The Holiday Clothes Amnesty

We’ve got to break it to you. At some point this summer, your holiday will be over. All those months of planning and preparation and all you’ll have left to show for it will be a suitcase full of summer clothes ready to be shoved back in the wardrobe. Or, you could see it in a whole new light. Your wardrobe is already in disarray with a huge amount of stuff taken out. Maybe this is the chance you’ve been waiting for to undertake a wardrobe makeover of epic proportions. Never ones to miss out on an organisation opportunity, Urbablogg is ready for the ride with some top clothes storage tips!

1. Empty out the wardrobe

Your wardrobe or clothes storage area is already half empty without your holiday gear so go the whole hog and completely empty the wardrobe- then you can see what you’re working with. Yes, take every item of clothing out of your wardrobe and put it on the floor! This might seem like wanton destruction but trust us, from this disorder will come wonderful organisation! Then make the most of the space you have left. Instead of sticking to a single clothes rail, add a lower hanging rail like this Wardrobe Chrome Tube Hanging Rail. It makes a brilliant space for hanging trousers and effectively doubles your clothes storage space.

2. Pick. Choose. Store

Now before you rush off and shove everything back in the wardrobe, take a moment to assess. Emma Hill from His and Hers Mag, the former editor of Home and Garden magazine Concept for Living had this to say: “I love having a good clear out after the summer holidays and creating space for new season wardrobe essentials. Pick every item of clothing up piece by piece and decide what you want to keep, set aside in your off-season wardrobe or take to the charity shop.” Off season items can be placed in vacuum storage bags or storage boxes and packed away for next year.

3. The off season wardrobe

If you’re lucky enough to have a tad more space in your home, you can even create an off season wardrobe using this Silver Heavy-Duty Clothes Rail with Clear Cover. Ideal in a spare room, having an off season space means easy access and can also encourage you to be creative. Luke Fox at Ann’s Cottage says: “Making smart choices with your clothes is the best way to save money and ensure that an item isn’t worn once and thrown out. Layering up your summer items, like a floaty dress, with a chunky knit, woolly tights and little ankle boots is a great way to transition a stereotypically summer item into the autumn season. Also, your casual summer tee’s and vests make great options for gym wear, or even pyjamas in the cooler UK weather!”

4. Beautiful inside and out

There’s little point in going to all this effort only to put the chosen items of clothing back onto the mish-mash of hangers you’ve inherited over the years. Emma Hill offered this advice: “My simple tip, which makes a huge difference to how neat and orderly your wardrobe looks, is to invest in some good-quality matching hangers like these lovely Matt Grey Wooden Hangers, which will make your wardrobe look so much neater. There’s a reason why designer clothes stores always invest in good quality wooden hangers – because they know just how much better they make everything look! Also, although a natural wood finish is a popular choice, by opting for matt grey, you’ll give your wardrobe a more contemporary feel.”

5. Best foot forward

All too often, the floor space of a wardrobe is like landfill. Garments, accessories and shoes all get strewn here, never to be seen again. Most wardrobes though will have space for a small shoe rack. They’re ideal for organising your shoes of course, but also for storing handbags neatly. With the addition of a couple of storage boxes, they also make handy shelves for underwear, tights and socks. The same rules for clothing also apply to accessories, so be wary of just putting everything back. Mind & Success Coach Laura Payne-Stanley said: “Every item we hold onto also holds a piece of our energy, especially if there are negative emotions around an experience.  Holding excess ‘stuff’ means that your energy is being distributed, so decluttering actually gives you more energy to focus elsewhere, especially once recharged following a holiday.” Sounds like great advice to us!