Autumn is well and truly here, with all of the chunky knitwear, cosy evenings and crisp leaves. Maybe it’s old habits dying hard, maybe it’s my rising Virgo, but whatever chaos summer throws at me, come September 1st I’m always eager to get everything organise. Yes, even more so than usual.

Everything will get it’s obligatory autumn clean but if the thought of actually getting back to work reguarly and having to find things to wear that aren’t just elasticated and possibly slept in the night before has got you in a spin then I’m here to help. It may not be the most glamorous weekend activities but taking some time to get your wardrobe organised can bring you so much ease in the mornings. For a start you know what you already have so you don’t spend the season buying anything unnecessary. Not to mention it gives you a chance to give some TLC to the things you’ve had for a while but still love.

Step 1: Empty Your Wardrobe

Get everything out where you can see it. If you can organise everything in piles by tops/trousers/dresses/coats even better, but it’s not essential. Seeing everything will remind you of the things that maybe haven’t been worn for a while and give you fresh ideas of how things can be paired together. And while everything’s out, give that wardrobe or chest of drawers a good old clean.

Step 2: Go Through What You Have

It may seem tedious but take some time to filter through what you have. What are the things you love, the no-brainers that they’ll go back in and what are the things that you never actually wear anymore. Anything that you don’t wear should be put to one side to be sold, donated or recycled if it’s beyond repair. Anything you love that needs a bit of TLC? Find yourself a local tailor, cobbler or service like The Restory to give you a hand if it needs more than your sewing skills can achieve.

Step 3: Think About What You Wear

It’s easy to throw everything back in, but taking a moment to think about how you wear your clothes will mean everything goes back in a way that actually helps you. If you wear a work uniform 5 days a week then hang this all up together, making it easy to access and pairing things up on hangers like these. If you’ve got the freedom to wear what you like then think about how you get dressed. If it’s generally a top & jeans situation then it makes sense for these to hang together in the part of your wardrobe that’s easiest to access.

Step 4: Invest In Organisers

Shelf separators, underwear organisers, felt hangers, anything that helps you keep everything in the right place and cut down on the clutter is a saviour in my book. If you’re short on space these are also great for making sure you get the most out of the space you do have.

Step 5: Put Everything Back

You know what you need, you know where you want it and you know how to put it back to get the most out of the space. Now comes the part where you put it all back in. Personally I like to have tops on the higher rail, trousers on the lower, with everything going from light to dark so I can see how different things work together. It isn’t essential but I do find it helps me to identify any gaps in my wardrobe and stop me from just buying the same things again and again. If you have the room then hang delicate fabrics and anything that creases easily like linen, silk and t-shirts, and fold your heavier items like knitwear to avoid them dropping out of shape.