Do you have a wardrobe full of clothes but not a thing to wear? Do you, like most women, wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time? Wardrobe organisation is the key to end your troubles. With properly arranged storage space for all your garments and accessories, you’ll have a place for everything and everything in its place. Here’s how to achieve the holy grail of a properly organised wardrobe.
- Start with the right space
Wardrobe efficiency starts with having practical, functional wardrobe space in the first place. Take a long look at your existing wardrobe and check if it really serves its purpose. Is there wasted space around the furniture that could be used better? Is the inside wardrobe space used to its full advantage?
A good wardrobe should have sufficient storage for all your needs – hanging garments, folded items, as well as space for underwear, shoes and accessories. Does your wardrobe have enough hanging space, shelving, drawers or a shoe rack for all your personal belongings?
For the ultimate in wardrobe storage, bespoke wardrobes are hard to beat. Customised to fit the wall space and taking into account all the available space from floor to ceiling, you can specify exactly what you need.
- Have a wardrobe clear out
Once you have the physical space to work with, it’s time to take a long hard look at your belongings and purge that closet. Set aside a rainy Sunday afternoon, put on some uplifting music on and get a friend to help if necessary.
Edit your garments by type – all the dresses and skirts, all the trousers, then shirts and knitwear etc, you get the idea. Be realistic, ruthless and totally honest with yourself as you try on each garment in turn. Have you worn it in the last year? Will you wear it in the next 12 months? If not, have 4 options for the garment: fix it (if it needs repairing, altering or dry cleaning), sell it (via a dress agency, on ebay or a car boot sale), give it away (to charity, which includes friends) or throw it away (if it is stained, damaged or no longer fit for purpose). Have no more than a handful of exceptions to the rule for sentimental reasons (e.g. wedding gown).
- Summer vs winter wardrobe
Seasonal items can take up a lot of room in your wardrobe. Unless you own a huge walk-in wardrobe with endless storage space, it may be a good idea to divide your ‘edited’ results from Step 2 into summer and winter wear.
Whatever isn’t in season can placed into storage boxes or airtight containers and stored out of sight at the back of the cupboard, in the loft or in another room. The same goes for bulky items such as bedding. Once this step is complete, you’ll have more space in your wardrobe for the current season.
- Organise your garments logically
Now that you’re left with the ‘gold’, it’s time for the exciting bit. Invest in some high quality wooden or padded hangers for different types of garments, so you can keep your clothes in the best possible condition. Get proper shoe boxes (ideally with a picture of the shoes stuck to the front of the box) or professional shoe racking. Maybe buy some natural moth repellent such as cedar balls, Indian Lilac, cinnamon or cloves, or hang herb sachets of lavender, rosemary, thyme or bay leaves. How about some cute storage boxes for smaller items?
Of course, there is no ‘right’ way to refill your wardrobe. The best way to organise your closet is to set it up in a way that makes sense to you. Everyone is different, so when you get dressed, how do you approach your outfit – in terms of occasion? By garment type? By season? By colour? Make sure you arrange the contents of your wardrobe with this in mind.
Finally, add a mirror to the inside of one door and – Ta Dah! Well done for transforming your messy wardrobe into a practical and stylish dressing area with everything at your fingertips.
