

The ancient practice is now shorthand for a tidy room. Studies back some of its rules, and not others.

A seasonal wardrobe transition moves the coming season's clothes into the easiest-to-reach part of the closet and puts the outgoing season into protected storage. It matters most in four-season climates, but the same storage principles work anywhere wardrobes change through the year. The simplest way to do it is in three passes: edit, store and stage.

Americans buy about 53 new garments a year, four times more than in 2000. Organizers and conservators explain how to store the overflow without ruining it.