Spring has arrived! And with it the annual urge to spring clean your wardrobe. So how do you sort and organize your closet? Just follow these 6 smart steps for a neat and orderly wardrobe.
What you need:
trash bags
box or basket
good quality hangers and clip hangers
stickers and marker
1 / Work by category
For starters, work by category and get a section out of your hanging closet, drawer or shelf. For example, start with your hanging clothes and continue with all the folded clothes. What doesn’t work is suddenly removing all your clothes out of your closet, because it becomes a huge mess on the floor and you’ll miss the overview.
2 / Take a critical look at each item
Put on each piece of clothing. Do you feel comfortable wearing it? Does it define who you are? Does the garment still suit you? Have you worn it last season? Can you (easily) combine it with other items? Is it stained or does it have holes?
3 / Sort the stay pile
You can divide what remains into categories and sort them by type and occasion. Pants with pants, blouses with blouses and dresses with dresses. If you want to go one step further, sort by color too. And separate casual wear and professional attire such as all your casual skirts, dresses and pants together and all your formal skirts, dresses and pants together. Store your clothes efficiently and use good quality hangers and clip hangers for pants. Avoid wire hangers – these will misshape your clothes.
4 / Make piles
Make three piles: what needs to go, what has to be adjusted and what do you have doubts about. Put what needs to be washed directly into the laundry basket.
Divide the pile that needs to go into: reselling it or discarding it in the clothes container. Put it in a garbage bag and make sure it’s clearly labeled.
You can put what should be adjusted in the basket or box.
What you’re not sure of, put it on the doubt pile.
5 / Try to combine clothes
Learn to combine by trying! Start with clothing you’re unsure of. You might find joy when combining it with other garments. Don’t forget your accessories! Jewelry really finishes off your outfit. And try on different pairs of shoes.
6 / What clothes do you need to fill in the gaps?
Think about what clothes you need to get more wear out of your wardrobe. It’s useful to take notes when you tidy up your closet. For example, make a list of items that need to be replaced and a list of clothes that you want to buy. Finally, look at what you have multiples of and narrow this down.
Carina van der Kloet is founder and personal stylist. She has twenty years experience. She has given numerous master classes and personal styling advice to thousands of people including management, executives, entrepreneurs, expatriates, diplomats working at various (international) organizations.
Carina van der Kloet grew up in French speaking countries in Africa and in the United States. She speaks English, French and Dutch.
"Carina van der Kloet is an inspiring speaker! With striking examples of how clothing works for you, she knows how to create a pleasant and intimate atmosphere. Great to see how you can create impact with few words."Miranda van Mondfrans, director Pro Assistance BV
CARINA
Personal Styling
Wilhelminastraat 39
1054 VV Amsterdam
T 020 – 685 34 15
info@carinapersonalstyling.nl