Guest Author - Vicky Talbot

It’s one of those chores we keep meaning to do one Sunday afternoon but never actually get round to it. Most of us are guilty of keeping a less than tidy wardrobe. Seemingly orderly from the outside, the horror of what confronts us when opened each morning – the bulging drawers, overcrowded rails and full to bursting shelves packed tightly with scrunched up shirts, it’s no wonder we put off detoxing our closets in favour of buying new clothes to pile on top of the old.

Yet it’s no secret that a tidy wardrobe makes for a more organised, stress free, tidy mind, especially when it comes to getting dressed. A regular wardrobe de-cluttering session is essential, needn’t take long and once you’re left with an impeccable wardrobe filled with your favourite fashion pieces minus the mess, you’ll be thankful – especially with all that room to fill with beautiful new things.

Gather together a few bin bags, buy some new coat hangers (choose from sturdy beech, scented or sumptuous silky padded hangers to really treat your garments), empty your wardrobe and give it a clean. Use glass cleaner on mirror panels, polish wood and dust away any cobwebs that lurk on top.

Next, start making some piles on the bed and allocate your clothes, any accessories and shoes into a ‘can’t-live-without,’ ‘don’t-wear-very-often’ and ‘never-wear’ pile (anything you haven’t worn in the last year should go here). Once in 3 piles go through each and sort out any clothes that need repairs (any holes that need stitching, hems that need taking up, shoes that need re-heeling, zips that need fixing and stains that need removing.) These should all be put into one of the bin bags for you to repair or get repaired – only allow them back into the wardrobe once fixed or it’s unlikely you’ll wear them and they’ll only take up precious space.

The ‘don’t-wear-very-often’ pile needs careful deliberation. There’ll be some items that are useful for certain occasions, some that you’ve only worn once or twice and some novelty pieces that you’ve been hanging onto, waiting for them to come back into fashion. Chances are that sadly, they won’t so pop them in the ‘never-wear’ pile. This final pile should also be checked carefully – some items may be destined for the jumble sale, but others could still have promise; could those too-long jeans be shortened into Capri pants? Could that stained white shirt be dyed black? Being brutal isn’t always the best policy when performing a wardrobe detox. Keep a creative mind and think twice before condemning clothes to the rubbish – they could be transformed into a must-have with a tweak here or button there.

Once you’ve finished sorting through your piles, take the final ‘never-wear’ pile to the charity shop and sort through the remaining piles, picking out anything that hasn’t been laundered for a while (even it was washed after you last wore it, if it’s been hanging in the wardrobe for several months without being worn, it probably won’t smell too fresh). Hang everything up that you can, folding trousers carefully and skirts/shirts supportively. Get rid of any wire hangers – these can stain clothes, trousers will crease when hung on them and they often leave raised peaks on stiff fabric items like shirts that can be a chore to iron out.

For shoes, invest in some transparent shoe boxes (VivaLaDiva.com have a great selection), perfect for easy stacking and finding the shoes you want in a hurry will be so much easier than rummaging through an ominous, untidy pile.

Now that you’re left with a clutter-free, clean and tidy wardrobe, how you continue to keep it ship-shape is up to you. If colour-coordinating is your thing or if you have a penchant for keeping shirts with shirts and skirts with skirts, one thing you should do is to have a wardrobe detox day a couple of times a year to keep your newly spruced closet maintained. Keep a track on items that need attention and make sure your clothes have room to hang and breathe – if it starts getting cramped in there, have a clear out.

More importantly, use this opportunity to look for items that you may be lacking – perhaps you’re short of a versatile pair of black, tailored trousers or a great pair of boots? Pick out things that will add to your classic capsule wardrobe but also allow yourself the occasional trend piece to add colour and personal style to your closet, perhaps a polka dot dress or brightly printed kaftan. So if you dream of orderly rails, fluff free shelves and opening your wardrobe to a line of organised clothes you love to wear, get detoxing and rid yourself of clothing clutter for life.