How to organise your wardrobe: a practical guide

Even if the seasons aren’t as clear-cut as they used to be, at a certain point every year – when depends on the weather – you’ll inevitably need to reorganise your wardrobe. But don’t panic! This is actually the perfect opportunity to bring a little order to your cupboards and drawers, freeing up space by removing the items you won’t need for the coming season.

We all agree that a messy wardrobe, particularly if it’s in a bedroom, can up our stress levels, as we waste precious time searching for clothes buried under piles of things. On the other hand, keeping your wardrobe in order means making better use of the available space, preserving the clothes themselves and making daily life that bit easier.

With that in mind, here’s a practical guide packed with simple but effective tips for organising or reorganising your wardrobe – whether a regular cupboard or a walk-in wardrobe – once and for all… and keeping it neat and tidy at all times.

Getting started: reorganising your wardrobe step by step

Choose your clothes

The first step for a functional wardrobe is decluttering, and this means completely emptying it so you can take a look at every single garment and get a better idea of what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of. To bring a little order to the chaos, organise your clothes into three piles:

1. Keep (because I like it, it looks good on me, I wear it a lot)

2. Give away or sell (in good condition but I don’t like it anymore)

3. Bin (ruined, stained, worn)

To help make your mind up, you can use the KonMari method: ask yourself if an item of clothing brings you joy or if you have used it in the last year. If the answer is no, it’s time to discard it.

In her bestselling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, Marie Kondo states that there are just two key things to do for effective tidying: discard the things you don’t need and find a place for the things you decide to keep. Discard first and only start the second task after the first has been completed.

But it isn’t always easy to decide what to throw away – some garments also have sentimental value. In these cases, when you find objects you don’t like anymore but can’t bring yourself to get rid of, Marie Kondo recommends examining them one at a time and thinking about the real role they play in your life.

In this way, you’ll understand, as is only right, how many things have unexpectedly served their purpose. By recognising the contribution they have made and letting them go with your gratitude, she says, you will finally be able to put your things – and your life – in order. Only the things that you really care about will remain.

Divide clothes into categories

Once you have made your selection, the next step is to divide your clothes into categories: this helps you to visualise the items and choose what you want to wear more quickly.

Marie Kondo suggests using the following subcategories:

• Tops (shirts and jumpers)
• Bottoms (trousers and skirts)
• Clothes that should be hung (jackets, suits, coats)
• Socks
• Underwear
• Bags
• Accessories (scarves, belts and hats)
• Seasonal clothes
• Shoes

If you prefer, you can also organise your clothes by season, the frequency with which you use them (everyday, special occasions, sport) or – for quicker matching and greater visual harmony – by colour or style. A clear structure will also help you to reorganise your wardrobe more easily in the future.

If you’re looking for solutions to optimise your space, Santalucia Mobili offers a range of super-functional wardrobes with internal accessories specifically designed to maximum your storage capacity.

How to organise your clothes

Now let’s take a look at how best to arrange your clothes inside the wardrobe.

Tops can be located in different places according to type: it is a good idea to hang shirts to prevent them from creasing, while jumpers are better off folded and stored on the shelves.

As for bottoms, like trousers, there are various ways of making sure they hold their shape. Option one: hang them on dedicated hangers from a low shelf so they are easy to skim through.

Option two: a pull-out trouser rack so you can see them all lined up, one-by-one.

Jackets, suits and coats should be hung on clothes rails located at different heights depending on the length of the garments and the height of the wardrobe. When designing the inside of your wardrobe, it’s important to make sure that your clothes have the right amount of space and do not get creased, especially if they are long.

The space underneath clothes rails can be filled with useful drawer units for socks and underwear. In this case, the insides of the drawers can be fitted with practical dividers.

How to organise bags, accessories and shoes

Accessories can often create clutter if they aren’t stored in a precise location. For this reason it is important to reserve specific spaces for bags, shoes and other accessories.

One solution is to create a column of shelves inside the wardrobe. It is always preferable to store bags upright with internal fillers so that they hold their shape.

As for accessories like belts and jewellery, these can be placed loose in pull-out trays or arranged in little organisers.

Ties, for example, can be folded and tidily arranged on a pull-out shelf with dividers.

Seasonal accessories like scarves, gloves and hats can be placed in closed boxes and stored up high or in less-accessible spaces of the closet.

Pull-out, sloping shelves are the ideal solution for storing all types of shoes, from high heels to trainers.

Inside the wardrobe, clothes and shoes can be stored in their own separate spaces: thanks to dedicated fitted compartments, the Homy collection wardrobes offer practical solutions for managing the various areas of your wardrobe separately. The door is equipped with handy hooks on the front and opens to reveal a concealed shoe rack.

Ideas for organising the inside of the wardrobe

Not all wardrobes are the same, but with a few little adjustments and accessories it is possible to optimise any space. Whether tall and thin, small and full, shared or perhaps located in the corner of a room, the secret to making it work for you is smart personalisation of the available space.

At first glance, a very tall wardrobe may seem like a waste of space, especially if it is difficult to reach the top shelves. In reality, it can be a real bonus, if fitted out in the right way. For example, pull-down wardrobe rails can be used to easily lower the clothes rail without any need for stools or stepladders. This means you can also use the higher parts of the wardrobe to store seasonal clothes, jackets or shirts, ensuring everything is neatly organised and accessible.

If you have a small wardrobe, it is important to make use of every last centimetre: one practical solution is the use of space-saving multi-level hangers that allow you to hang multiple garments vertically in order to save horizontal space.
You can insert compartments and boxes under the main shelves to store away off-season attire. Vacuum bags are also useful. A small wardrobe can become spacious if organised logically and methodically.

Sharing a wardrobe – whether with a partner or family member – requires a little diplomacy and lots of organisation. To avoid confusion and chaos, it is essential to allocate clearly defined personal spaces. For example, you can divide the wardrobe vertically (left side and right side) or you can use transparent boxes with labels to store your clothes. This way, you will both know exactly where to put – and find – your things.

Combining full-height doors with upper and lower doors and drawer units, seasonal wardrobes are modular and designed specifically to facilitate the storage of season-specific clothes. You can already see how the space has been subdivided from the outside, which makes it easier to manage summer clothes and winterwear.

Corner wardrobes can be fitted with a practical dressing unit, to be used to create your outfit of the day.

Inside, shelves, dividers, LED lights and mirrors help you to store and organise your clothes and accessories.

Tidy wardrobes every day: staying organised

Once everything is in its place, the real challenge of keeping your wardrobe in order begins. But don’t worry, it isn’t about being perfect. A few simple steps is all it takes:

• Establish a weekly routine of checking and tidying your wardrobe: for example, set aside 10 minutes a day for putting things back in their place.
• Apply the “one in, one out” rule: for every new purchase you make, you have to get rid of one old item of clothing.
• When it is time to reorganise your cupboards, take the opportunity to conduct a quick audit of your wardrobe.
• Every 3 or 6 months take a general look: do you really need all the things you kept?

Organising your wardrobe isn’t just a style exercise: it is a way of simplifying your life, saving time and making sure your clothes look great. These tips are flexible and can be adapted to any type of wardrobe, small or large, shared or personal.

The key is to find an approach that fits with your lifestyle. Get started today: browse the Homy Wardrobes catalogue and transform your wardrobe into a functional, organised space.