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30 DAYS OF ORGANISED STYLE - DAY 24: STORAGE

TIME:

A day (includes shopping for needs)

YOU’LL NEED:

Your shopping list

Scissors

Your REFUSE bag

ACTION:

You’ve got (or are getting) your wardrobe into a happy place and now you want to take the final step to make it sing and seem less overwhelming when you step into it. Unless you have a very structured and purpose-built walk-in wardrobe, you need to get a bit smart about how your space is utilised.

Stand back and look for any available nooks and crannies that are not being utilised to their fullest potential.

I want you to adopt the mindset of this being your own little boutique.

Hangers

Look at the hangers; immediately remove any that have made it home from the dry-cleaner (you know the ones I mean… those wiry, wimpy ones that can rust and ruin your clothes in time). Put them into the REFUSE bag.

As you’re going through your garments, check for any non-essential hanging ribbons still attached to garments and snip them off with your scissors.

Work out how many hangers you need from top to bottom in your wardrobe. Do the breakdown of regular hangers v trouser hangers, as you go. All garments must have their own hanger (no doubling or tripling up, especially when it comes to pants…that’s just annoying when you have to cut a single pair loose). This way everything goes back into its place when you’re not wearing it.


Plan now to go shopping for a full complement of matching hangers, adding to your shopping list the quantities you need and allowing for a few spares and for garments you are yet to purchase.


My personal favourites are the $2.00, 12 packs of black hangers from Kmart. They’re inexpensive and they’re designed to suit most garments.

kmart hangers

If you’re into a luxe hanger…then have your luxury wooden ones, if you must. Whatever you choose, they all have to match – like a shop! Be mindful of your space though…the chunky, wooden variety do occupy more space. If you have few garments, or a nice amount of space and the budget to fit out your entire closet…go nuts!

A word of warning on the flocked, non-slip hangers (the ones that feel velvety in texture). I personally have had these disintegrate or breakdown over time and turn sticky. For that reason, I’m reluctant to use them again.

Belts & Scarves

Let’s look to belts and scarves now – much of this will be governed by the quantity you have. I love this belt hanger as I can see at a glance what options I have, they are accessible (not forgettable) and they don’t get tangled like they might if they were in a drawer.

Ditto for your scarves. I’ve tried many scarf solutions over the years and the two options I highly recommend are 1) Tying scarves onto the cross bar of a regular hanger, grouped by colour, or 2) compartmentalised boxes.

the reject shop storage

Jewellery & Watches

Again, highly dependent on how much and the type you have, but I use a couple of solutions – plastic compartmentalised boxes from The Reject Shop (below) do the trick perfectly if you have a considerable amount of bangles and cuffs. Colour blocking is essential. Its a nice way to store scarves too. Coil them around your hand to make a compact ball , then store (colour blocked, of course!). A necklace stand for my most common necklaces and I also love the hanging option with clear compartments for everything else.




Accessories need to be seen, especially if you easily overlook them. Out of sight, out of mind, so make them visible, at least until you’ve formed the habit to add them to your outfit.

Shoes

Look at your shoe situation – are they working for you on the floor ? Are they neatly and logically ordered on on racks? Add some racking to your shopping list if this will allow you to see your selection better. If there is hanging space available, I do quite like the hanging shoe solutions too. As for storing shoes in shoe boxes, I’ve never been a fan. I can’t easily see my shoes and they take up too much real estate too. Do you have shoe bags for when you travel too? Add those to your shopping list - I love them for a) protecting my shoes from scratches and b) protecting my clothes from the filthy soles of my shoes! eBay has a great range.

shoe storage

Underwear, Shapewear & Socks

I like to wrangle these fiddly things in plastic or non-woven trays in my drawers, so they’re compartmentalised, neat and accessible.


wardrobe storage

Hosiery

I store in the underwear drawer in individual clear, zip lock bags, that can be found in your supermarket.

Foldables

Items that live in drawers are best just folded neatly and compactly. Store multiple items like t-shirts, upright so you can see what’s available to you (like a filing system).

Millinery & Hats

I have a giant plastic tub with a lid, that I have gently stacked my pieces in, providing they are not so intricate as to require a hatbox of their own. Storing individual millinery in their own hatbox is massively space invading, so condense where you can.

Handbags & Clutches

If you don’t have purpose-built nooks and crannies for these, I can recommend storing these in large plastic tubs with lids. This will keep them from collecting dust too. If you like them on display using plastic risersturned upside down to wrangle and support is great (colour block them. of course!).

risers disaply plastic

Sentimental Garments

Any garments you’re not wearing on a regular basis are best vacuum packed to conserve space. They come in a hanging variety too, should vertical space be more abundant to you.

FOLLOW UP ACTION REQUIRED:

  • Build that shopping list and make it a priority to make those purchases to finalise the organisation of your space. If you can’t do it today. Make a time to follow through.

  • Dispose of hangers you no longer need.

 

Gold Coast, Brisbane & Northern New South Wales Stylist, Louise Chambers is available for personal styling, photo shoot & media styling, style workshops, fashion event MC bookings and media bookings.


Instagram: @stylechambers

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