Ladies & Gents – do you have a wardrobe full of clothes but still find yourself saying, “I have nothing to wear” or “I’m sick of my wardrobe”. And fellas – take a look in your wardrobe – are there clothes you don’t fit, don’t like, or can’t wear because they are stained or torn? If so, it’s time you de-clutter, re-organise and maximise your wardrobe.
DE-CLUTTER
We suggest allocating at least 1-2 hours – perhaps your day off in the evening, or sometime on the weekend. Get some boxes or recycled plastic bags ready (you might need 5-10, depending on how much junk you have).
Take everything out of your wardrobe and empty it on a pile (on the floor or on your bed).
This is when the dilemma begins. Briefly go through each item piece by piece (don’t dwell on each piece too long) and sort your clothes into 4 piles. Your choices: keep, throw-out, charity, or maybe.
The keep pile is simply devoted for all the stuff you really love and use regularly. Ask yourself: when is the last time I wore this? Does this item make me feel good and confident? Is it in a good condition? If you answered ‘yes’ to those tests, it means you keep it.
The throw-out pile is for those items that are discolored, stained and/or can’t be repaired. It’s items you shouldn’t send to charity or sell.
The charity pile is for those items that you don’t fit, don’t like and just maybe aren’t right for you anymore. Make sure your clothes are in good conditions when you consider donating it.
Finally, the maybe pile. This pile is for only items you really, really have a hard time deciding — you’ll put these in a box and store them for approximately 6 months, getting rid of them after that time if you never needed them. Put it in a box/bag of 2 (no more!).
RE-ORGANISE
Before you start re-organising your wardrobe – remember to deal with the other piles. Trash the throw-out pile and think about which charity you plan to gift your clothes to. Label your maybe pile with the date you clean your wardrobe. Store it somewhere out of sight. And if you don’t take anything out of that pile in 6 months, then donate it to charity, give it to your family/friends or sell it online or garage sale.
Time to finally edit your wardrobe! You might need to invest in new hangers if your old ones are too thick or you simply want some new ones. When re-organising, place the items that you most wear on a day-to-day basis front and centre. These are the high-use items (e.g. uniform, work outfits) that you just want to be able to see and grab at a moment’s notice.
Separate and pile all your clothes into groups (i.e. pants, shirts, dresses, sleepwear) and colour code each section of your wardrobe to suit your organisation. For example, group all your tees and tops together but you’ll find all the white ones and black ones hanging side by side. This not only shows that you do not need to buy any more from the black and white tee and top department but it means you can grab a good basic quickly and easily in the morning rush.
As you’re putting things back in your wardrobe, start making a list of any things you might need to maximise your wardrobe. If there are any gaps, these will become evident once you’ve done your edit. Most gaps will be wardrobe basics – jeans, shorts, pants, dresses, and shoes in neutral colours that form the building blocks of a wardrobe that works.
MAXIMISE
Now that everything is done, you should go shopping with your list of gaps! To maximise your wardrobe and shop successfully, we suggest you shop with a list (ask yourself: what do I need? what am I REALLY missing from my wardrobe?), set a budget (have an idea of how much you want to spend and stick to it!) and most importantly, shop with someone (try to avoid big groups)! We suggest, perhaps – your partner, friend/s, family member/s or even a personal shopper!
Especially if maximising your wardrobe or shopping successfully is challenging, a struggle or not your thing, we suggest you book your very own personal stylist on our website. From ladies to men, our attentive and professional personal stylists and personal shopping experience will help you express your individual style and personality. Our stylists could provide advice on how to discover and dress your body shape or even what colours flatter your skin tone. With their clear understanding of your personal and unique needs, they can help you shop successfully and maximise your wardrobe, and furthermore saving your time and money too!
By Richard Ly
