Irrespective of what the size of your wardrobe is, there will inevitably come a time when you have absolutely no space for any more clothes and accessories. Every time you open your closet, you are greeted with a shower of clothes that helpfully remind you that you are in dire need of some organisation. If your wardrobe looks like it’s ready to collapse, there is no time like the present to declutter and organise it. The best part? You’ll end up with more space to FINALLY buy all those beautiful things that have been on your wish-list for way too long.
A well-organised closet helps you save time and energy because you can clearly see where everything is kept. It also helps you get rid of all the clothes and accessories that you do not use anymore, which have been taking up valuable real estate in your wardrobe. It also allows you to wear all the clothes you kept in one corner of the closet and forgot about. It prevents you from wearing the same clothes over and over again. You’ll never have to open your wardrobe and complain about having nothing to wear again!
Here Is How To Maximise Your Closet Space:
1. Edit The Clothes You Already Have
The first step of the organisational process is to take out every single item of clothing you own and get rid of the ones you don’t wear. This includes the clothes that are not in synchronisation with your style and aesthetic, the clothes you don’t fit into anymore and the clothes that are too worn out to be retained. Anything you have not worn in the past 1 year absolutely has to go. Keep the serviceable clothes aside to be donated, and put the worn-out clothes on poncha duty.
2. Use Hooks On The Doors Of Your Cupboard
The doors of your cupboards are seriously underutilised. They are often overlooked as spaces which can be repurposed to hold small items. Command hooks, which come with adhesive on the back, can be stuck on the inside of doors to create a little more space. These can hold something that is relatively lightweight, such as necklaces, lanyards and belts.
3. Arrange Your Scarves/Dupattas On A Single Hanger
Scarves add a pop of colour and some extra flair to any outfit, and they deserve more respect than to be tossed into your closet with all your other clothes. Put all of your scarves on one or two easy to reach hangers with a simple knot. And you won’t have to rifle through all your clothes the next time you need to find a matching scarf or a dupatta for your outfit! An added advantage of keeping your scarves this way is that they won’t get creased and rumpled, especially fabrics like crepe and linen which tend to wrinkle easily.
4. Roll Your Clothes
The rolling or file folding technique popularised by the organising legend Marie Kondo is a great way to accommodate lots of clothes in a small space. It also allows you to see all of the clothes of the same type at one glance. Rolling your clothes also ensures fewer wrinkles alongside giving you the freedom to take out just one item from a stack of many tightly folded clothes. It is easier to pack clothes that have been rolled as they take up much less space, leaving more room for other important things.
5. Stuff Your Bags With Newspaper Before You Store Them
Before you put your beloved bags in the closet, make sure that you stuff them with newspaper so that they do not lose their shape in storage. But you have to ensure that you pack them with just the right amount of newspaper because if you use too little, this hack will not be effective and if you use too much, the original silhouette of the bag could be ruined. For a bit of extra protection from dust, you could even put them in a cloth bag.
6. Organise By Season
If you’re looking for a tank top to wear in the summer heat, you should not chance upon a sweater or woollen socks. Keep your clothes separated by season, so that when summer turns into winter and you need warm garments, you know exactly where everything is. While storing winter clothes, it is helpful to throw in a few dried red chillies (or even some dried lavender if you’re fancy like that) to protect them from moths. Try to avoid using naphthalene balls as they are not particularly eco-friendly.
7. Store Your Bras In A Separate Bag Or Box
Most bras are so expensive that it’s essentially robbery. In such a situation, it is imperative to keep them carefully in order to make them last longer. Keeping them in a separate box will help keep the cups and elastics in shape. It will also prevent the hooks from getting tangled in other clothes and possibly breaking. If your bras come with accessories like transparent, plastic straps or extenders, having a box to put all of them in will help you to keep them in one place methodically.
8. Keep All The Elements Of A Saree Together
Why make yourself suffer through the last minute panic of having to wear a saree and not knowing where your blouse or petticoat is? Keep all three elements, i.e. the saree, blouse and petticoat together to be able to wear a saree whenever you want, without having to rush to find the different garments. With this you must also not forget to keep the saree jewellery handy, an important add-on element for any type of traditional look.
9. Hang Anything That Is Delicate Or Expensive
If a few of your clothes are too fragile or dear to keep with your everyday clothes, hang them on individual hangers to prevent them from damage. Hanging expensive clothes on hangers also helps them to retain their shape and silhouette.
10. Store The Clothes You Wear The Most Often In An Easily Accessible Place
Those PJs that you practically live in should not be stored alongside the kurta that you’d worn once to a wedding and then never worn again. (If you’re wondering whether you should keep this kurta, please refer to point 1!) The clothes that you wear on a regular basis should be stored in a place that doesn’t require any effort to access, preferably at eye level.
11. Store Your Earrings In Pairs
Use thick paper or cardboard to pin your earrings onto them and don’t waste your time digging through your jewellery box for your favourite jhumkas. An extra advantage of this is that the earring backs don’t disappear into the void of misplaced jewellery like they usually do. The earrings and backs are kept together.
12. Repair Before You Reject
Before you decide to discard any piece of clothing because of a rip or damage, try to see if it can be repurposed into something new. If the sleeve of your former favourite top has an ink stain on it, try cutting off and hemming the sleeves before binning it. Turn jeans into cut-off shorts and long dupattas into infinity scarves. Put a colourful patch over a hole in a t-shirt. If you love something, definitely don’t let it go!
An organised wardrobe brings you happiness, and peace of mind. It is also the way to a more put together and stylish version of you. Happy organising!
