Are you finding it increasingly challenging to navigate through your wardrobe? Perhaps it’s time to tackle the task of organising it. A cluttered wardrobe not only makes it difficult to find what you need but can also add unnecessary stress to your daily routine. Signs such as overflowing shelves, clothes spilling onto the floor, and struggling to locate favourite items are clear indicators that your wardrobe needs some TLC.
In this blog, we'll delve into how to organise your wardrobe in the UK, offering practical tips and tricks on how I transform chaos into order. Whether you're dealing with a compact closet or a spacious wardrobe, these strategies will help you maximise space, streamline your belongings, and simplify your mornings.
Declutter Your Wardrobe
The first crucial step to achieving a well-organised wardrobe is decluttering. Sort through your clothes, shoes, and accessories to determine what stays and what goes. This will cut through up to 30% for your wardrobe making the organising even easier. A good time to declutter in the UK is when you rotate your wardrobe seasonally so you enter the season with minimalistic clothing relevant to the current season and your style preferences.
Have you heard of the 80-20 principle? Applying the 80-20 principle can guide your decisions: you likely wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time and the rest 80% of your clothes remain in the ‘someday’ zone. I encourage you to lay off all the clothes that you had hardly worn 3-4 times last season. You don't have to discard them, you may give them to your family, friends, or charity or simply resell them on one of the many reselling platforms in the UK. Be light in this process and let go of as much as you can. This means focusing on the pieces you love and wear frequently, rather than holding onto items that rarely see the light of day.
1. Separate Clothes into Categories:
Begin by categorising your clothes into "discard" and "wearable condition." Items in good wearable condition can be kept, while those that are barely wearable or no longer fit should be discarded. Again remember: Holding onto barely wearable items only contributes to clutter and makes it harder to find what you truly love wearing.
2. Discard Unmatched Pieces:
Another effective strategy is to discard individual pieces that don't have a matching counterpart (e.g., a top without a matching bottom). Keeping these items with the hope of finding a matching piece in the future often leads to unnecessary clutter. It's better to free up space for items that you can wear and enjoy.
After decluttering, you can now buy new clothes to fill in your wardrobe gradually with better and more usable clothing. Now, let's dive deeper into how to organise the clothes you decide to keep!
Wardrobe Organisation Tips and Tricks
Organising your wardrobe isn't just about tidying up—it's about creating a functional space that enhances your daily routine. Here are some expert tips and tricks to help you achieve a well-organised wardrobe:
1. Keep Fancy/Formal Clothes Separate:
Maintain a clean and streamlined look by separating your fancy and formal clothes from your everyday wear. I had a spare corner wardrobe in a storeroom, so I had put all the fancy shoes and clothes in that wardrobe, saving enough space in my everyday wardrobe.
This not only makes it easier to find the right outfit for special occasions but also preserves the condition of these garments.
2. Embrace the Capsule Wardrobe Concept:
Consider adopting a capsule wardrobe approach by curating a collection of versatile, timeless pieces that can be mixed and matched effortlessly. This reduces decision fatigue and ensures you always have stylish outfits ready to go.
3 Use Storage Boxes for Organisation:
If you love organising, you gotta be friends with a lot of boxes. Invest in storage boxes or bins for clothing, shoes, and accessories. You will find boxes and bags for everything in your wardrobe. Label each box accordingly to quickly locate items when needed. This method also helps protect your clothes from dust and damage.
4. Shop Strategically:
When adding new items to your wardrobe, focus on styles that you've already tried and loved or are confident will complement your existing wardrobe. You can apply the 80-20 rule here, aim for 80% of your clothes to be in colours and styles that flatter your body shape and skin tone while reserving 20% for experimenting with different colours or trends. The less is the better. Ensure you buy only high-quality clothes that will go a long way and can be paired up with different clothing pieces either colour-wise or styling-wise.
5. Organise Clothes by Type:
Arrange your clothes by type (e.g., shirts, trousers, dresses) and keep similar items together. If you have a full dress with leggings, pair them up and hang them in one place. I keep my scarfs hung over in multilayer hangers that lie in the right corner of my wardrobe so if I need a scarf I don't have to find the relevant colour scarf in all the clothes. This makes it easier to see what you have and prevents you from buying duplicates.
6- Folding
Certain wardrobe essentials, like t-shirts, sweaters, and casual tops, often don't require hanging but are still essential. To optimise space and accessibility, fold these items neatly and stack them on the top shelf or below hanging clothes in your wardrobe. This approach keeps them visible and easily reachable while maintaining a tidy and organised closet layout.
By implementing these wardrobe organisation tips and tricks, you'll not only maximise your storage space but also simplify your daily dressing routine. A well-organised wardrobe reflects your personal style and enhances your overall sense of efficiency and calm.
