Over the years, we’ve published a number of guides geared towards transforming the way we dress. Whether it’s creating the perfect capsule wardrobe, offering the ‘matching set’ as a style dilemma cure-all, or bringing you versatile pieces that work in (almost) every look and every season, we’ve assured you that the process of dressing each day needn't be a trying task.
At the foundations of all these solves, however, is one crucial element: the organised wardrobe. For some, the wardrobe is a place where a great deal of time is spent, and much attention is already paid to keeping our most prized pieces neat and tidy. For others, the concept of curating that particular space can seem daunting. But to those, we say it doesn’t have to be!
While it may initially take a few hours of wholehearted dedication, once done, you’ll have a wardrobe that offers high visibility, incredible function, and may actually have you wearing more of your existing clothes than ever before.
Here, we run you through eight simple steps to follow when decluttering and organising your wardrobe.
Organise By Category, Then By Colour
Ask anyone who prides themselves on having an organised wardrobe, and their top tip will likely be to start coordinating. You can keep it simple, or get incredibly granular, but this single act makes a world of difference when it comes to keeping your wardrobe organised.
Start by sorting out your pieces into categories — shirts, t-shirts, jeans, trousers, and so on — then, within each category, sort your clothes by colour. Some go as far as sorting by sleeve length and hemline, but how detailed you get with your coordination beyond category and colour is completely up to you.
Not only do these simple steps guarantee ease when it comes to configuring an outfit, many also believe that a clean and organised space increases your sense of calm and reduces stress — there is truly no downside here.
Make Sure You Can See Everything
Given most of us can’t dedicate hours to trawling through every piece we own to put together a single outfit, visibility is key. When opening your wardrobe, you should ideally be able to see every single garment within a single glance.
In addition to coordination by category and colour, you’ll want to ensure that each piece is in full view, and has ample space within your wardrobe, so you can spot, grab and go. Ideally, don't want to be hanging multiple pieces on a single hanger, or have rows upon rows of folded garments. And you definitely don’t want to get to the point where you’re actually losing pieces to the back of your wardrobe — this writer has been there, and really, no one should be discovering anything anew within their own collection.
Simply put, if you can’t see it you won’t wear it, so be sure to keep everything in full vision.
Hang As Much As You Can …
One simple way to increase visibility within your wardrobe is to hang as many garments as you can. Of course, there are exceptions — more on that to come — but if you have the storage to be able to do so, hanging your pieces up ensures that they’re directly into your eyeline, this increase in discernibility paired with increased mobility of clothing offering great ease when screening your clothing. Not to mention, hanging up your pieces makes putting them back at the end of the day a whole lot more fuss-free.
As for which hangers to use exactly, look to the thinnest hanger possible with compromising on sturdiness to maximise space. When it comes to heavier and more tailored garments, like a coat or blazer, you’ll want to reach for a padded hanger that can support the weight and structure of these pieces.
… And Thoughtfully Fold The Rest
While we’ve just sung the praises of the coathanger, there are some pieces you just shouldn’t hang up. For example, you should never hang knitwear or any garment that’s too delicate or overly embellished as it could lead to unwanted stretching, sagging, distorting or even tearing. As for the most obvious categories you’d likely never hang, activewear and underwear count amongst them. Denim has become a contested piece in the hang vs. fold debate, as is the t-shirt, so the preference is with you.
When it comes to how exactly to fold them, use your best judgement as well as your own knowledge of how to best utilise your own storage. As for our own folding style, we do have a soft spot for the Marie Kondo fold, which optimises space in your wardrobe without compromising on visibility and care.
Be Smart About Storage
As with most solves offered within this list, you can go as simple or as complex as you’d like — the same goes for storage solutions. At a minimum, you should have shelving and some drawers to neatly store pieces that can’t be hung up. To work smarter than harder, save your shoeboxes to store your shoes when you’re not wearing them, or at the very least when they’re out of season to protect them and keep them clear out of the way of the pairs you are wearing.
If you’d like to get hyper organised, you can also pick up purpose-made clear storage boxes for your wardrobe that range in size, big enough for your shoes, and small enough for your precious accessories.
Switch Out Your Seasonal Pieces
A simple, but a crucial, tip is to keep your wardrobe seasonal. It may seem an obvious approach to take, but the truth is that most people likely keep the contents of their wardrobes the same year ‘round.
At the conclusion of the more ‘extreme’ seasons (i.e. summer and winter), cycle out the pieces that are strictly worn at set times of year and put them in vacuum bags, garment bags or boxes for storage. What should be left in your wardrobe are garments that are transseasonal or are to be worn in the approaching season.
Be Critical About What You Actually Wear
The process of organising (or reorganising) your wardrobe provides the perfect opportunity to take stock of your most worn, and most underutilised, clothing. Take out pieces that you know you haven’t worn in a while and seriously consider whether or not you would wear them again — Are they too small a size? Does that silhouette not quite serve you today? Or have you simply forgotten you own it?
If you think there’s still value in this piece for your own dressing, then try working it into a few looks in the immediate future. Or, if you’re holding onto a garment for sentimentality rather than usability, you may want to consider parting with it in a conscious way. Whatever the motivation, clearing your wardrobe of unused clothing goes a long way when it comes to keeping it organised.
Make Time To Put Things Away Properly
While it may seem a simple tip (and it is, when done properly), making a habit out of putting your clothes away once you’re done wearing them (unless they need to be laundered, of course) makes a world of difference when it comes to keeping your wardrobe neat and tidy.
Avoid piling pieces up on a ‘chair-drobe’ and put them back in their rightful place so you can easily locate the piece next time you go to wear it, and keep the rest of your room as clutter-free as possible.
