Have lots of clothes but can’t find what to wear? That could be because your wardrobe needs organising – from clearing out pieces you don’t wear to categorising what you do – to ensure a harmonious wardrobe that works hard for you and your lifestyle. But if you’re overwhelmed by the thought of decluttering, fear not. Our methodical process provides the best way to organise your wardrobe, making it intuitive and enjoyable.
Before you start
Set aside time
There’s no denying that organising your wardrobe takes energy and time, so schedule a specific time slot for tackling the task, whether that’s an evening when you’d usually be watching television, or during the weekend (a Sunday morning when everyone else in the house is asleep, for example?). Remember, you don’t need to do it all in one hit, either: you could break it down into 30-minute chunks each and every evening to make it feel less daunting.
Make a plan
Next, think about what your dream wardrobe looks like, in terms of both how it looks and functions. Will it be colour-coded? And is there a way of rotating outfits so you don’t end up wearing the same thing every week? Moodboarding exactly what you want out of the process will help you stay focused as you work through it – a tool like Pinterest is a great source of inspiration.
Organising Your Wardrobe in 9 Steps
1. Empty your wardrobe
First thing is first: a wardrobe clear-out. Remove everything so you can give all the surfaces a good clean.
2. Assess your space
Next, see exactly what storage you have in terms of drawers, hanging rails and divan beds to understand if you have enough space for accommodating your clothes.
3. Think about storage options
If you don’t, consider investing in new storage to suit your taste and space, whether a spacious wardrobe or a compact chest of drawers. Our collection of luxury furniture, whether Heal’s creations or curated designers, brings together style and storage to offer timeless designs.
4. Try everything on
As a rule of thumb, if you haven’t worn something in over a year, then it’s time to give it away. Try everything on to check you’re happy with how pieces fit and that they’re still in good condition. Only keep items you can’t live without to help create an edited capsule wardrobe. Make sure you’ve got a flattering floor mirror that will show your outfits at full length before you start. We rather like the Brunel with clever hanging space incorporated into its design or the simplicity of our Oxbow with its boutique-inspired aesthetic.
5. Sort your clothes
Now for the fun bit: sorting clothes by categorising them in three distinct piles – to sell, to think about or to give away. You could add a fourth pile in pieces you might want to customise. Perhaps they need repairing or modernising, for example. But how do you decide what clothes to keep? In short, only keep those that make you look and feel great. You could always enlist the help of a trusted friend to get a second opinion and make the process that bit more fun. Why not make an evening of it?
6. Get rid of unwanted clothes
There are a number of ways of getting rid of clothes you no longer want. Donate them to your local charity shop; or deposit them in a clothing bank (a quick search online will reveal ones close to where you live). Alternatively, you could always offer them to friends or family.
7. Group clothes by category
With an edit complete, it’s time to categorise what you’re keeping, either by colour, type or season. There’s nothing more pleasing than a closet sorted by shades from darks to lights, jumpers piled high together and trousers hung uniformly in a row, or a complete summer collection separated from winter wear. Why not invest in a divan bed with storage beneath? Your wardrobe can display clothing for the current season while your bed can house pieces for the next.
8. Maintain organisation
Arguably, the hardest bit about organising your wardrobe is keeping it that way once you’ve done it. The easiest way of doing this is making sure everything is in order little and often – when you put laundry away, for example – or operating a ‘one in, one out’ policy: for every new item you purchase, an old one needs to go. Trust us: getting dressed in the morning and planning your outfits will be so much easier.
9. Store your clothes correctly
Remember, one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to how you store different items of clothing. Jumpers and t-shirts should be folded and stored in drawers or on shelves, for example, while trousers and shirts are best hung on rails. If you’re out of space, why not invest in a neat clothes hanging rail to catch the overspill?
Browse and buy functional but fabulous storage solutions to help keep your clothing organised.