I am the definition of anti-hoarder. If I can make anything ‘capsule’ I will and T.V programmes titled’ The Hoarder Next Door’ and ‘Extreme Couponing’ have me itching to march over there with a roll of bin bags stuffed in my pocket. There is however an exception to this rule, *cough* makeup *cough*, but when it comes to my wardrobe – the more streamlined the better. Perhaps I’ve watched too much Gok Wan or maybe it’s just my Virgo, hyper-organised instincts kicking in again but I do love a good wardrobe clear-out at the weekend. And with even my hoarder boyfriend – the ying to my yang and all that – begging me to help him sort out his bulging wardrobe that easily dwarfs mine, I thought I’d pen down my five steps to wardrobe clarity. Drowning in clothes that haven’t seen the light of day for a few years? I’ve got your back.
1. Be brutal. Should be your mantra here. Get everything out, lay it down and if it hasn’t been worn in the last year then it’s out. Exceptions can be made for birthday dresses – the ones from my 18th and 21st are hanging around somewhere so one day I can show my future children and we can laugh at how noughties that was, but that’s it. The bin bag is waiting.Â
2. Do the whole summer/winter wardrobe thang. It sounds a little cliché, but if space is a little lacking, siphoning off your out of season garb won’t go a miss. I have around 15-ish items packed in a cloth bag under my bed along with shoes that either would make my feet to warm/cold that I rotate round twice a year. What you’re seeing here is the summer wardrobe stock, if only my makeup was so narrowed down, eh?
3. Get organising. You’ve done your edit, now it’s time to rehang. Here’s how I like to do things. I order everything in clothing categories and in black to white in each – like I said, I’m a Virgo what can I say? It goes coats and jackets, long sleeve tops, short sleeve tops, playsuits, dresses, trousers, shorts and skirts. Everything’s easy to spot, which means no wild tornado of clothes strewn everywhere each morning. Well…
4. The ‘Fancy Hanger’. Now this might seem like a strange addition, but propped on the end of my ‘skirts’ section I have a fancy hanger. The rest of my hangers originate from my time in retail, but one special one from Cath Kidston is reserved for special things only; necklaces, belts, little bags – if it can hang and doesn’t have a home then the upholstered hanger takes it in. A nice addition to keep handy any miscellaneous items in your wardrobe.
5. Fix-up, look sharp. This is the hurdle that I always fall down at. A real wardrobe spruce up isn’t complete until any broken bits are fixed; whip out your pot of mismatched buttons, unstick zips, cut those loose threads. And if it needs an iron (officially the worst chore of all time), get the board out and fire it up. Time to salvage my unstitched pair of Zara shoes – it’s needle and thread time.
Five steps to a slim-lined clothing stash and a full big old bin bag to take down the charity shop. Good deed of the day, done. Now who’s up for a serving of style…Â
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