It's a struggle that I think everyone endures at some point in their life - a wardrobe full of clothes and nothing to wear! Well I'm here to help you get everything organised and bring some order to your daily life.
What You'll Need: - Garbage Bags - Boxes, storage containers or vacuum bags - Time!
Time is the biggest factor here - make sure you have a couple of hours to get everything sorted - or else you'll end up chucking everything back in the wardrobe, defeated and worse than when you started!
STEP ONE Take everything out of your closet. That's right, everything! Take all your clothes/shoes/bags and put them into piles. At this point, throw out any broken hangers or other rubbish that may be in your wardrobe. Give it a good dusting/wipe down.
STEP TWO Let's start with the clothes! We're going to make three piles:
Pile one: Clothes to throw. If it doesn't fit, is stained, stretched out of shape... put it in the garbage bag!
Things to consider with your clothes:- Does it fit properly? When you last wore it did it feel constricting, were you constantly adjusting it, did it fall down around your ankles? - Is it missing buttons, is the thread pulling, does it have a huge stain that won't go away? - When did you last wear it? Does it go with anything else in your wardrobe? - Is it not your style anymore? Is it so old and out of date that even the most discerning fashionista wouldn't consider it 'vintage'?!
If you answered yes to even one of these questions, then put it in your bag to give away. But if you wouldn't give it to your best friend in the condition it's in, but it in the bin - it will save the folks at the charity shop time!
Pile two: clothes that you can't bear to give away. We all have these pieces. They might be sentimental, or you might just not be ready to throw it out. Put these clothes in your storage bag/boxes.
Pile three: One pile left - clothes to keep. These are your favourite pieces that you wear every day, that fit you and make you feel great! If any of these pieces need to be mended, take a break and do that now. If you're not keen on mending - consider putting them in your give away pile!
Hang all your clothes back up and hang them in sections - how you do this is up to you. I like to hang my clothes by type, but you may find it easier by colour or mood!
STEP THREE OK, we're finished with your clothes - now go through the same process with your bags and shoes.
Things to consider for your shoes & bags: - are the shoes scuffed, ripped, dirty, discoloured, or covered in dust (often a sign of not being worn!) - does the bag have holes in it, stains, ripped lining, broken straps or smelling of something that spilt in it?
And you're done! When you get dressed tomorrow, marvel at how easy it is to put together your outfit and accessorize with ease!
Extra tricks to try: - When you hang your clothes back up, hang them 'backwards'. When you wear a piece and go to hang it back up, hang it 'forwards'. At the end of the month, if there are any pieces still hanging 'backwards', put them in your storage boxes - I found that after a year - a year! - had passed, I had not once gone to my storage boxes for any of the clothes inside. So I went through them again and gave away the bulk of it to charity. More space for more clothes! - People have a habit of trying to sell their unwanted clothes on eBay. While this is a great idea to bring in a bit of extra cash, personally I find it easier to give away to charity unless it's practically brand new/never worn - I just don't think it's worth the time or money to get $5 for a top that someone could really need.
Image source: Huzzah Vintage
