It’s official, the whole country is cleaning out the closet!  And as we toe into Spring there’s no better time to do it. Most of us dread the thought of tackling teetering piles of clothes… , sorting your jumpers from your jeans isn’t the most glamorous task but it’s without doubt therapeutic, we kid you not. But when a wardrobe is organised, all of our favourite items are once again reunited, outfits and dreams are born again.  Ahh so much new opportunity beckons and doesn’t it feel amazing to find an old faithful piece who is just bang on trend once more. So come on, lets run at this.  It’s not a chore, it’s a privilege, what’s the point in owning such nice clothes if they rarely see the light of day?

Now lets show some upfront commitment and pledge to de-clutter in a way that will last longer than a week.  Determination high?  Keep scrolling for our top tips.

Step 1: Completely empty your wardrobe

You’ve squeezed and shoved all your clothes behind a pair of doors that simply won’t close anymore… lets unleash them and start afresh!

When clearing out items, we recommend organising into three main piles:

1. Keep
2. Donate
3. Toss

Chances are, you’ll find some clothes along the way that you forgot even existed. We recommend trying on as you go, who knows there could be some hidden gems in there that you’d normally bypass but now you can see in a whole new light.

If you can’t decide whether to keep an item or not, take advice from de-cluttering master, Marie Kondo, who famously poses the question ‘Does this spark joy?’. If the answer is no, sort accordingly.

At Front Row HQ, were championing sustainable shopping habits. If your clothes are in good shape and you simply won’t wear them anymore, donate them to a charity or drop them off at the local clothing bank.  Other people will be glad of them and you can know you played a part in giving new life to old clothes, it’s a win-win.

If your clothes are in really great shape, why not resell? Apps like Depop make the process a lot easier: simply snap a photo of the item, upload to your profile and watch the offers come rolling in.

Front Row Top tip: If you’re really having a hard time deciding whether to keep an item, create a “maybe” pile. Put these clothes into storage and revisit a few months down the line. If you forget about them, you can confidently donate or sell, admit you don’t love them.

Step 2: Deep clean your wardrobe

After emptying, you’ll need a clean space to be able to organise your ‘Keep’ pile. Plus, if you haven’t cleared out your wardrobe in a while, chances are there’s some layers of dust that will need taken care of!

Dust the shelving and rails and run the vacuum & mop over the floor. Finally, wipe the shelving, walls and compartments down with a good all-purpose cleaner. Your closet is ready to come back to life!

Step 3: Organise your clothes

 Firstly, we recommend organising items into a Summer and Winter pile. If you know for definite that you’ll not be wearing your heavy woollen coats and cosy jumpers in the upcoming Summer months, why not store away for a later date and make room for the more weather-appropriate items.

Then, organise your clothes by category, then by colour. This will make everything look much neater and saves you time when looking for a specific item… no more hunting through piles of clothes for your favourite pink top!

Step 4: Invest in the right storage solutions

If you’re still struggling for space, you may need to invest in some equipment that can help compartmentalise your clothing.

We recommend storage boxes that can sit along the bottom of your wardrobe and hold all the items that usually find themselves there. This is also provides a great opportunity for you to perfect the art of folding. Following Marie Kondo’s top tricks, stack any items that can be folded side-by-side as opposed to one on-top of the other. This way you can clearly see what you have as well as providing better access to all of your items.

Top tip: Invest in matching hangers. These will ensure your wardrobe looks extra organised.

Step 5: Don’t forget the shoes

If you have a lot of shoes, we suggest a separate shoe-cupboard or shelving, which can then in itself be organised into your categories and colours.

If you keep your shoes in their original boxes, why not tape a photo to the box. This will save you the cardboard pile up when you’re in a rush!

Step 6: Look after expensive items

If you’ve spent an extra bit of cash on that special accessory, it’s only right that you look after it properly. Keep designer items in their dust bags and ensure to stuff them from the inside to prevent any misshapes.  If you’re pondering a new Spring Splurge always ask yourself if the item gives you pure joy.  If the answer is yes, and you can justifiably afford it, make the leap.  A piece longed for can be loved for a very long time!

That wasn’t so bad, was it? The final important word of advice for organising your closet is maintenance. Go through your clothes and complete a quick makeover once a month and tackle the full clear-out process 2-3 times a year. The more often you work on maintenance, the less time it will take to re-organise in future.  And remember if you don’t love it why waste time wearing it. Try each day to wear something that you really love, it will make you smile.