Is Your Wardobe Out of Control – Perhaps It’s Time to Declutter?

As I sit here watching the Spring Carnival Races on TV (I love my racing) there is one thing that comes to mind, my wardrobe for Spring Racing. Now, it’s a pretty important issue for every girl, don’t you think.

Time to declutter and organise your wardrobe?

Having decluttered the odd wardbrobe (or a hundred or so) for clients, I think I have got some good tips to offer. Not only can it act as a spring clean, but it can help you get ready for the spring racing season or the next season ahead of us.

I think wardrobe decluttering is something that should be done at least once a year. Did you know that on average, we wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time? It’s amazing when I start asking clients – when was the last time your wore that outfit. The answer is always the same. So now is the time to start decluttering your wardrobe.

Here are some tips on how to declutter and organise your wardrobe:

Assign Some Time To Declutter

This kind of declutter job always takes longer than you think. You’re probably going to need at least half a day to organize your wardrobe.

Start Small

Don’t pull everything out of your wardrobe. You will be in a bigger mess than before you started and if you get called away by the kids or a phone call then you will have to deal with the big mess when you come back.

One Person’s Trash is Another’s Treasure

I love this one. Anything that is good and you know would make a friend happy, then wash, iron and give it to your friend. (Just remember to do this within 2 weeks of your declutter session, otherwise you will find it will never leave your house!).

Make Some Money Fom Your Decluttering

For items that are designer or vintage, you can sell them on eBay.

Donate Them

For general items, they can be donated to your local charity store.

Repair Items

For items that need to be altered, drop it off for repair (and ideally within 2 weeks) otherwise you will forget and it will become clutter again and make its way back into your wardrobe!

Haven’t Worn it The Last Year?

The say bye, bye…if you haven’t had it out in the last 12 months then throw it in the “ditch it” pile. Certain classic items (i.e. LBD,) are exempt.

Keep, Throw Out or Maybe?

Be as ruthless as you can. These are the rules:

• Anything that’s ripped, stained or worn needs must be thrown out.
• Things that don’t fit must be thrown out or  put in the “maybe” pile. The same applies to anything that’s less than flattering.

Maybe? Maybe Not?

If you are indecisive you might have a huge maybe pile. Give all the items in this pile a second look using these rules:

• If it doesn’t fit right now, is it likely to fit anytime soon?
• If it needs cleaning or repairs, is it worth the cost? Then ask yourself, if you do get the repairs done will you wear it within the next 2 months? If not then perhaps it needs to go out.
• If you’re emotionally attached to the item and absolutely can’t bear to part with it, put it on the keep pile. This ‘get out of jail free’ card is valid for a couple of items only, so be selective.

Organize Your Wardrobe

Now once you have gone through your wardrobe, now it’s time to put everything pack and organise it neatly. But first, give your wardrobe a quick wipe out remove and put away everything that doesn’t belong.

Organize your wardrobe with the clothing grouped by type or colour using good hangers and shoe trees and folding all non-hanging garments neatly. Leave a space between everything if you can as it helps with the tidy, ‘minimalist’ look.

Wardrobe Storage Product

You can buy some great storage product to help you keep your wardrobe organised. Ikea have some great fabric dividers that you can store all your underwear and socks in. There are also some good coat hangers that you can use to create more room in your wardrobe.  Felt covered hangers are perfect for silk tops and items that are inclined to slip off standard coat hangers.

If you need some help organizing your wardrobe, then contact us at The Lifestylers Group, as we love organizing wardrobes.

Until next time, happy organising.

Natalie Morey, Professional Organiser.