Here, three local professional organisers share their tips on how to keep your clothing in order. Warning: this may require culling! But don’t worry, lots of people could benefit from clothes you don’t really need…
Tame the tops
Georgie Rees from Clutterfly has these ideas to keep T-shirts and jumpers organised. We all know that keeping these items stacked in a neat pile on a shelf can be a nightmare, especially when there is the temptation to stack them as high as the space on the shelf allows.
Firstly, resist that temptation, no matter how much space there is on the shelf. Who hasn’t tried to pull a T-shirt from the bottom of a pile and seen the whole stack come off the shelf in a mess? Also, ‘empty space’ is a good thing. It helps you to see what you have as well as makes it easier to put things back and, of course, keep the piles of clothes manageable.
If you know that it’s not possible to keep even a small stack of tops in a neat pile, then why don’t you try hiding them! Using simple plastic baskets or baskets on the shelf will help contain the stacks as well as separate out the different piles.
Cull the clutter
Kristina Duke from Decluttering Diva believes it is important to declutter what you have before attempting to organise a space. She suggests you find all ‘like’ items, such as all tank tops, and put them together in a pile. When they are viewed together in a mass it is easier to truly survey the sheer number of like items you have and evaluate how many of those you really need.
Challenge yourself to think about how often you use something, how often you do the laundry, and how much space you really have to store your items. Often by owning more we actually make more work for ourselves. For example, you may wear a tank top every day and do your laundry once week. Allowing for life challenges that may get in the way, you really only need about 10 tank tops. Imagine how much space you could find if you decluttered?
Swap & Sell
Once you have decluttered and organised your individual clothing items, what can you do with the ones you don’t need?
Nadine Wood from Fresh Focus Design suggests selling them or having a clothes swap party. For designer pieces and accessories you are not wearing any longer that are in great condition, stores such as Ricochet (Recycled Fashion) in Turramurra and Blue Spinach in Darlinghurst will sell your clothing items on consignment. You could also sell your items on Gumtree, eBay and Buy, swap sell sites (which are becoming more popular). Make sure that your ad is clear, contains all the necessary details and is well photographed.
Why not get together a group of friends from school, church or the gym and host a clothes swap party. This can be a fun way to re-home your items and maybe score a few coveted pieces you have always admired on your friends. For an online swapping experience, check out theclothingexchange.com.au. Remember to buy only what you need and love or your wardrobe might just return to its pre-organised state!
Do you have any clothes decluttering tips? Share your secrets in the comments section below.
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