No one really talks of the difficulties of going from a walk-in-wardrobe to a standard inbuilt sliding wardrobe. First world problems, I know, but it can be a challenge for people who have never had to limit their intake before. As I'm preparing to move, this is something I'm facing now. Now I don't think I own that many clothes, as my walk-in-wardrobe still had plenty of space between hangers. However, I've also had the luxury of a costumes wardrobe, a clothing-for-sale/seasonal clothing wardrobe, and space for clothing that currently doesn't fit.
Now having combined all four clothing categories into one, it's likely I'm going to have a space problem when I do eventually end up with a smaller closet. So here are some tips and tricks I'll be adopting when moving.
1. Declutter
This is standard practice, right? But I think people go too gung-ho on adopting a method, even if it's not the best for them. Many do the Marie Kondo method i.e. keeping what sparks joy but quickly give up. Her method doesn't work for me because I can't say many things spark joy but are practical and necessary in my life.
Last year I did the Minimalism Game where you declutter the number of items that corresponds to the date of the month (you get rid of one item on Day 1, two items on Day 2 etc.). Items both big and small, like unused food menus, old tech boxes etc. Literally anything. By the end of the month, 460 items were gone.
This worked better for me because there was a bit of a challenge in it and once I got started, it motivated me even more. And looking back at those articles now, pretty much all the items I had forgotten about. But the main thing is, it helped reduce my clutter and I'm glad I did that challenge long before the move. I found it so rewarding though as I realised that I definitely don't need as much stuff as I think I did.
But back to specifically the wardrobe. Statistics show that Australian's only wear half of our clothes and 30% own on average between 50-150 pieces. While 70% of us donate our unwanted clothes, the rest simply leave them in their wardrobe and do nothing about it. I do donate, but my best practice is to try not to buy.
Another popular method is people who get rid of items if they haven't worn them in a month, a season, a year etc. I don't agree with this because I personally think some items just haven't had their time yet. For example, I had an unworn shirt that I kept for years and it's now one of my most worn pieces. So, I think holding on to some items you LOVE that you know you'd wear but don't yet is okay. This only works if you have a good sense of who you are and your style. Sometimes it just takes time for that special piece to get its moment to shine. But again, and I cannot stress this enough, you REALLY have to be honest with yourself if going down this route.
But with all methods, I find it's best to start small (like socks that have holes in them, obvious items you can declutter now) before you tackle the big stuff. Decluttering is difficult though so never be too hard on yourself.
My first step before moving though is to declutter as much as possible. I'm trying to be really honest with myself about what I'm keeping and donating/selling what I can.
2. Utilize Space
I have yet to see what kind of internal structure I have to work with - there may be shelves or not, there may only be one bar running across or maybe more. I have no idea. But my plan is to utilize the space I have.
If I have mostly hanging space, then I will hang everything I can (t-shirts, pjs, scarves etc.). They have hangers for almost everything now so if I can find a way to hang it, it hangs. Just as if I have mostly shelves, then everything I can fold gets folded away. If the shelves are too big or I have a lot of floor space, then I will add baskets, boxes, dividers etc. I will also utilize the back of my closet doors (if I have them) with hooks, especially for jewellery or accessories. Basically, if I have space that isn't being used, I'm going to make it work.
Tip: Head to Howards Storage World or IKEA for helpful storage solutions, then go on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree to find it second hand if you're on a budget. A lot of times you can get helpful stuff for free.
3. Group Items
A handy trick I find is to group my items. It doesn't work for everything but for items that I don't wear that often it works a treat! I like keeping my fancy event dresses under my heavy winter coats. Neither get worn on the regular and they're both quite bulky so putting these items together works for me. Just as if I always wear the same cardigan with a specific dress, it makes sense to group these two together on one hanger too.
I also keep my smaller bags in my larger bags, as well as put my seasonal clothing, sentimental items or other things I don't need regularly in my large suitcase so I'm not wasting that space either.
I've never used them but some people like those space saving hangers, that fold down. I have, however, used hangers that hold multiple skirts and they're good but only for relatively thinner clothing pieces. I also use the same type of coat hanger, and not only does it look aesthetically pleasing, but it also makes such a difference.
Tip: Look for thin hangers rather than chunky ones.
4. Seasonal Wardrobe
Melbourne is known for its four seasons in one day, so it's not uncommon to need a jacket in the middle of summer, so dressing for a season isn't really a thing here. However, I know many people like to switch out their summer and winter clothes, kept mostly under their bed in storage bins from what I've commonly seen.
Given Melbourne's unpredictable weather I prefer keeping all my clothes out all year round, but I may store my heavy winter coats under my bed in warmer months as it's unlikely that I will need them.
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There have been MANY articles written about saving wardrobe space which have some awesome advice, but these are the ones I'm adopting. Maybe I'll do a part two to see how I did post-move. I get to see the space I'm working with tomorrow, so I'll have a better idea of what I'm going to do.
x
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