I just love clothes.
At a work function at my home last year I held guided wardrobe tours and they were very popular.
I’m an uncontrollable bargain hunter and nothing makes me happier than a good buy in the sales – here or overseas – or even an amazing piece from the local charity shop. Plus, I’ve found some wonderful treasures on Trade oe, and eBay too. But where to put it all?
Well, it’s stored all over the house. Skirts, jackets, jeans and pants, and tops in red, pink, green and white live in our bedroom. In the home office there’s a rack with all my dresses, and in the spare room, another rack with coats. I’ve taken over a couple of shelves in my son’s cupboard for black, blue, orange, cream, silver and “miscellaneous” tops. He isn’t impressed, but I’ve pointed out that he wears school uniform, so he doesn’t need much space for his clothes!
obviously the first tip for wardrobe organisation is that less is more. The old adage that you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time is generally quite true. While it’s nice to have a few bits and bobs for special occasions, ask yourself whether they’re actually earning their little bit of space, or whether they might be better off in somebody else’s wardrobe.
When you do a major prune, there are any number of ways to redistribute your clothes. Swishing parties can be fun.
This is where a group of friends gather and pool all their unwanted clothes and shoes – enabling each other to find the perfect new outfit, without spending a cent.
Charities such as Look Good Feel Better are always looking for tidy clothing for women with limited funds who are preparing to enter or re-enter the workforce. Smart suits, elegant shoes, blouses, scarves and handbags can all make a nervous job seeker feel capable and confident.
Community thrift shops such as those run by the Red Cross and Salvation Army are always happy to get good quality clothes, but they do ask, please, that you throw away anything that can’t be sold – ie dirty, torn or shabby items – rather than expect them to do it.
And, of course, there’s Trade oe. A good photo, an honest description and a fair price should see you getting back some of what you paid for all those “must-have” pieces you’ve hardly worn!
once you’ve trimmed your wardrobe down to its essentials, here are some tips to help get it operating well:
Hang it:
Discard wire coat hangers. Invest in bundles of solid plastic ones for tops and dresses, hangers with clips or pegs for your skirts, and some solid wooden numbers for coats and heavy jackets – to ensure they won’t lose their shape.
Beware of damp:
Don’t clump items together tightly – especially in areas where damp is a problem. I was heartbroken to find a little spot of mildew on a favourite Kenzo cardi last week but luckily it cleaned up okay.
Keep it clean:
Always gently handwash delicate items such as merino and cashmere jumpers before storing, but avoid the use of mothballs at any cost, as they leave an indelible smell.
Fix it:
Make a point of running a lint remover over pilling knitwear, or sewing on a button or two while watching TV. This way you won’t keep seeing clothes that can’t be worn for some small and easily fixable reason!
Shoe finder:
Store shoes in boxes with a photo of that particular pair on the front. This saves you scrabbling in an untidy pile of mismatched footwear every morning.
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