Want to get your wardrobe in order? Read this…
Imagine a wardrobe that’s neat and orderly, where everything has a place and you never have to lean your entire bodyweight against a heaving clothes collection in order to shove an extra hanger in.
Believe it or not, some people do actually have wardrobes like this – and it not only makes putting things away easier, it also means less stress trying to piece an outfit together in the morning (Extra time in bed? Yes please!)
Make things visible
How often have you discovered an item in your wardrobe that you’d completely forgotten you owned? The answer is probably all too often; our clothes are so tightly packed in drawers and cupboards it’s impossible to actually see each item.
Unfortunately, the only way to solve this (other than buy a bigger house) is to get rid of as many clothes as possible, in order for your remaining garments to become visible (and therefore get worn, not forgotten).
A top tip for doing this is to go through all your clothes and only keep items which you either really need (e.g. your black vest top) or you really love (and love, not just vaguely like).
Get rid of anything which is difficult to wear, for example because it needs to be ironed every five minutes or requires a particular type of underwear you don’t even own.
Finally, look at what you have multiples of and narrow this down – for example, if you have six ‘useful’ white T-shirts, get rid of any that are greying or scruffy.
Consider what really counts as sentimental
Whether it’s the dress you wore on your first date with your husband, or a top you always associate with a fun girls’ holiday, many items can end up hanging around in your wardrobe long after you stopped wearing them.
While it’s completely understandable that you may want to hold on to one or two items forever, It’s important not to use the word ‘sentimental’ as an excuse. Take what you find sentimental but would never wear to a second hand shop. Someone will grab the opportunity to get what you are just hiding away.
Create a holiday box
Create a holiday box, full of items like bikinis, sun hats and floaty summer dresses which you only wear on holiday or at the peak of the summer.
Put it up on a high shelf so it’s not taking up valuable everyday wardrobe space. What’s more, you’ll feel a real sense of excitement every time you reach up and bring your holiday box down for that summer holiday.
Store occasion wear separately
As with holiday clothes, special occasion attire can be stored away from your everyday wardrobe – after all, a gown takes up a significant amount of room, and probably only gets worn once a year at most!
Pack special occasion items away carefully using acid-free tissue paper to keep them in perfect condition. Make sure the box is clearly labelled so you know exactly what’s in there, before stowing away on a high up shelf or above a wardrobe.
Protect your clothes
One of the joys of creating a clutter-free wardrobe is that you can actually cherish and protect your clothes properly. Once you’ve done your clear out, first clean the entire inside of the wardrobe or chest of drawers, ideally using natural cleaning products.
Next, add in some form of moth protection. Avoid wire hangers – these will misshape your clothes. Finally, make sure you don’t let your wardrobe get out of hand again!
