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Wardrobes are magnets for clutter. If yours has become a bit of a jumble sale, this post will give you the motivation to organise your wardrobe and maximise your storage space.
As the seasons go by, our closets or wardrobes become magnets for clutter. Bags with stuff we keep for when we ‘eventually’ get back to our ideal weight, shelves with items we haven’t worn for years, and hangers full of beautiful clothes we love to look at but never wear. This is bad news for your storage space, and your wallet. So as you organise what you are wearing this season, and fantasise about what you’re going to buy for next season (Spring isn’t that far away!) it might be time to sort out that wardrobe once and for all.
Here are some tips for sorting out your wardrobe:
Get It All Out
Start your reorganisation process by getting everything out and onto the floor or bed. You have to make a mess to make progress sometimes and only by seeing exactly what you’re working with will you be able to properly sort out your wardrobe. Don’t forget to include underwear, socks and shoes in your sort out.
Be Brutal
Don’t approach your wardrobe with sentimentality or hope, approach it with pure, unadulterated practicality. Get rid of items you haven’t worn for more than a year, get rid of any clothes that you’ve been planning to repair but have never had the time to do it (unless you do have the time to do it right now!) and throw away anything that really doesn’t fit you. If you’re unsure, try the clothes on and and ask yourself if you really love that item. Or if your willpower isn’t that strong, get a friend to help you. A good place to start is with three piles – yes, no and maybe. The yes pile can go back into the wardrobe, the no pile can go into bin bags and the maybe pile can be re-evaluated and split into the yes and no piles at the end.
Don’t Throw Anything Away
You do not have to throw anything away. There are lots of options for items you don’t want or don’t have room for including:
- Charity Shops – charity shops always need donations so if the clothes are in reasonable condition and clean, bag them up and get them to a charity shop.
- Using Self-Storage – If you have items you know you want to keep but don’t have room for, put them into an inexpensive self storage unit, or wherever you happen to live, for a set amount of time – just be sure to wrap and protect them properly first.
- Car Boot Sales – as long as you’re not looking to make a million on your clothes, why not make a few quid on a Sunday morning and take them to a car boot? Depending on where you live, you can sell on a car boot for a morning for as little as £5.00 so it’s easy to make your money back and get rid of your clothes for cash all within the space of a few hours. To ensure the unsold items don’t find their way back into your wardrobe, drive straight to a charity shop afterwards and donate the leftovers.
- Selling Online – if you think your clothes are worth more than 50p a pop, put them online and sell them for what you think they are worth. Remember to take into account postage and packaging costs, and the cost to list the items in the first place. If they don’t sell, vow to take them to a charity shop.
- Swapping With Friends – You could swap your unwanted clothes with friends who are looking to swap some of their items. Alternatively you could just give your clothes away to your friends before you take them to a charity shop.
- Donate Them To An Animal Home – Old blankets, towels and sometimes coats are happily received by animal homes. Ring and check before you go to see what is useful to them and make a bag up to donate.
Split The Leftovers Into Seasons
Split the leftover clothes into seasonal sections so you can swap and change as the weather changes. If you have enough room, it is possible to simply segregate different areas of the wardrobe into seasonal sections. If you really don’t have enough room to store winter or summer clothes in your closet, consider self-storage instead.
Buy Clever Storage Solutions For Footwear
Footwear can become a nightmare to organise when it’s all over the wardrobe floor in a pile. Invest in clever storage solutions like hangers with shoe pockets, or even just some simple shelving so you can organise your shoes properly and see exactly what you have at a glance.
Remember it’s an afternoon’s work at most if you put the effort it, and you will be left with a clear head and a refined and organised wardrobe afterwards – and maybe a few extra quid!