An overflowing and messy wardrobe is a nuisance for many of us. Once we get the wardrobe tidied up, it doesn’t take long before everything is in disarray again. We neatly fold clothes onto the shelves, and a week later, everything is messy again. When in a hurry, we don’t really check if that shirt goes back in the right place. Sound familiar?
Now I’ll share my own and other Emmy team members’ 10 clever tips for letting go of excess and keeping your wardrobe organized!
1. Plan and execute. Breaking the pattern, changing your habits, and understanding the contents is the starting point for everything. Think about what you usually do and if there’s something you could change to make managing your wardrobe easier for yourself.
2. Let go of what’s unnecessary for you and pass it on. When faced with a pile of clothes to sort through, there are some handy rules of thumb for letting go: Have I used this in the past year? Does it still fit me in size or style? If you’re unsure, try the item on one more time and think about different situations where you could wear it. If you have to invent a situation, you probably won’t end up wearing it. Better to pass it on! See Emmy’s selling guide here.
3. Also let go of unused items bought for emotional reasons. Whether it’s a purchase you thought about for months or an item that’s emotionally important, what good does it do if no one ever sees it? I used to be an emotional shopper myself. For example, I bought an expensive designer bag secondhand, but never dared to use it anywhere. I agonized over this for a couple of months and decided to sell the bag. I was so happy to let go, knowing that the valuable, lovely bag would find a new owner!
4. Sort clothes into boxes by category. This way, you’ll better understand what clothes you already have enough of and what you don’t. Rolling clothes into boxes gives you more space compared to folding.
5. Keep boundaries clear. When clothes are in boxes, it’s good to limit the contents to suit your needs. A good rule is: if the box is full, I won’t buy more clothes in this category. However, this doesn’t mean you should own more skirts just because their box is half full. Own what you need to look your best as yourself! <3
6. If you’re updating your wardrobe, favor clothes made from durable natural materials. At Emmy, you can update your wardrobe with high-quality secondhand items delivered from our Lohja warehouse. Browse our selection here!
7. Try to put clothes back in their place right away. It’s risky to leave a piece of clothing on the edge of the sofa with the thought “I’ll put this away soon.” It takes less than a minute—so why is it so hard to do it immediately?
8. Lay out the next day’s outfit the night before. This way, you’ll avoid rummaging through your wardrobe in a hurry.
9. Separate summer and winter clothes. When the season comes and it’s time to bring out the clothes for that time of year, you might notice how the clothes even feel new since you haven’t seen them in a while!
10. Use wrinkled clothes! Clothes made from easily wrinkled materials are best stored on hangers. In boxes, they’re easily forgotten and get wrinkled. Rarely do you have time to iron a wrinkled shirt in the morning, even if it would have suited your style for the day.
Send us your best tips for keeping your wardrobe tidy on our social media channels on Facebook or Instagram!
With <3 from Emmy, Tarja
Also read these:
Why is decluttering your wardrobe not easy?
New life for clothes as an Emmy seller
Anyone can be an Emmy team member! Let go of wardrobe stress now