There are a million and one personality tests floating around out there, with nearly all of them claiming to be definitive. While we may not be trained in Freudian psychoanalysis or Jungian archetypes, we can tell you one thing from experience: a person’s closet says a lot about them, and a look into this often sacred space can reveal quite a bit about someone’s habits, passions, and inclinations. We’ve put together a handful of typical closet scenarios and have paired them with the personality types most commonly associated with them. We encourage you to take a peek into your own closet before reading through to see just how accurate we’ve been with our assessment, and let us know in the comments if we’re on track or off the rails.
The Romantic
The most obvious sign that you’re dealing with a Romantic personality type is the copious amounts of nostalgia hanging around. The Romantic probably doesn’t keep the most organized closet, as they’re never able to throw anything even slightly meaningful away. It’s a safe bet to assume there’s a giant box of old love letters stuck in the corner, as well as a huge stack of T-shirts the Romantic hasn’t worn since high school but just can’t seem to part with. Every Christmas card Grandma ever sent, every baseball jersey they wore in Little League, and a binder full of old concert ticket stubs is sure to be found somewhere in the confines of the Romantic’s veritable time capsule of a closet. If you’re ever helping the Romantic move or organize, make sure not to throw anything away without asking first: you can never be sure just what they’ve been saving from that date they had freshman year of college.
The Idealist
The Idealist is described by most psychologists as introspective, feeling, and optimistic. We all have family and friends that fit into this category, and it’s fairly easy to imagine what their closets would like. Well organized is probably a given, as most Idealists tend to be of the scheduling variety according to the Myers-Briggs Personality Test. It’s probably safe to assume that the Idealist’s closet places an emphasis not only on the things they need immediately at hand, but also items they’re hoping they might get to use sometime soon. So, the Idealist might have a bathing suit hanging around towards the front of their closet even in February, or their soccer cleats washed and ready to go even though they haven’t played since high school. Throw in an inspirational poster or two hung on the doors, maybe next to a picture of their personal hero, and you’ve got a closet typical of someone with an Idealist streak in them.
The Artist
Surely we’re all familiar with this entry on our list. The Artist’s closet shows little to no organization to the average person, but ask about it and the Artist is quick to assure you there’s some kind of system. Much like the Romantic, very little tends to get thrown away, just in case someone someday wants to release that seldom heard demo of psychedelic polka music the Artist crafted ten years ago. Another tell-tale sign you’ve got an Artist on your hands is a lack of matching socks sitting aside a giant pile of band t-shirts, because, according to the Artist, only “the man” matches clothes. Although the Artist may seem to lack much organization, make sure not to move anything in their closet, as you’re sure to have problems if suddenly their favorite Bauhaus shirt isn’t in its usual spot.
The Social Butterfly
Our last personality type, the Social Butterfly’s closet is an essential part of his or her daily experience. A look inside will surely display a number of tells, from the mountain of different shoes (every occasion calls for the perfect pair) to the variety of clothes. There are shirts for going out in, workout gear for sports and the gym, business suits, travel luggage, snow gear for the winter time, and a plethora of different accents perfect for every occasion. The Social Butterfly isn’t necessarily known to be well organized, but when you have one of everything for every occasion, it can be hard to keep a system in line. Whether it’s the dead of night or 6 AM on a Sunday morning, the Social Butterfly has to be ready for whatever event springs up on their calendar, requiring a heavily stocked closet with as many options as possible. If you always keep a pair of hiking boots in between your ballet slippers and your ice skates, it’s probably safe to assume you may just be a Social Butterfly yourself.
Although this list only scratches the surface of what a closet can say about its owner, we hope it gives you a good idea about what your things, and the way you keep them, may say about you. And remember, if you’re ever in need of a better way to organize all those old high school jerseys or your stack of paintings from that De Kooning phase you had, Closet and Storage Concepts is always ready to help you choose and install the perfect closet system, whether you’re a Social Butterfly, Idealist, or somewhere in between.