I moved into a new home, which is a gorgeous converted church in London, at the beginning of 2021. Very early on I had to figure out how to make this new space I was co-living in, and couldn’t alter in any way, suitable for all my clothes. After doing a wardrobe clear-out, which was long overdue, I spent an afternoon working on a new organisation.
I had to buy a few different items, which I’m detailing below, to make it all work and keep my clothes tidy in this new smaller space. For example, I fashioned six compartments inside a very basic wardrobe that didn’t have any built-in storage. In this article, I’m sharing a few tips to make the most of your wardrobe if you’re also living in a flat with limited storage.
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The best wardrobe organisational hacks
Create compartments
I bought this set of compartments and hanging closet organiser to keep small items and accessories in one place. It works really well. I use the first one for my underwear and the second one for scarfs and loose things such as hair accessories, belts, etc. It looks nice as well so that’s a win-win.
Shop your wardrobe
I can’t keep all my wardrobe at once on display so I had to find a solution that isn’t stuffing clothes in a suitcase. Given the weird weather, I sometimes need summer clothes in the midst of winter and needed to keep them available but not in the way. I’ve used nice sturdy transparent bags for years and mine come from IKEA. I also use individual tote bags to keep the things I wear very occasionally like ski wear apart from the rest. It feels like I’m shopping inside my wardrobe every time I open a bag.
Digitalise your wardrobe
I wrote about the long yet practical exercise of ‘digitalising your wardrobe’ using apps such as Save Your Wardrobe in Slow Fashion Weekly. I try outfit combinations in the app first to avoid destroying that perfectly neat pile of jumpers I just put together… I don’t do it all the time but it’s great for event planning like holidays, attending a wedding, etc.
Optimise with smart gadgets
I’m using this set of trousers hangers.They keep trousers (excluding denim jeans) in great shape and save space.
We also installed fairy lights around the edges of our wardrobe, mostly to help me see what’s in the depth of dark corners where my silk tops and crisp shirts tend to gather in a heap of creases. This was directly inspired by some luxury hotels I’ve stayed at where they had extremely sophisticated lighting system built in wardrobes. Ours is the next best thing I guess.
Professional spring cleaning
I haven’t done it yet but I was considering it when I moved. You can get professionals to spring clean your wardrobe for you using a service like @closetdetoxuk (London-based). A quick Google or Instagram search will help you find someone near you and get this time consuming task off your hands. Alternatively, you can do it yourself using my tips (tried and tested after moving homes 6 times in 6 years).
Washing clothes less often reduces the amount of clothes to nurse (iron, fold, store, etc.) and really helps with keeping the mess to a minimum. Plus, it’s good for the environment. The only items I wash after one use are underwear and my gym gear. Everything else gets 2-4 wears or more in the case of denim before getting washed.
And you?
What are your favourite hacks to organise your closet? Share your tips with me in the comment section.
