Tuesday, August 30, 2016

How To: Organize Your Wardrobe


How was your weekend? We had a Bank Holiday on Monday, so John and I took the opportunity to purge our house of all the stuff we didn't need and ... it was hard. Hard to part with some things I'd been hanging on to for a while (but I was ruthless); hard to find the motivation to get to the bottom of that box, if you know what I mean.

I'm not going to lie: I'm the messiest person ever. I have a bad habit of leaving piles around the house (piles of paper, piles of jewelry) and I never, ever hang up my clothes. But walking into our messy room at the end of the day (because of my clothes piles, oops!) was making me angry and anxious - and I was the only person who could do anything about it.

So, I went to H&M Home and bought these felt boxes for £14.99. They're perfect for storing my small handbags, scarves, and other winter accessories. To avoid piling up clothes in that area of my wardrobe, I made a pact with myself to always either fold what I wasn't wearing in my chest of drawers (like t-shirts or sweaters) and to hang things like coats, jackets, dresses, and blouses. It felt so satisfying to open my wardrobe doors and to see order, rather than chaos!


Then there was the issue of my accessories ... during the summer, my sunglasses are strewn everywhere (mostly at the bottom of my handbags, which is why I never buy expensive sunglasses) and I forget that I own half the costume jewelry that I do because it's hidden in boxes and drawers.

So, I bought two jewelry display cases from eBay (they were something like £7 each) and put all my sunglasses and costume jewelry in them. At the end of the day, I realized that it was about having a "home" for everything - it's much harder to misplace things when you return it back to its place (easier said than done, I know!).


Finally, I decided to tackle my fragrance collection. I love wearing perfume, but it cluttered up my small vanity table, so I tended to keep the bottles out of sight ... and promptly forgot they existed. On that same trip to H&M Home, I bought this gold tray (£6.99), which comes in three different sizes (John bought some as well for his cuff links and collar stays). It's just the right size for my small perfume collection, and it's pretty to boot.


Do you have any great storage suggestions? I'd love to hear them. I miss places like Bed, Bath & Beyond and The Container Store in the States, which are so handy for storage solutions like these. I find that buying things like storage and other home organization tools in the UK involve a lot of trial and error, which can be frustrating (especially when you're carting them home from work on the tube or having to stay in for a delivery to your door!).
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20 comments

  1. I always put off organising my wardrobe but it's so satisfying once it's been done. I realised I had so many accessories that I never wore because they were hiding under piles of "stuff" but having it so that I can easily see them means that I actually wear them! x

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    1. It's so satisfying! I'm hoping that it'll give me more of an incentive to PUT THINGS AWAY where they belong. We'll see! x

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  2. Thanks for this post, I myself need to do some organising in my own room! My husband tells me I need to let go of old / unused items, I always say I need more closet space :) The best organisers I found are from hardware stores - those transparent stackable drawers are great for makeup storage!

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    1. Haha, I'm the same, Jean! Great tip re: stackable drawers from hardware stores. I'd never think to look there! Thanks so much for reading and sharing!

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  3. Not sure if they have one close to you but Clas Ohlson usually has some surprisingly cute storage solutions! For my costume jewelery, ie 100's of H&M and Forever 21 earrings, I use clear plastic boxes that fishermen use. I love they it has little compartments and I can easily see in without opening it! http://www.clasohlson.com/uk/Gavia-Utility-Box/31-5321

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  4. I have a spare bedroom that I use as a walk in wardrobe. This is my fancy way of saying that my shizz is everywhere, all over the floor, the bed, and the place is a bomb site. When people come to stay I have to move into the bomb site wardrobe room because it's too much effort to tidy all that up.

    I should really fix this but I'm just gonna sit here and lust after your amazing costume jewellery...

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    1. That's amazing. I'm wondering if we could convert John's study into a walk-in wardrobe ... who needs to work when you have a closet full of pretty things?!?

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  5. This all looks so neat, pretty and organised - you have me inspired!

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    1. Thanks, Claire! I was so inspired, that I went out to buy a label maker and more boxes to organize my makeup - it was CRAZY. I feel so much better now that it's all in order, though!

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  6. I have the same issue with costume jewelry, especially necklaces which, if I dont see I forget about and never wear. That's why I decided to neatly hang them up near my vanity table mirror on tiny transparent hooks. Somehow it makes the wall look prettier too and I can always see them. I love the idea of a tray for perfume, makes everything look prettier and more organized! xoxo, nano | www.travelwithnanob.com

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    1. I'd love to see a photo of that, Nano! I bet it looks amazing, with your impeccable style and taste! xoxo

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  7. I SO need a jewelry organiser in my life! I'm tidy by nature but my necklaces are all over the place and get tangled, I'm going to order one this week! x

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    1. You're so lucky to be tidy by nature - I bet you are good at putting things away after you've used them! I'm definitely working on that ...! I tried so many different methods of organizing my jewellery - in boxes, in see-through boxes, etc. and then I decided that I just like the way they look when I'm in a shop i.e. out and ready to be tried on! So I opted for the open trays ... :) x

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  8. I've been spying grey felt boxes EVERYWHERE since your Insta Story. I use a lot of woven baskets at home but I love the idea of felt as another natural alternative. Stops things being too samey.

    Let's see how long I hold out before buying some...

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    1. No way! I haven't seen them really, so good to know the darkest corners of my wardrobe are "on trend" muahahhaa. Woven baskets are so pretty. I love the bright berber wool storage baskets from Yonder living, but I am not sure what I would put in them! Hmm ...

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  9. I can't believe you did all that in one weekend. So very impressive and the results are amazing! I've barely glanced at the home side of H&M so you've totally inspired me although I suspect it would take me weeks to accomplish what you've managed in a weekend. By the way, my son was looking at your blog just now and as soon as he saw the picture of the felt boxes he recognised you from the Instagram video and you're basically now a celebrity in his eyes...

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    1. I LOVED this comment! Haha, re: your son!! We're still working on it (a few more bagfuls to give/throw away) but we're nearly there. Thank you! I don't know how I discovered H&M Home ... I think I just wandered into that part of the store on Oxford Street one day and was amazed at how affordable all the accessories were.

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  10. How many golden pineapples will it cost me to hire you to sort out my mess of a wardrobe? :D

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    1. Bahahahaha ... I would love to help you with your wardrobe dilemma, for real!

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