A practical guide to decluttering clothes organising small wardrobes and keeping drawers beautifully scented.
Organising a wardrobe is mostly about being able to see what on earth you actually own. Wardrobes become chaotic not because we are messy but because they are simply too full which is how you end up buying another black jumper while three others sit quietly at the back. Take everything out have a small but honest edit then return the pieces you genuinely wear and love. Add a few simple storage tricks and getting dressed in the morning becomes noticeably easier.
I spent the weekend attempting the noble task of finally organising my wardrobe which until recently had been operating as a very committed floordrobe. If you are unfamiliar with the term a floordrobe is exactly what it sounds like. A highly sophisticated clothing storage system where everything technically lives on the floor yet you still somehow know where most things are. With spring hovering politely on the horizon it felt like the perfect moment to finally get organised.
How to Organise a Messy Wardrobe
If you are wondering how to organise a messy wardrobe the first thing to know is that it always looks worse before it looks better.
Everything has to come out.
The rail suddenly looks strangely bare. The bed disappears beneath mysterious layers of knitwear you forgot you owned. For a brief moment it looks like a textile landslide has taken place. This is completely normal. In fact it is the most useful part of the whole process. Once you can see everything clearly you begin to rediscover things. The blouse you loved two summers ago. The cardigan you thought had vanished. The dress you bought for a party that never quite happened. Clothes hide very well when wardrobes are overcrowded. When you can actually see what you own getting dressed becomes surprisingly easy.
How Often Should You Declutter Your Wardrobe
People often ask how often you should declutter your wardrobe and the honest answer is probably every six months. Which sounds slightly ruthless but is actually rather freeing.
Take everything out then decide what deserves to go back in. If something no longer fits. If it is past its best. If it simply does not feel like you anymore. Out it goes. The classic problem of having lots of clothes yet nothing to wear is usually just too much clutter disguising the good things.
If the idea of letting go feels slightly dramatic there is a wonderfully civilised trick. Put the items you are unsure about into a bag then hide it somewhere discreet. If you do not reach for them or even remember them in a few months you have your answer. They can head to the donation pile or resale bag without a second thought.
Best Storage Solutions for Wardrobes
Another question that often comes up is what are the best storage solutions for wardrobes. The answer is usually very simple things done well. Drawer dividers are surprisingly transformative especially for smaller items that tend to wander.
Jewellery boxes are not strictly necessary but they do make mornings feel a tiny bit more organised and calm. Dust bags are also very useful for keeping shoes and handbags in good condition. Some people even attach little labels to bags so they know what is inside which is either wonderfully organised or delightfully eccentric depending on your mood.
How to Store Seasonal Clothes
Seasonal storage is another small victory in wardrobe organisation. If you are wondering how to store seasonal clothes the trick is simply not letting winter jumpers take up precious space once spring arrives. Vacuum bags are excellent for this. Bulky knitwear coats and scarves can be packed away under the bed or in a cupboard until colder weather returns. Suddenly your wardrobe feels twice the size which feels like a small domestic miracle.
How to Organise Clothes in a Small Wardrobe
If you are dealing with limited space you might also ask how to organise clothes in a small wardrobe. One surprisingly effective trick is rolling clothes rather than stacking them. Instead of neat piles that collapse the moment you touch them everything sits side by side. You can see every T-shirt at once which means no rummaging and far fewer drawer avalanches.
Simple Shoe Storage Ideas
Shoe storage can also be surprisingly clever using things you already have at home. Rather than buying endless plastic boxes it is often far nicer to reuse good sturdy packaging. Our Norfolk Natural Living post boxes are actually perfect for this. They are beautifully made sturdy enough to stack and just the right size for slipping shoes neatly under the bed or along the bottom of a wardrobe. It also feels faintly satisfying to give them a second life rather than sending them straight to the recycling.
A small trick that makes this even easier is to take a quick photo of the shoes and stick it on the outside of the box. It sounds faintly unnecessary until you are crouched on the floor trying to remember which box contains the navy heels the sandals you only wear on holiday or the boots you are absolutely certain you packed away somewhere sensible last winter. Future you will be extremely grateful.
The Best Hangers for Wardrobe Organisation
Then there are hangers which are the unsung heroes of wardrobe organisation. Velvet hangers are particularly brilliant because they are slim and save an astonishing amount of rail space. Clothes stay neatly in place and the wardrobe instantly looks more orderly.
Wooden hangers are very handsome but they do take up more room so velvet ones often win on practicality. There are also clever hangers for scarves belts and accessories which help keep everything visible and easy to grab.
How to Keep Your Wardrobe Smelling Fresh
One small detail that makes a wardrobe feel unexpectedly luxurious is scent. It is something people rarely think about when organising clothes but it makes an enormous difference every time you open the door. After all clothes spend most of their lives sitting quietly in drawers and wardrobes so they may as well absorb something beautiful while they are there.
A very simple trick is scenting your drawers. A quick spritz of fragrance in your knicker drawer with your perfume, makes the entire act of getting dressed feel oddly delightful. Not overwhelming. Just that soft whisper of scent when you open the drawer in the morning.
Another rather lovely idea is using a scented egg after Easter. Instead of packing it away with the decorations place it in a drawer or wardrobe where it will quietly diffuse fragrance through your clothes all year round. You can also hang it directly on your wardrobe rail where it gently perfumes everything around it. The result is that small moment when you pull on a jumper or blouse and catch the faintest trace of scent. Clean comforting and rather lovely.
Why an Organised Wardrobe Makes Getting Dressed Easier
The real joy in organising a wardrobe is not just the tidiness although that is undeniably satisfying. It is the quiet pleasure of opening the wardrobe in the morning and knowing exactly what is there. When everything is visible organised and easy to reach getting dressed becomes wonderfully simple. Which feels rather like the whole point.
Small changes like these can turn even the most committed floordrobe into a wardrobe that is calm organised and surprisingly easy to live with.
I hope you've found this helpful!
Talk Soon,
B x
P.s Here are the questions with super quick answers:
