Tips for Organizing Your Wardrobe

I know many of my fellow Canadians are still battling cold weather and snow storms, but here in Edmonton, it feels like spring.

At the first hint of change between the seasons, many begin to transition to their ‘other’ wardrobe. T-shirts and shorts gladly replace sweaters and jeans as we look toward the next 6 months with child-like excitement.

With a little organization and a few tips, you can manage your wardrobe easily and quickly.

Tips to Organizing Your Wardrobe

Know What You Wear
At the beginning of the season tie an old scarf to your clothing rod in your closet and put your clothes all on one side of it. As you wear your items, and after you wash them, store them back in your closet, on the other side of your scarf. This will let you easily see what you haven’t worn yet. At the end of the season, take a good look at the items you didn’t wear and decide if it was because they are ‘specific occasion’ clothing and you didn’t get a chance, or if you’ve just moved on from the item. This will make the decision to donate clothing a lot easier.

Wrong Size
Six months (or eight months in this year’s case) is a long time and when you get to new seasons you may find that the size you were a year ago isn’t the same. Keep a box in your closet for clothing that is either too big or too small so that when you try it on, you can quickly toss it into the box and get it out of sight. Near the end of the season, try on the items again and make the decision then if you will be getting rid of them.

Thin Out Your Warm Clothes
Let’s face it, you really don’t need the 15 sweaters you had during the winter months. Pick your favorite 5-7 and store the rest. You can even rotate through the items you stored and switch new sweaters out with your old half way through the summer months so it looks like your wardrobe is a little new without spending the dollars if you don’t have them. The same goes for long-sleeved knit tops and jeans (if you have a lot).

The point is to have a well-organized closet that you can quickly walk into and grab what you need. I find when I have too much choice that I stand there and waste time. Not only that, but my inner diva comes out and I try on eight outfits before heading out and I end up leaving a pile of rejected wardrobe changes on the bed in my haste to not be late to my destination. True story, ask my husband.

Store Your Clothes Properly
Whether you are storing or donating your clothes, make sure you pack them away properly. No one likes to open a box of stale chaos.

• Organize your clothes. Fold your clothes neatly and store like items together where you can. Storing jeans together in a pile means that when you open the box, you can just grab the stack and put them on your shelf or in your drawer. Also store items that would go in the same dresser drawer together (eg, pajamas and workout clothes, in my case – TMI? Whatevs!).
• When possible, store your clothes in a bin or proper container. Old, cardboard boxes may have a smell that isn’t noticeable right away, but clothes stored for six months may not smell as nice on the other side of the season.
• Wash your clothes well. If you normally use a gentle cycle (unless your clothes require it), use a deep (or longer) clean cycle and a detergent that works to clean clothes deeply and removes a wide range of everyday stains.

This spring, the maker of OxiClean™ Stain removers has launched a brand new line of powerful laundry detergents that remove tough, dried on stains including grass, soil, clay, fruit, chocolate, grease, oil, blood & more. This new detergent is powered by three high-performance colour safe enzymes, to fight a wide variety of complex stains and provide brilliant whites and bright colours which is perfect for your winter wardrobe and jackets, mitts, snow pants, etc.

Do you have any other tips for storing or managing your wardrobe? Add them in the comments, and thanks.

Disclosure: I am a working with Church & Dwight as an ambassador. I receive products and compensation as part of my role. The opinions and stories are my own.

Sheri Landry

Sheri publishes, and writes at This Bird’s Day where she shares all of the thoughts in her head without the voices. Sticking mainly with content for Canadians, Sheri shares family stories, product information and anything that fits into her (and her family’s) daily activities.

www.thisbirdsday.com