Simple Ways to Organise your Wardrobe

Is your wardrobe filled to capacity? Do you dread opening your wardrobe doors, fearing that shoe boxes, purses and other objects will come crashing down on you? If your wardrobe is in need of a makeover, look no further.

Check out these simple ways to organise your wardrobe and make finding all your favourite clothes and accessories a snap.

Don’t Hang Everything Up

Not all of your clothing items need to be hung up. T-shirts, leggings and other weekend wear doesn’t need to be saved from wrinkles, and in most cases, neither do jeans.

For some people, hanging up clothes is a chore in its own right, so make it easier on yourself and don’t hang up everything. Nice blouses, sweaters, dress, skirts and trousers should also be be hung, but weekend t-shirts and sweat clothes can go in baskets or in dresser drawers. Separate these clothes from the others so you don’t have to worry about making space in your wardrobe for them.

Taking out these clothing items will give you ample amounts of free space within your wardrobe for other items, such as shoes and handbags.

Arrange by Levels

You have all types of shirts and trousers, such as long-sleeved shirts, vests, cropped or ankle-length pants, short-sleeved shirts and skirts. You can line them all up on one solid line or you can compartmentalise your wardrobe by hanging rods on different tiers. This wardrobe design will help you make the most of all the space you have.

On the top level, hang long blouses, blazers and jackets up here. Since most of these items for to be worn to work, you don’t want them dragging along the bottom of your wardrobe. Keep them up high where they can hang and avoid getting wrinkled.

To maximise this space, hang shirts, sweaters and jackets on one side and dresses on the other. Do not hang skirts here (we’ll get to that in a minute). Longer dresses that go to your feet should be on the far side closest to the wall so the dresses and hang down without interference.

Under the shirts, add another rod for skirts or trousers. You may want to hang trousers on this side since there is probably more height than under your dresses. This will prevent your trousers from dragging on the floor and collecting dust bunnies.

On the other side, install a rod below your dresses and hang your skirts or shorts. They will have plenty of room and you can easily pair up shirts with pants and skirts.

You can also do something similar with wardrobe shelving systems. Each shelf might hold a certain accessory or a certain type of seasonal clothing. In the summer time, for example, you might put your winter jumpers on your top shelf to keep them out of the way. You also might want to keep clutches on a lower shelf so you can easily grab one and go on a night out with your friends.

Invest in Racks and Baskets

How many times have you looked at an accessory or clothing item and thought, “I have no place for this.” Wallets and purses don’t need to be hung up, and most manufacturers, especially of high-end, designer bags, recommend that handbags be kept out of direct sunlight and with some sort of packaging inside to keep it standing upright.

For all these items and many other accessories (belts, scarves, hats) that need a place to go, invest in racks and baskets to give wayward items a home. Try some of these great wardrobe accessories:

• Belt and tie racks: Especially useful for shared closets. Tie racks will also keep ties from looking wrinkled or unnaturally folded. These can also hold accent scarves

• Spice racks: These small shelves are great for bottles of perfume, lotion, jewellery or other accessories in need of a home.

• Shoe racks: Shoe boxes take up a lot of space,, so make it easier to grab a pair of shoes and go with a shoe rack along the bottom of your wardrobe.

• Tiered baskets: When you have limited space, you need to make the most of every centimeter. Baskets can hold purses and wallets, and if you use tiered, wire baskets, you can layer your undergarments to make it easier to pull out each item and go.

If you really have a little more room in your closet, try installing three-tiered shelves or drawers for more wardrobe storage.You’ll be able to display purses and satchels on shelves without squishing them, and with drawers, your rolled up socks won’t fall out whenever you open the drawer.

Break Bad Habits

Of course, you can have the most organised wardrobe in the world, and it still won’t do you much good if you’re not adamant about picking up after yourself and putting things back where they belong. An organised wardrobe should make this process easier, but it’s up to you to go that extra mile and be a great wardrobe organiser.

Here are a few organisational tips to help you break those bad habits:

• Throwing dirty clothes on the floor: Put hampers in the areas where your clothes usually end up. If you tend to leave them on the bathroom floor, put the hampers in your bedroom.

• Not hanging up clean clothes: Designate time for laundry and plan for it ahead of time. Sure, no one likes folding clothes, but if you put aside time to do it, you won’t have excuses not to do it.

• Leaving out accessories: When you take off your watch at the end of the day, do you put it on your dresser or put it back in your jewellery box? If you have a hard time putting away accessories after wearing them, revise your evening schedule to make time for it. Making things a part of a routine means you’re less likely to forget to do them.

Once your wardrobe is more organised and neat, you’ll see just how freeing your bedroom will feel. By eliminating clutter, you can make room for new clothing and accessories and streamline your dressing process in the morning, making it easier to pick out an outfit and head out to work on time and looking fine.