You wake up in the morning, do your usual routine and as you go to walk out the door you realise you are no longer reaching for your jacket – the season has changed. And with the introduction of a new season comes a sensation to rework your wardrobe. This is referred to as “The Cull”.
We have all been there. We decided during the week that this weekend was the one, I am going to get rid of everything I don’t wear anymore and make room for new season items. When the time comes, our inner dialogue may sound a little like this..
“That was expensive, I should keep that”
“Aww surely I will fit into that again”
“Shoulder pads will come back into style one day”
Just like that, we have gone from a cull, to a pile of clothes that make their way back in to the wardrobe, and you have achieved zero organisation.
Our team got together and picked our top tips to organise your wardrobe for a new season.
1. Let it go, let it go
No, do not walk over to the tv and put Frozen on. It is time to add some discipline into your life and decide what are you really going to wear again, what could I sell to recoup some money (to buy new clothes) and what can be donated.
Grab your phone, swipe to Spotify, and put your ultimate play list on. The volume must be up for this one – get your endorphins flowing, and just start!
Organise your 3 piles, and be ruthless. If you haven’t worn it in the last 2 years, you wont. If it still has the tags on, move it on.
If you want to do some good, and your clothes are in good condition, consider these charities:
- Vinnes (St Vincent de Paul Society)
- Ready Set
- Red Cross
2. Get the right equipment
Now that you can see into your wardrobe, it is time to assess how you are hanging and storing your items. Good quality hangers make a huge difference in the lifespan of your items. If you can afford it, wood hangers are the Mercedes-Benz of hangers, however if you can afford these, look for hangers with rounded edges so they don’t stretch or pull on the fabric.
For special garments, we recommend you invest in garment bags. This will protect your items as well as keeping everything neatly stacked.
In addition to keeping your clothing organised, grouping your accessories into clear tubs or boxes will keep like for like items together, and once again, easier for when you are putting together your outfit.
3. Same Same but Different
By this stage you have done the cull, grabbed new hangers and everything is ready to go back in. There are a few different options here, and everyone has their own opinion of the right way to go.
I generally hang my long items (dresses, maxi skirts etc) on the outer edge, leaving short hanging items in the middle, allowing me to see the shoes I have at the bottom of my wardrobe.
My friend Mel sorts her clothes by type from top to bottom (Jackets, tops, dresses, skirts, pants etc) and then bunches by colour.
Whatever works best for you, go for it, however do pick a method, otherwise we will end up back at Step 1 before you know it!
4. Maintenance
We made it! We culled, we gave clothes away, we organised our clothes and hung them beautifully in the wardrobe, took a photo and posted it on our story to prove we can be organised. And it is your annoying sibling or that person that you're friends with but are always competing with comments “I wonder how long this will last?! Lol”.
No lol! You have done the hard work and now you just need to stay on top of it.