Let’s be honest, wardrobes can be stressful affairs. And no matter how many pieces you own, it’s easy to feel like you never have anything to wear.
Which is why we’ve spoken to expert Practical Princess’ Elika Gibbs and Virginia Feacey, Country Manager UK at second-hand designer resale site Rebelle, to find out how we can all lead less cluttered lives.
Keep your wardrobe organised with these eight tips:
1. Start with one big clear-out
Virginia suggests going through every item in your wardrobe and adding to ‘SELL’, ‘MAYBE’, ‘CUSTOMISE’ and ‘TOSS’ piles.
Elika suggests to try things on as you go ‘because you may have forgotten about a missing gem that’s been sitting in your wardrobe that you normally bypass. You might be able to alter it to make it more current’.
2. And then continuously edit your wardrobe
Virginia recommends starting a one-in-one-out policy, to avoid cluttering. ‘For every new item you purchase,’ she says. ‘An old one needs to go. Or, if you really want to test yourself, try two.’
Why? Elika tells us, ‘If you don’t edit your wardrobe, you might think you have loads of clothes but actually, it’s just that you have volume of things that no longer fit or are dated.
‘By clearing out your wardrobe you prevent that, and you’ll find getting dressed in the mornings so much easier.’
3. Make some money with your unwanted bits
‘Just because you might not like it anymore, doesn’t mean someone else won’t!,’ Virginia says. ‘It’ll also make you feel better if you want to purchase something new, if you’re making money from the old.’
Use sites like Ebay for your high street purchases, and ones like Rebelle for more high-end pieces.
4. Organise your closet by category and then by colour
‘It’ll make everything look much neater and will save you time in the mornings when you need to get dressed in a hurry,’ Virginia advises.
5. Invest in the right equipment
‘I like matching hangers because then you’re not distracted by a messy wardrobe,’ Elika says. And Virginia agrees: ‘Get some good hangers with rounded corners and use boxes to keep drawers organised. This is especially great for belts, underwear and socks.’
6. Separate the seasons
‘If wardrobe space is an issue,’ Virginia says. ‘Divide your things into summer and winter clothing and keep the other season packed up out of the way.’ Elika agrees that this can be handy regardless. ‘It’s no good if it’s the middle of winter and you’re going through your closet and you have summer dresses hanging there that you won’t be able to wear,’ she says.
7. Store everything in the right place
‘Keep knitwear folded and flat. Also dry it flat to avoid pulling and deformation,’ Virginia says.
8. Don’t forget your shoes
‘If you have a lot of shoes in boxes,’ Virginia says. ‘Tape pictures of the shoes to the outside of the box, so you know what’s inside without having to go through several boxes.’
Elika adds: ‘Boxes are ideal because they prevent dust, and cardboard works well because then they can breathe.’
9. And look after more expensive items
If you’ve spent all that money on something fancy, you better make sure you take proper care of it, Virginia says. ‘Keep designer bags in their dust bags and stuff them from the inside to avoid deforming.’
Change how you shop with these five rules:
1. Invest in good quality wardrobe staples
‘These will be the backbone of your wardrobe!’ Virginia tells us. ‘You’ll get great cost per wear out of them, so choose pieces that are of good quality, versatile, easily combinable and perhaps a bit pricier, so they’ll last you longer. Think: a good trench or coat, a basic white shirt, a basic cotton Tee, a black blazer, dark blue denim, a cashmere sweater, white trainers, black heels, black flats etc.’
2. Buy into trends with easy to combine and less pricey pieces
Love the ruffle trend? Don’t splash a load of money on a jumper you’ll wear for one season and then throw away. Instead, use the high street for easy trend updates. ‘That way it won’t hurt you too much when you stop wearing these pieces,’ Virginia says.
3. Take your time before you buy
Before you spend any money on something new, Virginia says it’s important to consider the purchase first. ‘Think of three ways to combine the new piece with existing things in your wardrobe,’ she suggests. ‘If you don’t come up with three, rethink the purchase.’
4. Always sleep on it
‘To avoid impulse buys,’ Virginia says. ‘Research the pieces you need/like, put them on your wish list and then sleep on it. If you still want the pieces the next day, then go ahead and buy them.’
5. Find a great tailor!
Can’t afford to buy high-end but want your clothes to look more expensive? Virginia says it’s all in the way your clothes fit you. ‘This means hemming trousers and sleeves, making sure shoulders fit in blazers/ jackets etc,’ she says. ‘Just make sure you always think about the additional cost of tailoring a piece before you purchase it.’
