5 Steps to an Organised Wardrobe

Personal stylist and fashion designer, Katie Perry, has seen her fair share of wardrobes over the years and has devised a simple 5-step plan to declutter, organise and manage a space that can tend to get a little neglected over time!

Her aim? To help you create a wardrobe filled with outfits you love and actually wear!

If you find yourself wearing the same things despite having a wardrobe full of clothes and struggle to find items in your wardrobe, then read on and implement to save you money, time and heartache! 

Step 1: Section it

Look at your wardrobe and decide which section to begin with. You might want to clear it all in one go, or allocate a few days to go through it. Take everything out from that section. 

Make it easier by creating categories. For example: work, exercise, lounge, casual and evening wear.

Step 2: Keep/Toss/Alter/Recycle

Marie Kondo may have asked if items "spark joy", with your garments, ask yourself these questions instead:

• Have I worn this recently? If not, why?
• Is this style dated?
• Does this need to be altered? Sometimes you just need a good tailor to make something fit you perfectly. 
• Am I only keeping this for sentimental reasons? Be objective.Yes there might be pieces with sentimental value or memories and it's completely fine to keep these but, if there's an item that hasn’t been worn since for decades (shoulder pads anyone?!) chances are you aren’t going to wear it again! 
• Am I keeping this in the hope that one day I'll fit into it? Get rid of it and treat yourself to something new when you reach that goal weight instead!

As you move through your wardrobe place items you no longer need in the wardrobe into five piles:

1. Keep
2. Donate - select your favourite charity to donate to and double check which items they're open to receiving. 
3. Alter 
4. Recycle - did you know your old clothing and linen can be recycled? Check out MANRAGS for an easy way to ensure your pre-loved items don't end up in landfill!
5. Sell - from eBay to Gumtree, even Facebook - you could make a tidy little sum from selling items you might have even forgot existed in your wardrobe!

Step 3: Hang it.

Hang all items in the different sections listed above or create your own categories. 

(Note from Natalie: I organise my wardrobe by garment type - eg: skirts, dresses, pants etc... and then within those areas I organise by colour and designer. Yes I know...I'm a tad OCD!).

If it hasn’t be worn for a year or more, LET IT GO!

Get rid of any wire coat hangers and give them to your local dry cleansers.Wire coat hangers can distort the shape of your garments.

The best hangers to use are black velvet as they stop items from falling off, don't misshape your garments and take up minimal space in your wardrobe!

Step 4: Write a Shopping List

Create a list on your phone of what you need now that you've culled your wardrobe.

Are there staple pieces missing (think black blazer, great-fitting jeans, white t-shirt etc...)? Do you have a great skirt but no top to go with it? Or do you need to replace a favourite pair of jeans?

Writing a list as you go ensures that you are consciously shopping for what you need rather than want, saving you money and buyer's remorse!

Step 5: Maintain

This is perhaps the most important step. Once you've finished organising your wardrobe, get those items out of your house according to the categories we listed in Step 2. 

Katie has seen time and time again those pesky items make their way back into the newly organised wardrobe because they've remained nearby. 

Her failsafe advice is to repeat these steps every three months so your wardrobe doesn't have the chance to become overwhelming again. The more often you cull, the quicker and easier the process will be!

Check out Katie's video below to see these steps in action! 

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