If it’s about time you organised your clothes once and for all, see our simple guide to reorganising your garments and creating the closet of dreams
Although it’s been on your mind for a while, you’ve always found a good excuse to put it off until another day. But one day, you’ll have officially run out of excuses, and will have to face the challenge of sorting out your overflowing wardrobe.
Although it might seem daunting, it can actually be quite fun once you get started. But if you’re not sure where to start, see professional wardrobe organiser, Shelina Jokhiya from Decluttr Me (@decluttrme), top tips below.
5 steps to reorganising your wardrobe
Picture the final outcome of your wardrobe
As the saying goes, ‘start with the end in mind’. “My mantra with clients is that I want to organise it so that they can find everything in less than five seconds,” says Shelina. The key to organisation is to give every item its own place in your wardrobe, that way you know where everything is and where to put it back.
Get the right tools
If you’ve got a mismatch of hangers, now is the time to invest in some good quality ones that keep your clothes in good condition. “I love using black velvet hangers from Amazon.ae for dresses, abayas, tops and trousers. They keep the items on the hangers (instead of slipping like with plastic or wire ones), prevent creasing and take up less space,” explains Shelina.
Take it section by section
Although lots of advice says you should remove every piece of clothing you own at one time, Shelina recommends that you, “take items in small sections from your wardrobe, so one drawer, shelf or rack of clothes at a time.” This prevents the procrastination that comes from becoming overwhelmed.
For each item, ask yourself these questions
Once you have a section of clothes out, take it piece-by-piece and consider the following:
Do you like the item?
Does it fit?
Is it in good condition? If it is not, can you (and will you) take the time to repair it?
And most importantly, do you actually wear it?
“If you answer ‘no’ to any of these questions, put in the pile for donation, sell or trash.”
Categorise inside your wardrobe
Using the space you have in your wardrobe and drawers and decide on a place for each type of clothing. Will you hang your trousers or fold them in a draw? Once you have eventually gone through each item, you can put them back into their new places.
“It is easier to find everything if you organise by category,” says Shelina. “You can do it by colour within each section though. This helps to see how many types of clothing you have in one colour.” For example if you have your tops sectioned by hue, you can easily find a black top to go with your outfit.
What should you do with the clothes you no longer want or need?
“Donate them. There are a few charities collecting for refugee camps and people who cannot afford clothes. I mostly donate to Dar Al Ber and The Red Crescent.”
If you have designer goods or your clothes are particularly nice you can sell them at second hand shops such as Retold.
How do you part with clothes that you love but don’t wear?
“If you have memories with the clothes and find it hard to let go, I always ask if you have a photo of yourself in that clothing? If yes, why not get that photo and frame it or put in a digital picture frame so can see it often. It will take up less space than a clothing in your wardrobe,” advises Shelina.
If you think your closet needs professional help, you can book a free 20-minute consultation with Shelina here.
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