Wardrobe Organisation Tips & Tricks
With Spring just around the corner, what better way to get ready for a spring clean than with these top tips and tricks from the lovely Jessica of Styling by Jessica
Organising your wardrobe may feel like total chaos when starting the process, however once you see the finished product... it's certainly time well spent and will make every day dressing that bit easier. It's amazing how many items you forget about because they have been buried. Being able to visualise what's in your wardrobe makes it so much easier to pull an outfit together, because if you can see it, you're more likely to wear it and that's where the organisation process comes in to it! To help you get started, I've shared a few tips and tricks on how to streamline your wardrobe...
Wardrobe cleanse - It's a great idea to clear out your wardrobe say, every six months - by that I mean take everything out and sort through it one by one as it goes back in. I've had so many clients tell me that their one main problem is having too many clothes, yet nothing to wear and that can be easily solved. Unless you wear every single item in your wardrobe (which most of us don't!), the chances are you simply do not need half of what is in there. Get rid of anything that isn't in good condition or doesn't fit as a start. It's all about out creating a selection of your key 'capsule' items and working out how you can style the rest of your items with these. If there are items you are unsure whether you should get rid of, put them in a bin bag, hide them away - if you don't access or remember them in several months time, they are to be moved to the sell/ donate bag. It works - trust me!
Storage solutions - Shop around for the best storage solutions to suit your individual wardrobe. Ikea is great for pop up shoe boxes and items like dividers to go create tidiness within drawers. For jewellery, stackers have a great range of jewellery boxes - they also look pretty too! Dust bags are perfect for keeping your shoes and bags in good condition. If I have items in a bag, I attach a kraft luggage style label so I alway know what's inside (if you're really sad like me you can colour co-ordinate per type of item)!
Seasonal items - Vacuum bags are ideal for when the season changes and you don't need your hefty great jumpers taking up vital space in your wardrobe or drawers anymore. If you know you won't need the item until the winter appears again, store them away - under a bed or in a cupboard for instance. Don't let items take up precious space in your wardrobe if they don't need to.
Rolling & folding clothes - The way you arrange your clothes is totally personal preference in accordance to your wardrobe. I would personally recommend rolling clothes (coming from someone with the worlds smallest wardrobe/ drawer space). This enables you to see all the items in your drawers without having to rummage through and mess up the neatly folded piles. There is definitely an art to both and it's amazing what tutorials you can find on YouTube. I'd highly recommend giving some a watch if you feel like your folding or rolling skills need brushing up on.
Shoe boxes - Lots of people use shoe boxes to store their shoes in. A great hack I saw on Pinterest is to take a photo of the shoes and stick it on the side of the box. I have several boxes under my bed and sometimes I can't remember last week (it's terrible!) let alone remembering what pair of shoes I put in what box a few months ago. It means you can easily identify what you are looking for and the same when you return the shoes to their correct place.
Hanging space - Velvet touch hangers are fabulous and a serious space saver (you can buy a 20 pack on Amazon for £11). Now don't get me wrong, wooden ones look lovely but are completely impractical at the best of times, especially if you are working with minimal rail space. The velvet style hangers are thin, have a great grip so clothing stays put and also come in a variety of colours. You can also buy multi-functional hangers for items like scarves and belts - or if you fancy a bit of DIY I have seen shower ring pulls used around a normal hanger. Equally a rail on the back of your wardrobe door is a great use for storing accessories and the day to day items you usually grab and go!
Most importantly, opening your wardrobe and deciding what to wear should not be a chore. Simplifying is certainly a first step in the right direction...
For any style hangups you many have... please feel free to email me at contact@stylingbyjessicaeades.co.uk or on social @stylingbyJE and I'd be pleased to help. X