So here I am standing in front of my bulging wardrobe, late to a function, scanning every shelf and hanging space and then declaring –
`I don’t have a thing to wear’!!!!
This is pretty standard girl self talk and can happen as much as a few times per week, if it’s happening more frequently seek therapy and NOT retail!
While many of us have wardrobe envy and dream of a palatial walk in room with hanging space for miles, most of us have to work with what we have; a basic wardrobe or clothing rack and some plastic storage bins from Ikea! Whatever your wardrobe dilemma, I have learnt a few tricks and believe we can all be doing it better in the closet!
HOW TO DECLUTTER YOUR WARDROBE
Make time and I mean give yourself a couple of solid hours to totally re-vamp your wardrobe. I know this may be confronting but remove every item from your wardrobe and drawers. (You never know what you might find!) It’s a scary thought but once you get into the swing of it, it actually feels quite liberating.
RULE NUMBER 1 – BE RUTHLESS!!
Begin the de-cluttering process by carefully going through all your clothes and accessories to really decide what you want to keep or cull.
Create three piles away from your wardrobe space – one for keeps, one for cull and create a space to put pieces that need repairing, reviving or restoring.
RULE NUMBER 2 – BE HONEST!!
If you haven’t worn something for several years (unless it’s a vintage, beautifully crafted piece you want to hand down to your daughter), chances are you will not wear it again.
If you have lost or gained weight and are just hanging on to pieces `just in case’ perhaps consider moving them on.
If you have moved out of the corporate world and just don’t wear suits anymore perhaps you could sell these at a second hand store (there’s plenty around).
RULE NUMBER 3 – CREATE THE SPACE!!
If space is really a major issue for you and you can never find anything, you may want to consider at the end of your cull and re-vamp, to break your wardrobe up into a summer/winter story. It’s a little more work and effort but it just means you will actually be able to SEE what you have. Place the other season into stackable boxes, coats store elsewhere, if you have the space. Many items can be vacuum packed and stored under a bed or flat packed elsewhere.
My basic message is – create some space in your wardrobe so it becomes a functional unit in your life!
Follow Crown Jewels blog to read about how to store what is in your wardrobe and create new clothes from old pieces.