't wear them often.) The third pile is the "time to say goodbye" pile. This is reserved for clothes that don't fit, are worn in or are too scary to be seen in. (Even if it is your lucky seventh-grade T-shirt. This is where your buddy comes in.) Next, you and your friend re-sort the "maybe" pile. There might be a few gems in there that are just waiting to be rediscovered. (This would not include the aforementioned purple suede pants!)