1. Cull

Photo Editor: Camilla

The first step to streamlining your wardrobe is to get rid of the clutter. You may have things stuffed at the back that you forgot were even there. It takes a bit of effort, but you need to take this tip to streamline your wardrobe. Bring everything out of your cupboard and go through it. Any items you haven’t worn in a year, or that don’t actually go with anything else in your wardrobe, need to go. Give them away to charities, rather than binning them.

2. Assess and Co-ordinate

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Once you have eliminated the bulk in your wardrobe, you will be able to see more clearly what you actually have among the items you wear regularly. Get an idea of your style – the things you wear most frequently, the colours you like and type of clothing that dominates. You will be able to see the things that go together, the outfits you have already and also what items may be missing from your collection.

3. Plan Outfits

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Once you have assessed the current state of your wardrobe, you should plan some outfits that you can mix and match from the clothes you already have; this is an essential tip to streamline your wardrobe as well as streamlining the process of getting dressed every day. You might be surprised how many combinations you can make from just a few well chosen pieces. Make sure you know what outfits to create with every piece you have so that none of it sits uselessly in the cupboard anymore. If you have anything, other than special occasion wear, that won’t work for any outfit, get rid of it.

4. Shop

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This is many people’s favourite part of the streamlining process, but also the step where the most people fail. Don’t approach shopping with the same manner that got you into the cluttered mess in the first place. Plan your shopping list, just like you would for grocery shopping. When shopping for food you consider what you already have in your pantry so that you can create meals. Do the same with your wardrobe. Buy classic pieces that can form the base and be worn with many other items and accessories. If you don’t love it when you try it on, don’t buy it. Anything you buy should go with at least a couple of outfits, be something you don’t already have three of and something you really love, otherwise it’s a waste of money.

5. Organize

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When you have assessed and stocked your cupboard with workable and versatile items, it’s time to keep it all organized so you don’t waste the work you have put in. When you can clearly see and keep track of what you have, you are less likely to buy things unnecessarily, like more jackets when you already have three similar at home, or something in bright red when the rest of your clothes are pastels and pale. Categorise your clothes into types - long sleeve tops, t-shirts, jumpers, pants, long skirts, dresses etc – and store them that way.

6. Colour Scheme

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Hopefully if you assessed your tastes and your wardrobe well, you can see a bit of a colour palette emerging. This is another crucial tip to streamline your wardrobe. This will help you when you shop, because you will know whether something will work in with your existing outfits. As well as storing your clothing in categories, you should also store them in colour groups. This will make dressing a lot more streamlined.

7. Monitor and Reassess

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Now that you have put in the work to streamline your wardrobe and carefully organize it, you don’t want that to go to waste. The final step is ongoing as you monitor your wardrobe. If you are finding there are still some things you aren’t wearing, regularly cull a few more things. This is natural; fashion styles change and items wear out, so don’t be afraid to get rid of more. Put in the little bursts of effort it takes to keep it organized, and you’ll save the massive undertaking of having to streamline your wardrobe from scratch again.

Don’t be intimidated by your wardrobe, and don’t let it all go to waste because you can’t even remember the items you own anymore because they are hidden at the back of the cupboard. With a bit of effort and some organization, you may very well find that less is more. These tips to streamline your wardrobe save time, money and a lot of frustration. How do you organize your cupboard?

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