5 tips to de-clutter and organise your wardrobe
Hi my name is Carole Greenland from Wardrobe Wake-Up, and my aim is to help my clients make the most of their existing clothes.
We wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time.
It’s a great time to de-clutter and organise your wardrobe because:
- It’s Spring!
- We have more time at home
- It lifts your spirits.
Reasons to de-clutter:
- More space
- Can’t find anything
- Have nothing to wear
If I was actually with a client, I would be looking at colour, style, shape, proportion, scale, fabric, necklines, texture, patterns, accessories too. But for the purposes of this here’s my 5 step plan to de-clutter and organise your wardrobe.
Step 1
Prepare. As any artist will tell you, and this is a creative activity, prepare your canvas and in this case:
- Take everything out of your wardrobe and put on your bed.
- Clean your wardrobe with a vacuum cleaner
- Wipe over with a damp cloth and some lavender oil and/or cedar oil to deter moths.
Step 2
Look through everything! ASK:
- Does it fit me! Now, not in 6 months time or 6 months ago!!
- If it doesn’t and you still find you like it, can it be altered to fit you.
- If it doesn’t fit into your life and it can’t be altered it has to go.
- Does it:
- Fit with my LIFESTYLE NOW ! If not it has to go.
- Does it reflect your personality?
- Is it right of where you are now in your life.
- If I saw this item now would I buy it?
- Does this item make me feel good?
People have other reasons keep items:
- Sentimental – sentimental items can be made into a memory quilt
- Cost a lot of money – but if it doesn’t suit/fit you, sell it at a dress agency.
- Item was a gift – for example you may have a scarf which is beautiful but is not your best colour. Consider different ways to use it for example use as a belt or tie around a bag to add some flare and personality.
STEP 3
Divide into separate piles:
- Keep as it is
- Keep needs altering/mending/cleaning
- Sell through an agency or online
- Give away to friend.
- Give to Charity.
- Maybe pile
STEP 4
Put back in wardrobe. Can be done in many ways:
- By season: Autumn/Winterr and Spring/Summer
- By Reason: All work clothes together. All Leisure clothes together. All Best together
- By outfit
- By colour
- By item: e.g. ALL your tops together.
- And any combination: e.g. your Spring wardrobe could be divided into
Work/Leisure/Best going out/Special occasion. Then divided again into colour.
STEP 5
Storage:
- I store my shoes in their boxes marked with a coloured felt tip pen. For example a red wedge would have a red “W” on the outside. A blue loafer would have a blue “L” . Shoes could also be stored on a shelf/shoe rack or bottom of your wardrobe. To gain more space put the right foot forward and the left one with the heel forward.
- Put tights in zipped plastic bags (available from Lakeland). Label them “Black tights” “Blue tights” “Neutral tights” “Coloured tights” etc. Same goes for pop socks.
- Hangers – Wooden hangers should be used for heavier items, your coats and jackets. Use Velvet ones for your lighter shirts, blouses and t-shirts as these take up less room and your items will not slip off the velvet.
- Jeans/Leggings – rolled rather than hang your jeans and leggings to avoid crease marks.
- Underwear, store your socks, bras, pants in individual baskets in a drawer.
- Knitwear – in Plastic bag to prevent moth damage.
For more wardrobe advice you can follow me on Facebook www.facebook.com/WardrobeWakeUpCarole or to book a Wardrobe Wake-Up session visit my website wardrobewake-up.co.uk
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