Looking for something to do on the Easter long weekend? Then why not take this time to clean out your wardrobe just in time for Autumn!
A good wardrobe audit and clean-out is usually the first place I start with my personal styling clients. It gives me a great idea about what they already have, what they like, but also what we then need to fill in the gaps.
I have also included a section on how to clean out your wardrobe in my Group Styling Workshops AND my Kick-Start Your Style e-book. It’s SUCH a big part of getting your life and style all sorted!
This blog post will give you some of the basics on how to do your very own wardrobe audit and clean-out, it’s really not as scary as it looks!
Remember, you don’t need a BIG wardrobe to have a USEFUL and VERSATILE wardrobe!
So here are some of the simple steps to getting your wardrobe back on track (this may require wine…. I’m down with that!)
1. Clean out
Take everything, and I mean EVERYTHING out of your wardrobe! All those random bags and things at the bottom? They come out too!
Now give your wardrobe itself a good clean, vacuum the floor, wipe any shelves – and now its time to SORT.
Get rid of everything that is;
- too big or too small
- ruined (faded, ripped, pilled)
- you haven’t worn in over 2 years
- outdated or doesn’t match your lifestyle anymore
2. Pay if forward
Once you’ve worked out what you don’t need, then why not out it to good use somewhere else. You can;
- donate it to a charity like Dress For Success
- hold a clothes swap with friends and family
- sell it online on trademe, ebay or Recycle Style, or take it to a consignment store like Recycle Boutique – let them do the hard work for you!
3. Re-organize
Now it’s time to put everything you are keeping back INTO the wardrobe. So where does everything go?
- Put all your “like” pieces together (ie. all your short-sleeve tops, then all your long-sleeve tops, then all your skirts, then all your dresses – get the gist?)
- put the things you wear the most in the easiest place to access (ie as soon as you open your wardrobe doors you don’t need to see your winter coats in the middle of summer)
- Get storage boxes for shoes, jewellery, scarves, bags, underwear. Make
4. Now how to keep it this way!
You’ve taken the time, got your wardrobe looking amazing and functional, now here’s how you keep it that way;
- don’t store empty hangers IN your wardrobe (put them in a box above or below, or under your bed – just not on the rail!)
- put things back where you found them (how much easier is it to keep on top of your wardrobe when you don’t have to put a gazillion things away at the end of the week!)
- give it a good clean-out every 6 months. Now that you’ve got it in shape, you want to keep it that way!
It really is as simple as that, and you’ll feel so much better and more organized once it’s done!
Now you want to go ALL OUT this long weekend, make sure you DOWNLOAD the e-book and totally get your style sorted in 10 simple steps (it even has a wardrobe clean-out checklist for you to use when getting down and dirty in your closet).
Good luck! Let me know how you go! I’d love to see a before-and-after so send them via email or post them in the comments below, or over on my Facebook page – I’d love to see!
Until Next Time, In Style & Love Always,
Still not sure how to get your wardrobe sorted? Then make sure you book me for a 1-on-1 personal styling package here in Auckland – a wardrobe cleanup and audit comes with every package! We can get you looking and feeling great in no time. More info here.
Fantastic tips! I’ve needed to do this since I became a mama as I very quickly found my new life meant a bit of a wardrobe change. Thank you!
oh yay! Glad you love it 🙂
Simple but effective ideas. Thanks very much.
My pleasure Liz! glad I could help 🙂
Perfect timing for me, that was on my list to do this weekend! I start a new job in a couple of weeks and have been picking up a couple of things to go with my new corporate dress code. Now I just need to sort out what I still need!
oh great! Glad I could give you some extra tips to help out! Good luck with the new job x