Essential Wardrobe Organisation Principles
Don’t let your wardrobe ruin your life. Use these essential organisation principles instead
Whether you want to get dressed quickly or be put together for any occasion, these essential principles will help you overcome your wardrobe organisation woes.
2. Keep like with like
Arranging your clothes by category will help you easily locate the piece of clothing you want to wear. Here are a few options for you to consider:
By occasion
For example, if you have a set of outfits dedicated to work, you may want to separate them from the rest of your clothes. Likewise for evenings out or lounge wear.
By type/colour
If you have a versatile wardrobe with items you wear both for work and other occasions, you may want to group your clothes by type i.e. pants, shirts, blouses, dresses, shorts, etc. And within each type, by colour i.e. black skirts, grey skirts, etc.
Arranging your clothes by category will help you easily locate the piece of clothing you want to wear. Here are a few options for you to consider:
By occasion
For example, if you have a set of outfits dedicated to work, you may want to separate them from the rest of your clothes. Likewise for evenings out or lounge wear.
By type/colour
If you have a versatile wardrobe with items you wear both for work and other occasions, you may want to group your clothes by type i.e. pants, shirts, blouses, dresses, shorts, etc. And within each type, by colour i.e. black skirts, grey skirts, etc.
By shape/ size
Long items can be put on one side of your wardrobe and short items on the other side.
By sets/outfits
If you struggle to put an outfit together, you may prefer hanging all items of clothing for an outfit together so you can save time getting ready.
By work week
You may opt for a mixed solution with categories and pre-combined outfits for the week ahead or for the next day.
How to strip down to the essentials
Long items can be put on one side of your wardrobe and short items on the other side.
By sets/outfits
If you struggle to put an outfit together, you may prefer hanging all items of clothing for an outfit together so you can save time getting ready.
By work week
You may opt for a mixed solution with categories and pre-combined outfits for the week ahead or for the next day.
How to strip down to the essentials
3. Reserve prime location for most frequently worn clothes
Make sure that the clothes that you most frequently wear are easily accessible without the need to use a stool or step ladder. If you use the higher shelves of your wardrobe to store frequently used clothes, soon enough you’ll be shoving them back there instead of keeping them neatly folded.
And what you can’t see, you don’t use, so you forget about it and end up buying a similar piece. So reserve hanging space and shelves below eye level to the clothes you most frequently wear.
Make sure that the clothes that you most frequently wear are easily accessible without the need to use a stool or step ladder. If you use the higher shelves of your wardrobe to store frequently used clothes, soon enough you’ll be shoving them back there instead of keeping them neatly folded.
And what you can’t see, you don’t use, so you forget about it and end up buying a similar piece. So reserve hanging space and shelves below eye level to the clothes you most frequently wear.
On the other hand, occasional wear such as winter clothes and ski gear can be stored on those higher shelves or under your bed in clear storage boxes.
Occasional wear that can’t be folded such as coats or evening gowns can be relocated to the guest room closet to free up space in your main wardrobe.
Occasional wear that can’t be folded such as coats or evening gowns can be relocated to the guest room closet to free up space in your main wardrobe.
4. To hang or to fold?
Deciding what to hang or fold depends on your wardrobe configuration, how much you own in each category but also your preferences. Typically you will hang:
Deciding what to hang or fold depends on your wardrobe configuration, how much you own in each category but also your preferences. Typically you will hang:
- Shirts, blouses and dresses of slippery fabrics on padded or felted hangers
- Skirts on hangers with movable clips
- Pants over wooden hangers or by the cuff on clamping hangers (depending on the height of your wardrobe)
- Jackets and coats on curved suit hangers
Typically you’ll fold and keep on shelves:
- Casual pants although they can be hung if you don’t have hanging space constraints
- Shorts
- T-shirts
- Sweaters and knitwear
And keep in drawers:
- Underwear
- Socks
- Swimsuits
- Exercise gear
- Scarves, ties and belts, although they can also be hung on specialised hangers
5. Hang in there
Select thick plastic or wooden hangers over wire hangers that can get easily entangled and don’t provide a good support for clothes.
Choosing hangers uniform in size and colour will make your closet look nice and orderly.
Try to leave some breathing space between the clothes you hang so that they won’t easily crease.
Select thick plastic or wooden hangers over wire hangers that can get easily entangled and don’t provide a good support for clothes.
Choosing hangers uniform in size and colour will make your closet look nice and orderly.
Try to leave some breathing space between the clothes you hang so that they won’t easily crease.
If hanging space is limited, consider fitting an extra rod vertically to create additional hanging space if you don’t have long dresses to hang.
Alternatively use cascading/multilayer hangers that hang your clothes vertically but bear in mind it may not be as easy to retrieve a piece of clothing as it is with a traditional hanger.
Alternatively use cascading/multilayer hangers that hang your clothes vertically but bear in mind it may not be as easy to retrieve a piece of clothing as it is with a traditional hanger.
6. Pile or file?
When it comes to folding, consider ‘filing’ instead of ‘piling’. Although I personally find beauty in a pile of clothes, nicely organised by colour, filing definitely makes it easy to find what you want at one glance and maintain the space tidy.
Use this principle for fabrics that don’t easily crease (exercise gear) or when you’re not too concerned about looking impeccable (sleepwear).
When it comes to folding, consider ‘filing’ instead of ‘piling’. Although I personally find beauty in a pile of clothes, nicely organised by colour, filing definitely makes it easy to find what you want at one glance and maintain the space tidy.
Use this principle for fabrics that don’t easily crease (exercise gear) or when you’re not too concerned about looking impeccable (sleepwear).
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Which challenges do you face when it comes to organising your wardrobe? Add a comment below.
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Which challenges do you face when it comes to organising your wardrobe? Add a comment below.
MORE
Read more wardrobe sories
Did you know that we wear 20 per cent of our clothes 80 per cent of the time? The rest just hangs up there, taking up valuable space and our energy. So if you want to simplify your life, have less to organise!
There’s no benchmark on how much you should keep, but if you don’t use it, if you don’t need it, if you don’t love it, and if it doesn’t fit into your closets, then you should seriously consider whether to keep it.
Use these 8 simple questions to help you confidently decide what to keep and what to let go of.