Some (most) dream of Carrie Bradshaw’s or the Kardashians dressing room, others of a minimalist dressing room… Some have a wardrobe, others a closet, others a dressing room.
Whatever your state is, organizing your wardrobe is essential to gain visibility and be select easily your outfits!
Here are some tips and ideas for storing, tidying and organizing your clothes and accessories.
Wardrobe, closet, dressing room … the main thing is to have a closet part and a shelf part.
Ideally, all your clothes should be visible.
If some clothes are hidden under or behind piles, I guarantee you that you will not wear them.
That’s why it’s important to sort your clothes out on a regular basis.
I already mention it but I make a point of honor to rotate my wardrobe according to the seasons.
Some clothes have a “permanent” place : denim shirts, silk blouses, white shirts, jeans…
Others, very seasonal orientated : “wintery” (big knit sweaters) or “summery” (tank tops) are kept in a big plastic box (Ikea).
Organizing your wardrobe : hangers
Some people store their clothes according the Marie Kondo way, i.e. rolled up and put in a drawer.
Personally, this method does not suit me.
I need to have the clothes in front of me, to be able to touch and see them… ALL of them.
My Nobel prize would go to HANGERS (except for sweaters) and my taste is wooden hangers, (you find batches of 10 at Ikea).
They are not the most beautiful but and, as opposed to the “fashion” hangers that will be gone when it s out of trend, they will remain available anytime you need more, especially when my recommandation is to avoid more than one garment per hanger.
Having only one type of hanger provides a nice visual consistency.
With the wooden hangers, clothes are well maintained, they don’t slip (as would be the case with metal or plastic hangers that leave marks and end up distorting the clothes).
The hook is movable and again following the visual concept, all the hooks are pointed in the same direction.
Some hangers have notches, which are very useful to hold the thin straps of camisoles.
Sorting clothes by color
The clothes are sorted and hung by categories and colors.
There is another school of Principe, which consists in arranging them by function : casual clothes, office oriented clothes, clothes for the evening out …
Personally, this method does not suit me (and I do not recommend it to you either) because it’s too restrictive and as much as you know me now, my passion is to mix and match styles, this is all it is about.
So let’s go back to categories and colors principles:
The benefits are that you can choose a piece and build easily the rest of your outfit around. To be honest that is those days I’m very motivated and inspired, the rest of the time when I’m in slow motion and a bit lazy I just click on “Stylebook” app and I’ll go for something that has already been fashion approved.
Storage of clothes by color
Storage of clothes by color
The skirts
The skirts are hung and grouped together on skirt hangers.
For leather skirts, adding a protection is really required so that the leather does not crush and mark: small pieces of leather or foam protections will do the job.
If your leather skirt is heavy, don’t hang it simply keep it flat, would be a shame if it mays deformed.
Protection for leather skirts
The dresses
Hung on usual and common hangers, grouped together but sorted by color.
The Shirts, Blouses and Tops
Same as for the dresses but I button up what’s having button to keep their original shape and avoid a second ironing … it’s boring enough.
The Pants
Those are on pants racks unless you re facing a lack oof space then I’ll give that, pile your jeans.
But really try to find the space to hang your cigarette pants, chino pants, masculine pants, carrot pants to avoid creating false pleats and again spend your time being an iron lady.
Pants holder
The Sweaters/ Jumpers/Cardigans
They are folded and piled on a shelf, so they don’t stretch out.
Avoid placing one pile in front of another, this is the best way to never wear the sweaters from the back pile.
Also avoid high piles, try not to exceed 5 to 6 cashmere sweaters maximum (yes, everyone has 5 or 6 cashmere sweaters, right?) or 3 to 4 large knits maximum.
T-shirts are also folded and piled but this is purely to save some space.
The undies
My briefs, panties, shorts are folded and stored in a drawer but you can also store them in boxes if you have shelves.
Regarding the Bras, no folding : putting one cup inside the other even though this helps for space, it tends to deform the cups, I keep them flat, in horizontal rows in a drawer.
But you can also hang them on the hook of a hanger.
Tights
Have a dedicated drawer.
I store the tights by pattern in transparent freezer bags that I label.
This allows me to quickly identify the tights I need and to easily replace them when necessary (thanks to the references I note on the bag or sometimes I just stick the label on the package).
Storage of tights
Organizing your wardrobe : the accessories
The belts
The belts are hung on a belt hanger.
Originally, I had model like this:
But it was not very practical because like then whole topic is about, when you start to move and remove garment, you end up by wearing always the one in front or at the end, because you just don’t want and need to be bothered !
The sentence of the day, yesterday and tomorrow
Accessibility is really the key word for a good rotation of your wardrobe. What is not visible and not easily accessible will not be worn.
The model I now have is way more practical:
Belt storage
Although, you can also store your belts in a compartment drawer.
Scarves & shawls and foulards
Scarves are folded and stored vertically in a drawer (Marie Kondo style).
The scarves are tied by 4 on a common hanger.
The shoes
Shoesing
At home, my shoes are separately stored from the clothes.
Shoes (and for everyone will agree on that) need to air out.
If you have no other choice, store them at the bottom of your closet.
Be sure to clean and cream them before you store them, if possible.
I pad them with silky paper so they keep their shapes and don’t end up sagging where you have your comfort pleat.
I do use shoetree for booties and boots.
Take great care of your shoes to make them last as long as possible (on average I keep mine 10 years, that s to give you an idea on how its easy when you care).
Storage and organization of your wardrobe : features
The lighting of the dressing room or closet is obviously very important.
If you need a flashlight in the morning to see what’s in your closet, chances are you’ll always wear the same outfit to the office.
If you don’t have the option of installing a light nearby, you should know that there are now small, battery-powered LED lights that will do the job with Brio!
They can be stuck in the cabinet with double-sided tape. They will change your life, trust me!
“Mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?” Far from me to do the remake of Snow White but you don t want to go dressed up like one of the Seven Dwarfs either so make sure you have a standing mirror nearby …
A small stool can be useful too but not to as a new storage place.
Care and tidiness is the pledge to a long life, that worth also for garments!
Let’s chat a bit!
If you are like me, organized and tidy, you surely have a couple of minutes to explain how you sort your clothes and shoes out? This would really interesting me especially thinking that sharing tricks and ideas will bring even more efficiency to my way.
Have a Wonderfull day!
Free hugs 🙂
*These are images for which the sources could not be identified on Pinterest.
Header picture credit:
Stylée.fr