Wardrobe rescue

Is your wardrobe out of control? Perhaps it’s time to declutter…

There’s little point in owning gorgeous bags, lavish shoes or pretty dresses if you can’t find it in your wardrobe when you’re getting dressed. A clean, well-structured wardrobe—instead of a confusing, chaotic mess of clothes and accessories—means you will make the most of all your clothing purchases, and come up with polished, carefully considered outfits even on hectic mornings.

Learning how to organise your wardrobe can save you so much time and energy on a day to day basis. Say goodbye to the days of frantically dodging a mass of handbags raining down on you, and instead be ready to welcome an organised and pleasant wardrobe.

Here are some tips on how to declutter and organise your wardrobe:

Take everything out of your wardrobe

This is the time for a clean slate. You will find it almost impossible to sort through things if you take them out one at a time. So if you’re going to do this, do it properly – go for it! This will let you see exactly what clothes, bags, shoes etc you have and will also show you the space you have for storing clothes once they go back in.

Separate the bad from the good…

Be ruthless here. Pick up each item of clothing and make a decision about it there and then – don’t procrastinate or this is the step that will overwhelm you and you won’t get any further. As a general rule to follow; if you haven’t worn something in the past year you should just say bye bye to it…

The best way to do this is to create separate piles for each of the following –

1. KEEP – frequent use – clothes that you wear on a regular basis
2. KEEP – infrequent use – clothes for special occasions
3. CHARITY – clothes in good condition but you just don’t wear them anymore
4. GIVEAWAY – one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Any clothes that are in good condition and you think a friend, relative etc would like them
5. RUBBISH – anything that’s ripped, stained or worn needs must be thrown out

Now you’re ready to get organised!

Once you have gone through all your wardrobe it’s then time to put everything back in nice and neatly and in a structured fashion.

• Keep your wardrobe organised and easy to use by grouping your clothes by type (jeans, sweaters, shirts, dresses, skirts) and folding all non-hanging garments neatly in their groups.
• Hang up anything made out of easily creased material (e.g. cotton and linen). Skirts, dresses, blouses, trousers, jackets and blazers are best kept on hangers, while knits and more durable shirts can be folded.
• Divide and conquer – there’s something about dividing things into little compartments that immediately makes anyone feel much more organised. Keep your folded clothes and accessories orderly with shelf dividers. You could use small gift boxes to create compartments or strips of thick cardboard to make your own dividers.
• Use as much vertical space as possible. Store your most-used items at eye level, less-used items below, and least-used bulkier or seasonal items up high such as winter coats, boots and formal outfits. If you are still limited on space use suitcases elsewhere in the house to store out-of-season linens, blankets, or sweaters.
• Use boxes, cubbies, tiered shelves or a hanging organizer to sort shoes.
• Hooks and pegs can create extra storage space and can be attached to the back of wardrobe doors. Making everything in your wardrobe as visible as possible is crucial to ensuring every item is used and not left lying abandoned in the farthest corners of your wardrobe.
• If you live in a small space, replace traditional closet doors that swing out with curtains or hanging screens.

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