We’re in the thick of winter here in Western Australia and you know what? I’ve only just got around to taking my summer clothes to their winter hibernation and then re-hung, primped and preened my warmer clothes into an organised winter wardrobe.
Without further ado, here are a few things I did, which maybe will help you become super organised, so that there’s than never a horrible moment when you hide away and go: “Oh no, I have absolutely nothing to wear!”
Tips to organise your winter wardrobe
1. Edit your existing wardrobe. Don’t just shove your summer things to one side, go through your rails and your drawers and take out anything that is purely a summer item. Little summer frocks, thin blouses, cut offs and capri pants, anything which is a summer go-to fold up and put away – if you have space, in a spare room wardrobe, otherwise buy some plastic containers and fold the clothes in there (make sure they’re clean or next year they’ll come out smelling musty).
2. Some people like to organise by colour but I prefer to organise by type. So unless an outfit was bought specifically to be worn as such, I seperate pants and jackets and cardigans and dresses.
3. Your winter knitwear might be heavy, so don’t hang it because it will go out of shape. Fold it neatly and place it on a shelf or in a drawer.
Top Tip: Invest in some shelf dividers or a so that your knitwear stays put on the shelf. piled high clothing topples over keep everything in place and neatly stacked.
4. Invest in a sturdy shoe rack. (I can’t live without mine – and we have one at the back door too.) If wardrobe space is at a premium then buy an over door shoe organiser.
5. Cardigans might be trickier to fold, and so they can hang up in your closet. Do make sure you have some decent hangers – I prefer either Wooden Hangers or Velvet Hangers so that your cardies have a better chance of holding their shape.
6. Remember that your outer garments are going to be the most visible items this season, so if you’re buying something new for winter splurge on the best coat or the best jacket you can afford because these in all likelihood will be worn the most.
7. A double sided hanging organiser is ideal for storing all those small things which otherwise go missing – anything from pants to knitted hats, gloves, large pieces of jewellery, knitted winter scarves.
8. Don’t forget to buy an accessory hanger or scarf organiser to seperate all your silky scarves and belts which you use to accessorise outfits. No more wrinkled scarves on the floor in a heap.
9. Organise your shoes – pack away all your summer sandals and peep toes, and dust off your boots and closed shoes. Consider investing in something truly unique such as these beautiful (and very comfortable) hand made, felt shoes by Dovile at FeltForma. You can buy them in all sorts of groovy colours. Handmade, designer, eco friendly and made from sheep’s wool, they pay tribute to an ancient heritage with a modern twist (but each pair takes over 8 hours to make). Buy them for yourself, or they make a great ‘Hard to find’ gift. Check out Dovile’s Felt Forma website and read her unique story.
10. If you lack space, think about getting a closet doubler hanging rod. The open area between the bottom of your hanging clothes and the floor is often wasted space. So unless you’ve got lots of long dresses this could be a great way to maximise your hanging space.
11. Pants and trousers that don’t crease can be neatly folded on shelves or in a drawer to free up hanging space in your closet. My ponte pants are a case in point – they don’t crease and they go with so many different tops.
Have you got any good tips for an organised closet?
You might also like:
How to Organize a Small Closet
Red knit, black cardigan/jacket, black slim pants were gifted by Sportswave and the felt shoes were gifted by FeltForma for editorial consideration as per my Disclaimer.
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The double hanging rod is a winner – hubster installed it when he madeover our walk in wardrobe a couple of years ago 🙂
Hi Janet, clever hubster 🙂 We have one in our new house, but it was already there – woohoo! Just so useful.
I used to pack away my summer clothes in winter and vice versa, but these days I don’t bother. We have had a very mild winter here so far so we’ve still been wearing shorts and t shirts some days! I also try to organise my wardrobe by type and then keep colours together. At the moment my wardrobe is a big mess and you have reminded me to get in there and tidy it up!
I sometimes keep everything out too Kathy – but then I end up wearing all my favourites, and layering and other thicker winter things get forgotten.
No tips from me unfortunately as my summer and winter are all together and that is they way they have to be as no where else to store them. Thanks for the great tips though Jo. I didn’t go out and get any new winter things this year, I should have!
When space is at a premium, there’s no other way Jill 🙂 Have you tried plastic containers from Bunnings and using tissue paper between the clothes and putting the containers in the garage or shed? That’s what I do with my summer overflow – things that I know I won’t wear in the winter – not even to layer. It just gives me a bit more space.