There's nothing better than a beautifully organised, freshly decluttered wardrobe where we can actually see all of our clothes. Organising a wardrobe really does bring a renewed sense of excitement about putting outfits together in the morning, and it can even inspire us to shop our wardrobes to recreate looks we have seen on Pinterest.
Plus, we usually end up digging out some forgotten gems that have long been buried at the back. This element of home organising has endless benefits, it's just that maintaining a good level of tidiness is where we usually run into problems. Why? Because we are busy and we often have too much stuff, and the prospect of sorting it all out feels overwhelming.
We are a culture of consumers and have far more clothes than we need – especially when we think about how little we take with us when travelling. If you would like to cut down the amount of clothes cluttering up your closet, you can look at how to build a capsule wardrobe.
Wardrobe organising techniques
Below, I'm sharing five things that help me to keep my small wardrobe organised (that's not to say it doesn't sometimes slide into chaos after a particularly long "What do I wear?" session).
1. The "tidy toss" method
Whether we are picking out an outfit or returning freshly washed laundry to our closets, we don't tend to have all day. Give yourself some grace with the "tidy toss" method, which I have been using for years. You can watch Holly Blakely from Breathing Room Home's Instagram reel about it for more detail, but it essentially involves having some pretty, opaque storage baskets for shoving items away.
Depending on what falls out of your wardrobe most frequently, you might choose to have a separate basket for shoes, belts, bags, swimwear, and workout gear. No folding, no attention to aesthetics, just a really quick and corner-cutting way to give your wardrobe a functional system that looks neat even though it's not.
Measure your shelves carefully and invest in some high-quality baskets that will stand the test of time. Opt for square shapes rather than tapered or round designs as these can waste space. You could label them, which might be useful if you're sharing a wardrobe, but the key is that you know what goes where.
RRP | £7.99
These rectangular storage baskets add warm, natural texture and have handles, making them easy to reach and move around. They have a less stiff structure than other baskets so use slightly less space – we think they look handy for storing shoes and spare bedding.
RRP | £33.99
These versatile baskets are handmade from natural water hyacinth, and have a wire frame and handle, making them durtable and easy to carry. They nest neatly inside each other, saving space when not in use.
RRP | £9.99
Storage that's practical and pretty is the best kind of storage, and we're big fans of these storage cubes from H&M Home, with their delicate floral pattern and handles. After all, if our wardrobes look good, we are always more motivated to keep them organised.
2. Velvet hangers
Now, no judgment, but I'm willing to bet you currently have a mix of hangers from the shop, a few nice wooden ones reserved for your very favourite garments, and some that have been hanging around at the back of the closet longer than Gen Z have been alive.
While there's nothing wrong with that, after Marie Kondo-ing my hangers a couple of years ago and going for all-matching, high-quality hangers, I've found it makes a big difference to how organised my wardrobe looks and feels.
When interiors therapist and Feng Shui consultant Suzanne Roynon came to my flat for an afternoon of interiors therapy and decluttering, she pointed me in the direction of the hangers below, telling me they were an essential because they wouldn't damage or stretch my clothes. Save additional space with hanger connector hooks, available at Amazon, that allow you to layer multiple items together, using more of your vertical hanging space.
3. Seasonal switch ups
Storing out-of-season clothes out of the way is one of the simplest and easiest wardrobe organising techniques, and probably the one with the biggest reward. If you have a divan bed with under-bed storage or some harder-to-reach shelves, pack away items you aren't going to use til next season – you can save space by using a vacuum storage bag, available at Amazon. Otherwise, seasonal clothes can be stored in the attic in sealed containers.
It always seems like a waste of space to have out-of-season clothes and shoes in my main wardrobe, so I always pack away summer items when the temperature drops, digging out my best winter coats and cashmere sweaters that I've stowed away over the warmer months, and vice versa in winter. This gives you more useable space for everyday items and makes selecting outfits easier because your clothes have room to breathe and you can see everything more clearly.
4. Ikea SKUBB drawer dividers
You may have seen these Ikea SKUBB organisers on Stacey Solomon's Sort Your Life Out recently, and that's because they're incredibly useful for creating order in your wardrobe. They're handy and flexible – you can move them around easily to fit your chest of drawers or shelving and they collapse down when not in use. Personally, I use them to store T-shirts, jumpers, underwear, and socks. You can pick up a set of six SKUBB organisers at Amazon.
I also use some larger, square-shaped organisers resting on their side on shelving, similar to these collapsible canvas cubes at Amazon. I keep all of my running clothes in one so I can quickly grab what I need, because there's nothing worse than getting up early to work out and then not being able to find a sports bra or running shorts.
5. Ruthless decluttering
Decluttering clothes is never easy, but experts say that holding onto clutter is one of the key bedroom storage mistakes their clients make. Every few months, I take a look at my wardrobe and have a clear-out, taking items to the charity shop as quickly as possible to prevent things making their way back into my wardrobe. We recently wrote about the 90/90 decluttering rule, which is a useful framework to help you keep up the momentum when deciding what to keep and what to donate or sell.
If you've done some decluttering and your wardrobe is still overflowing with clothes, you can head to our guide on how to organise a small closet with lots of clothes.
How do you sort through too many clothes?
"The change in season is the perfect time to look at your clothes more objectively," says Sharps' declutter expert Georgina Burnett. "If there’s anything you didn’t wear last year, it’s time to pass it on. If you don’t trust yourself, find a brutally honest friend to give you their opinion!"
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