Who doesn’t intimately know the sheer frustration of an overwhelming wardrobe?
Overwhelming not because of a large number of things in it but because of the scale of chaos one witnesses each time they open their wardrobe. Despite our best intentions, the non-neat freaks among us never get around to having a wardrobe that looks systematic more often than not, supports our lifestyle, saves our time, and present us with the right options (when we need them the most) regarding what to wear.
If you find yourself wondering, “What on earth do I wear today?” despite regular and smart shopping, wardrobe chaos could be contributing to your confusion. What good is that lovely pink scarf if it’s only going to lie at the back of your closet, buried underneath a mass of t-shirts, shorts, and sweaters?
Since we understand your pain and are sympathetic to it, we are bringing to you five ways of organizing your wardrobe that are guaranteed to end your confusion and make your wardrobe not just better looking but also be supportive of your lifestyle.
Here are our recommended ways of sorting your wardrobe items.
By occasion
This would seem like the best starting point – sort your clothes depending on your current lifestyle.
If work and work-related events form the major part of your typical week, devote a few sections of your wardrobe to professional clothing. All the work tops, shirts, skirts, pants, and blazers go together. Keep the work-appropriate accessories and shoes separate, too (though that is not the only way to store them, but it certainly is a good way to store them).
Similarly, weekend clothes go in another section, and party tops, dresses, and pants, in yet another.
That way you won’t waste time going through irrelevant pieces of clothing when trying to find the right pieces to wear to work on a harried Monday morning.
By color
This is strictly for those who think in terms of color-coordination. Each one of us knows somebody who is very particular about which color they wear on which occasion. There are others who are absolutely in love with certain colors and combinations and can’t have enough of them. It makes perfect sense for them to organize their wardrobe on the basis of colors.
By season
This would sound like an obvious thing to do but you would be surprised how many people do not arrange their clothes in terms of the season, accounting for all its eccentricities and variations. The woollens and coats naturally come to fore in the winters, but underneath all that people persist with year-round clothing which only adds to wardrobe confusion.
You know you can get away with a lot of fabrics in winters as long as you pad yourself up with heavy outerwear, but not quite so for summers. Silk, satin, leather, these are simply not summer fabrics. So relegate them to the background and bring to fore season-appropriate clothes so that you have more to choose from when you are in a hurry to step out of the house all dolled up.
By hangers
That humble hanger could be your best ally in keeping things in their right place, which is the basis of all order. Sorting by hangers basically means sorting by the fabric. Choosing the right hanger for the right garment not only makes storing easy but also helps in preserving the quality of your clothes. A beautiful variety of hangers inside your wardrobe would also considerably enhance its aesthetic appeal.
We recommend the following:
- Choose broad wooden hangers, since they are the sturdiest of all, for your heavier clothes such as blazers, chunky woollens, winter coats, bathrobes, etc.
- If you go for wired or plain plastic hangers, the ends of the hangers may gradually poke into the fabric of the clothes, either stretching the fabric, or in case of lace just going right through it. So save these hangers for non-fussy fabrics like cotton and polyester.
- Plain cotton shirts and dresses can make do with most type of hangers due to the nature of the style as well as the material. So for formal clothing, stick with plastic and wooden hangers.
- For special dresses, tops, pants, and other glamorous pieces of clothing, you can opt for glam hangers, hangers inspired by French sophistication and chic. These beaded creations are available in a wide range of colors and can instantly pep up your closet.
- Some of the glam pant and skirt hangers are similar to what you see in high-end retail stores. They come with gentle, snag-free, plastic clips that are very convenient and perfect for hanging shorts, pants and skirts.
- For delicate fabrics such as lace, satin, silk, chiffon, etc., prefer hangers wrapped in velvet or satin. Satin hangers are truly a sight to behold. They look luxurious and gentle, without actually being delicate, which is a great plus. You can also use them to hang your lingerie and night wear, in addition to other delicate fabrics.
Using the right type of hanger for the right type of clothing will significantly reduce confusion, stress, and chaos in your wardrobe. It will bring an inherent order to it, since you will instinctively go for the designated hanger type when you want to hang your chunky woolen cardigan, or for that matter your spaghetti-strapped dress.
Create a plan for the shoes & accessories
Sorting your clothes correctly is a great first step toward a beautiful looking wardrobe, but you won’t get that organized and neat look unless you also create a plan for each and every accessory and pair of shoes in your closet.
Shoes don’t pose much of a challenge – you need to just keep them clean, polished, and in the right place, usually at the bottom of the wardrobe. Storing jewelry, on the other hand, is a frustrating undertaking.
We all know what it feels like to scramble for the right earrings and necklace when getting ready for work in the morning or even for a night out with friends. We have a very clear idea about how we are going to accessorize our outfit but when the moment arrives, we just can’t find the right pairs. Our prized collection of jewelry resembles a jumble of intermingled clasps and chains that we would rather not deal with.
Put an end to this by investing in smart and resourceful hanging closet organizers, case in point this little black dress.
In addition to the jewelry, such an organizer will also hold your scarves, watches, sun glasses, and other accessories. It has enough hoops and pockets to store a large number of items. Look up similar organizers and you will have a neat and ordered way to store little items that are tricky to keep a track of.
