Wadrobe Planning and Organisation

The start of a new year or a new season may be just the time to re-look at our wardrobes. This is a great opportunity to do a clothing edit and decide what to keep, what must go and to make a wish list of what to purchase next.

Photo by Igor Ovsyannykov

I am definitely not a fashionista, but these are a few ideas I have gleaned when sorting out my own wardrobe:

1. Only choose to keep what fits well and what makes you feel good.
2. Store away out of season clothes if possible. This makes it more clear what is currently useful and makes it easier to organise what is left in your collection.
3. Consider your lifestyle - is it more often casual or smart? It is a good idea to fit your clothes to your current situation but remember to also have a few outfits for smart occasions if you are mainly casual and similarly a few casual outfits if your week is in the formal work world.
4. Have some core/basic items that are versatile pieces and work well with a lot of your other items. It helps if these basics are mostly in neutral colours. Then add personality to outfits with accessories such as jewellery, scarves, shoes and handbags as well as more colourful clothing extras. My all time favourite fashion blog is The Vivienne Files for advice on how to build and co-ordinate a capsule wardrobe.
5. Be intentional when shopping and buy quality items rather than quantity. If you have sorted through your wardrobe before you purchase anything you are likely to have a better idea of what you need for the season. It may be helpful to have a specific shopping list of items that are missing from your wardrobe. 

I think clothing is so personal that it is impossible for anyone to dictate a "must have" list. Everyone needs to find what works for her. I am drawn to darker neutral colours as staples with bright accents in pink! I also spend a lot of time in jeans. 

What are your top clothing items that are favourites in your wardrobe? Do you have any tips for minimising and organising a clothing collection?

10 Decluttering Tips

Sometimes it is difficult to find the time and energy to declutter when there is an overwhelming amount to do. So where to start and how to declutter effectively? If one of your new year resolutions is to get organised, here are ten tips that might help with the decluttering mountain:

Photo by Sarah Rudolph

1. Start with surfaces and clear those first before you start on bigger projects. The satisfaction of having some tidy spaces may help you feel the motivation to tackle bigger projects.
2. Consider starting on a space that is the most annoying/dysfunctional to you. Think through what is working and not working in that space and try to design a more effective way of using it by listing the functions the space needs to perform. Only keep what supports the functions that you listed.
3. When you are working on a project, clear out the entire space before sorting out the contents and then deciding what needs to go back. Although it can make a lot of mess, it is really helpful to see the space empty and make considered decisions about what to keep.
4. When working through the decluttering process, make a mental shift to decide what you will keep rather than deciding what you will get rid of. Remind yourself that others may be able to use and appreciate the things that are no longer helpful to you.
5. Use pictures of your ideal space to help you keep a vision in mind of what you would like to achieve. It sometimes help to start with the end in mind and to consider how the newly organized space will make you feel when it is functioning well and looking its best.
6. Deal with items that are easier to declutter first (for example, clothes or kitchen items) and then move on to more sentimental items later in the process.
7. Try to make the decluttering more fun by roping in a friend and playing upbeat music while you work.
8. Use a timer to make the process more manageable. Stop and take a break after the timer goes off and have a snack or do something else for a while.
9. Reward yourself for making progress with your decluttering projects.
10. Break up big projects into smaller steps and estimate how much time each step will take. Then schedule appointments with yourself to complete each step.

What is your best decluttering advice? How have you motivated yourself to tackle decluttering jobs?