Recently when I attended the Insiders Secrets Masterclass, Orla Sheridan the fab Galway stylist was sharing styling tips and I swear I took pages and pages of notes. One aspect that I really enjoyed as her tips with regards wardrobe organisation as they were practical and completely made sense to me. I doubt that I am the only one that sometimes find that you have a wardrobe full of clothes and yet nothing to wear! Well Orlas tips will help you create a wardrobe that is organised, suits the true you and make it easier to find things to wear.
Start from Scratch
That’s right – the first step is that you need to start from scratch – that means pulling out ALL of your clothes to one place. Everything. From your wardrobe, your presses and all the places where you store things around the house. Personally, I pulled everything on our bed as it was a central spot and kept everything off the floor. And also – this process will take time, perhaps up to and beyond the 3 hours mark.
And at this stage I also decided to give the actual wardrobe a good clean and brought cute wrapping paper for the bottom of my drawers as well. If you find it easier – then ask a friend to help, it will make it more fun and they will help you make some decisions if you are being indecisive. Make sure they are an honest friend that will tell you if something does suit you.
Time to say goodbye
I am sure that you are the same as me and have clothes sitting in your wardrobe that you have not worn in months (years?), well you need to ask the question of why you still have them. For example if you have not worn something in the past 2 Winters – will you really wear it next Winter? If the answer is no – then it needs to go. There will be some exceptions if you have an emotional attachment to the item etc. but overall if you haven’t worn it – time to say goodbye!
Buy some plastic containers for storage. Clear plastic is best so that you can see what is in them. They are to go under your bed or somewhere of the equivalent. So the process goes like this:
- Items not worn in the past 6 months go into the plastic containers (unless it is a Winter jacket and it is September etc.)
- If you have not gone to pull it out in the next 6 months then you need to evaluate if it is time to say goodbye
Sort by Season
Your wardrobe is prime real estate in your home and sadly if you are not blessed with a walk in wardrobe with floor to ceiling rails and shelves then you should sort your wardrobe by season. There is no need to have your Summer dresses in your wardrobe in December – certainly in Ireland you 99% probably won’t need it. Store the other season clothes in another plastic container until needed.
If you plan by season then when you go to your wardrobe the items in there will be suitable to wear at that time. Well… except raincoats…. in Galway we can wear them in every season 🙂
Hang what you love
Hang what you love to see and wear in your wardrobe. Only have what you wear on a regular basis or that you smile when you see. If you don’t ever wear an item – why hang it? This is where those 2 plastic containers come into play.
How to Organise your Wardrobe
Trousers
- Break up by colour
- Hang up your trousers by clip hangers and not on normal hangers
Shoes
- Only invest in a few pairs of central shows and make sure that they work with a lot of styles
- This is one tip that I need to pay attention to – I have so many pairs of throw away shoes that won’t last but I bought on a whim
- Keep the shoes in their boxes if you are short on space or else display and love them!
Jewellery
- Don’t hide your jewellery – put your pieces on display, there are a few benefits to this; you will be able to see what you have, the pieces will not get tangled and also they can add a decorative vibe to your room
- Search on Pinterest to see amazing ways of displays your pieces
- Costume Jewellery – this can be a great way to invest in a trend without going overboard
Other stylish tips
- Wear those good clothes. If you love them, they bring you joy then wear them, there is no point in saving them for that perfect event and they never get worn (by the way I am totally guilty of this!)
- Hang your jewellery. Especially costume pieces – they can add an beautiful mix of colour to a room. Take a look on Pinterest for some great organisation ideas.
- Buy matching hangers. Now this tip I wasn’t sure of – but I took Orla’s advice and went out and brought matching grey velvet hangers that are very narrow (€3 for 10 in Home, Store and More) and I am a convert. More clothes fit in my wardrobe and it just has a more cohesive feel about it.
I would highly recommend that you pop onto’s Orla’s website as she has some amazing articles about styling on it and I have taken so many tips from it. She is a stylist so if you are looking for something for a special occasion or to revamp your look or freshen up your wardrobe Orla does it all. Orla is also on Twitter and Facebook and I have to also admit I love her stylishly curated Instagram!
