Seasonal Makeover: Giving Your Wardrobe a Fresh Facelift

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I am a neat freak; I won’t deny it.  I can’t work or think clearly in cluttered spaces.  I am also fanatic about designing systems.  I love designing a system, implementing it, and seeing if and how it works, and modifying and upgrading it.  I can do this with any organization or management system from company to home to my wardrobe.  I guess you can call it my hobby.

For my wardrobe, I am forever striving to find the best way to organize my clothes and accessories.  I think I have been doing this since my early teens.  I like everything hung (or as many as the space permits), sorted by model, color, length, etc.  For example, I always start with short tops hung on one end, light colors first and progressing to dark colors, and finishing with longer tops.  Then I do the same with skirts, then trousers, dresses, jackets, coats, etc.

Every season, I change my wardrobe as if it were a ritual in celebration of a new beginning.  I pack away all the heavy winter clothes (who wants to see them anymore when the sun is shining outside at 20C!?) ,and replace them with lighter ones.  I put away my boots neatly in boxes and bring out those sweet ballerina flats I love.  Oh sweet joy.

So in this post, I thought I would share some of my top MUSTS for organizing a wardrobe:

• Separate everything by model or type.
• Hang as many items as possible so that everything is visible.  However, do not over-crowd the wardrobe, because otherwise you won’t be able to see anything in there.
• Use hooks for accessories like belts and necklaces.  Display them loosely so you can see your collection and not spend half an hour untying a tangled mess every time you want to wear that necklace for an evening out.
• Sort socks, tights, leggings, and pantyhose by type or thickness, so when you are rushing out the door you can grab that exact pair of black leggings and not mistaken them for that other pair of tights.
• Store your bags where you store, and most likely, put on your shoes, since these two are usually the final touches to an outfit, and you do not want to rush back to the bedroom for a bag swap just when you are heading out the door.

Before you think I’m completely mad, I will just add my final golden rule of thumb: Be a good editor!  Truly, select those that you adore, and put away those that you don’t.  No one has unlimited shelf space no matter how big the wardrobe is.  My mother always says that if there’s something you haven’t worn for over 2 years, chances that you will wear them again are really rather slim.  The moral to this? Put away EVERYTHING you don’t need.  And be strict about it.  Stop that thought that begins with, “Oh, but one day I might…”.  No, trust me, that day will not come.  You will buy and fall in love with something else.  That is fashion.

If you have any tips about organizing your wardrobe that you’d like to share, please leave a comment!

(Photo from http://www.shelterness.com/20-wardrobe-organization-ideas/ )