Do you dream of a walk in closet? A perfectly organised wardrobe of clean lines and colourful clothes?
But instead you are faced with a dull, dark and disorganised mess. Mismatched hangers that are all caught up, doors that won’t close over and clothes that fall off the hangers onto the wardrobe floor.
Never can you find that dress or shirt that you just know are in the depths of your wardrobe somewhere. It’s full of clothes that shouldn’t be there but you dread the idea of clearing it out. You avoid it at all costs and really just use a fraction of the clothing you own, sticking with clothes that are easily accessible. And really, it’s the floor or a chair that you’re using more often than your wardrobe.
Struggling and fighting with your wardrobe can cause us more stress than we realise. Think about it. If you are starting every morning pulling clothes out on top of you just to find something, or you reach for a dress and five other hangers are pulled out along with it. That’s just plain annoying. How is that a good start to your day? You’re already frustrated five minutes after getting out of bed.
And no wonder you don’t bother putting anything away at night. Who after a long, hard day wants to fight with their closet? Apparently we’re not supposed to go to bed angry!
Wardrobe – Before
Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want any hassle…I just want to get dressed! And so the process of wading through the wardrobe to choose an outfit needs to be as easy as possible. And that requires some organisation which is going to involve sorting through & throwing out some clothes!
With that in mind, here’s how to unhook and unzip yourself from your clothes…
SORTING:
As you go through your clothes, sort them out according to season and function. Use your bed to spread out on.
Use the flat surface of your bed to spread your clothes out on
On one side of the bed, put your winter clothes and on the other your summer clothes.
Each season will then be divided by type of clothing or function. So you could either place together all your
TYPE:
Tops
Tshirts
Shirts
Dresses
Trousers etc.
Or…
FUNCTION:
Work
Evening
Sport
Relaxation
Casual etc.
Now some people say you can organise by colour, and if you feel like it, go for it! However, I think this takes a lot of time and I’m guessing you don’t have much of that, so I think just get the wardrobe organised and worry about colour later!
Also, when you arrange by colour, sometimes it can be difficult to actually see each article of clothing. For example, I did it for all my black clothes – but now I can’t see the tops from the jumpers. So that’s on my to-do list to change!
Sometimes, you can over organise! You don’t have to do it perfectly, you just have to get the wardrobe to a functioning level whereby you can easily get at your clothes & easily put them back.
THROWING OUT:
Deciding what clothes to keep or throw out can be as painful a task as walking home in high heels after a night out.
Keep these questions in mind as you forage through your fashion…
1. When did I wear it last? – If you can’t remember, then it’s been too long!
2. Do I really think it will come back into fashion? – and if it does will I want it!
3. If I were out shopping right now, would I buy it again?
4. Is it worth the space it’s taking up in my wardrobe?
The following are total no brainers and should be thrown out without a second glance…
1. Any clothing that is damaged and can’t be repaired
2. Any clothing that is stained or discoloured and can’t be cleaned
3. Anything without it’s match – shoes, socks, gloves, swimming armbands etc.
4. Old tights, pop socks and underwear
Also, items such as children’s toys, books, cd’s, stationary etc. do not belong in your wardrobe. Take them out and if you are not throwing them away, re-home them. The only things that should be in your wardrobe are any items that help you dress.
Furthermore, try the clothes on if you need to. It will make the organising process that little bit longer, but it might make the decision of what to keep and what to throw out that bit easier for you. So I always think trying clothes on while organising is a good idea.
And finally, for the future, consider placing a donation bag at the bottom of your wardrobe. This can be a plastic or paper bag, a small laundry bin whatever is convenient for you and the space in your wardrobe. Over the next while, any clothing you come across that you don’t want, like, or can’t fit into anymore and you would like to donate, toss it into this bin. When it’s full, take it straight out for donation and replace the bag with a new empty one.
~~~
Whether your love clothes or hate them, we all have to put our clothes somewhere. And no, the floor doesn’t count! So why not follow this week’s task and get stuck in once and for all and organise your wardrobe.
Wardrobe After
And, later in the week, I’ll show some stylish storage to help control your clothes and closet!
Happy Organising!
Sarah x
