Are you in need of a wardrobe checklist? Do you know how to organise your wardrobe? Here are 5 easy steps that will help you have a clean and tidy wardrobe.
How To Organise Your Wardrobe In 5 Easy Steps
#1. Keep It Tidy
The first item to mark off your wardrobe checklist is to ensure your hanging space, shelves and draws are neat and tidy. Not rocket science but if you can see everything you own, clearly, you are less likely to hoard random items and keep purchasing the same types of fashion every shopping trip.
While I understand life is busy, the washing basket is like a never-ending packet of Tim Tams (sorry for the Aussie pun) and your clean clothes are like small mountains of chaos at the end of our bed, know it is possible to avoid all of this by dedicating a little extra time.
Seriously, if we actually took the time to separate our washing and put things away properly, it would cleverly cut down on the time it takes to find an outfit. Therefore, it would also make getting dressed in the morning a lot less stressful.
Think about it. How long does it take for you to find your favourite jeans, a clean pair of underwear and an unwrinkled stain free t-shirt amongst your mountain of clothes. By the end of the process, you probably have a tornado-strewn mess and created a whole lot more pandemonium than absolutely necessary.
Now take a breath, visualise and relive the process. Your jeans are folded in their designated drawer, your underwear sorted into co-ordinated pairs and your t-shirts freshly washed and hung relaxed and free in your wardrobe. Everything has a place and the dedication to stress-free dressing has been granted.
We complicate our lives because of our disinterest and lack of care. Sometimes, life is made easier by taking a process approach via some really easy steps.
#2. Keep It Current
Secondly, to keep your wardrobe current doesn’t necessarily mean to carry on buying new clothes whenever you feel like it. Instead, you should ensure that what you own is classic and timeless and can be worn a number of times throughout the year, over a long period of time.
Fashion fads, ill-fitted clothing and damaged items take up unnecessary space and create fashion clutter. By sorting through these items, regularly, it will ensure that your wardrobe stays fresh and you always have something to wear. Furthermore, when you do introduce something new into your wardrobe you have the room and need for them.
There is nothing worse than going through your clothing options only to find that every choice you make, is another failed attempt at putting an outfit together because it doesn’t fit properly or you forgot that your pet moth had eaten an inappropriately placed hole in your best jumper.
The rules to keeping a fashion fad are simple. You can keep it as long as you continue to wear it and can easily incorporate it into your everyday wear at least 3 times a year. If you can’t and it was a fad that 1982 is phoning to ask for it back, then you should think about re-homing it or storing it if it has some weird sentimental value you just can’t throw away.
Same goes for weight change and ill-fitting clothes. If you have gained weight perhaps due to pregnancy, a health condition or simply because the Triple Chocolate Cheesecake is just too hard to resist, then any items that you are no longer wearing (or fits properly) you need to consider donating them to charity or storing them away until you return to your ideal weight. If in 12 months you are still not fitting into these items, then you need to say goodbye and give them to someone who needs them.
#3. Know If You’re A Hoarder
The next step when thinking how to organise your wardrobe is to understand that your Wardrobe is a haven of for personal achievements, special experiences and all of those wonderful memories you have created. But is this causing you to be a fashion hoarder?
A hoarder will often keep things not because they like them or need them, but because it has an emotional connection. This connection will be ridiculously strong and the memory vivid – as though it was yesterday. You will know the time, the place, exact date, who complimented you on that day, what you ate for breakfast and most importantly how that particular item made you feel. The details will be clear, precise and you can take yourself right back to that moment.
While I prefer to call hoarders, life collectors, getting you to part with the things you own, can be extremely challenging and all out emotional. The best thing for you to do if you are ready to start clearing some of the clutter is to do it with an open mind, be completely realistic and understand when you are becoming irrational. This is where a Professional Wardrobe Organiser such as myself can help you to do this reasonably pain-free with the appropriate tools and skills.
Alternatively, if you think you can start doing it yourself you need to consider what is necessary to keep and what you need to let go of. For instance, if you are harbouring a ragged halter neck top that you wore to your first Uni party and it wouldn’t fit on your big toe, then it is probably time to let it go.
Remember, you don’t have to throw things away. If you can’t bear to put in the bin, consider donating those items not fit for human wear to an animal shelter. A cute little puppy can snuggle with your size 0 barely-there top or a kitten can curl up inside on a cold Winter’s day. It’s a double whammy. The charity will be grateful for your generous donation and you can live in a little less clutter and know you have done something wonderful in the process.
#4. Limit Your Purchases
This is an important part of your wardrobe checklist. Often, we get carried away at the end of season sales or impulse buy until our little arms can no longer hold the overloaded plastic bags. It may be fun but when you get home will you actually wear your bargains and do you have the appropriate space for it?
Having your wardrobe in order, knowing how to organise your wardrobe and being aware of what you can and cannot buy, will ensure you have an organised and versatile wardrobe.
Consider only allowing yourself to replace old or soiled items as you need to. Have damaged clothing repaired if you think it’s worth keeping and then if you choose to purchase a new fashion item, you can confidently way up its wearability.
Making room for new items often calls for a detox of the old ones. There is no point going out and purchasing 5 new black tops if you already have 5 sitting in a draw at home.
The bonus of limiting your purchases will not only help you keep control of your wardrobe, it will give your credit card time to breath and ensure your next purchase is one of necessity rather than want.
#5. It’s The Way You Use It
You don’t have to have a celebrity style wardrobe to keep things organised. All though it is the dream of most women, a basic cupboard or walk-in style robe is what most people have to work with.
The most important thing to do, even with the smallest of wardrobes is to ensure space, is being utilised in the best way possible.
Your wardrobe checklist always needs to include a variety of supportive coat hangers, practical storage solutions and appropriate shelving. This is essential to have an organised wardrobe.
If you are stuck for ideas on how to make your wardrobe look and feel better, consider reconfiguring your layout by adding draws or more hanging space. If that is all too hard, simply rearrange your clothes into Seasons or colours to make them far more accessible and practical.
You need to consider how you can use the space better if you are feeling overwhelmed and your wardrobe is blatantly refusing to let you put one little jacket on its hanger. Pinterest and Home magazines are great for getting inspiration on how to tame your wardrobe with simple storage solutions. Just take a look!
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Want to have a Professional Wardrobe Organiser come to your home? Head over to www.littlebirdcoaching.com.au or contact Rachel on [email protected]. Interstate and Overseas travel is available upon request.
Feature image: pixabay.com
