If you are intending to sort out your wardrobe, here are some tips on how to get started.
What to purge
Should your wardrobe be bursting at the seams you probably have too much stuff. But how do you decide what to keep and what to get rid of. Here are some guidelines. Get rid of it if:
- it’s damaged or soiled beyond help
- it doesn’t fit
- it’s no longer your style
Donate or recycle
Decide on a charity you would like to bless with your unwanted clothes. Pass them on to friends or family if you feel comfortable to do so. Do this only with the clothes that no longer fit or are not your style anymore. Find a rag recycling place for damaged and soiled clothing.
Storing what you’re keeping
For the purposes of reorganising your wardrobe, separate out between different items of clothing, such as skirts, trousers, shirts, jackets, etc. This will make getting dressed in the morning so much easier.
Good Clothes Maintenance
Do not store furs, suede or leather in plastic. These items need to “breathe” and should be placed in cloth coverings or cloth zippered clothing bags.
Do not use wire hangers for your clothing. Apart from being unsightly, they do no favours to the shoulder area of blouses and shirts, use plastic hangers instead. For trousers and skirts use clip hangers, as they eliminate creasing. Do not jam pack your wardrobe as this also increases wrinkles in your clothes.
Accessories
Store accessories in boxes. Use decorative boxes, such as hat boxes. Belt and tie racks are good. Just keep them simple and easily accessible.
Archive Storage
Keep your special occasion wear, such as party wear, wedding outfits, fancy dress, etc. away from your main wardrobe. Use another wardrobe if you have one or keep the items in containers on a shelf or under your bed.
Items that are out of season should also be kept away from your daily clothes storage. This gives you more space in your wardrobe and will reduce stress (less creased clothes, better overview of what you own).
How to keep it all up
Use the “one in – one out” rule. Whenever you buy a new item, get rid of an existing one. Don’t just buy something because it is on sale. Resist bargains since they are only worth getting if you would have bought the item at full price as well. Otherwise don’t bother.
Use change of seasons to purge items. Whatever you haven’t worn all season, get rid of it. Chances are more than high that you will never wear it again, so why let it use up valuable storage space.
If you have trouble deciding what to keep, ask a friend to help you decide. This should be a friend who is up to date on fashions and will not allow you to keep something that is out of style just because you paid a lot of money for it! Now go see what’s lurking in your wardrobe!
