Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
It is always a good idea to organise and de-clutter your home when the new year rolls around. Start with your wardrobe because it will give you the biggest payoff by making it easier to find things and coordinate your outfits in the morning.
Start with boxes
Grab three boxes that you can use to organise labelled: 1) Put away, iron or wash, 2) Donate, 3) Trash It. This helps with the flow of the sorting process and much easier to separate things.
Big items first
Shoes and handbags are major closet hogs. Give a hanging shoe rack a try or organise in little clear boxes on top of the wardrobe. Invest in a little step stool to access the items. Large sweaters and hoodies can be folded and put up on higher shelves or put in a drawer.
Find a friend
Make a friendly cuppa and have the bestie come by for advice. She will most likely take some of your stuff home or do a clothing swap. Having another person to tell you: ‘No way, toss it’ helps to motivate the purge and parting with things easier. Make it a family chore to organise closet items for at least 15 minutes each week and they can earn some chore money as well.
Start in sections
Just in case you cannot finish what you started, and want to avoid a massive mess of clothing on your bed, start in sections. When you begin the process it will shock you how fast things flow once you get used to sorting the items.
Use space savers
There are closet organisers that you can buy which will help make use of your space. You can stack t-shirts on racks, insert an extra wardrobe rod, or change to thinner hangers. There are special hangers with clips for skirts and trousers which can be used on a bottom rod. If you have the budgets consider calling up one of those specialty closet companies.
Be realistic
Pretend you are a stylist for the day and look at your closet like it is not even yours. If you check it out like it isn’t your mess you may be more objective. Will you really wear that paisley green polyester shirt? I get the 70s are back but, come on!!
Try this on for size
How long have you been hanging on to those jeans you wore in senior school? You will never be that small. After having children your body shape changes and you may not fit them as nicely. For your sake, just get rid of it. I have heard of some girls that brag about hanging onto some things since they were in 6th form. Really? Look, things ball up, look tattered and are not THAT timeless. I get you may fit it but clothing has a lifecycle.
One-year rule
If you have not worn it in a year chances are you bought the wrong size, you made a mistake buying it, or it is just not stylish enough for your posh tastes. Sell it.
Stained and confused
Okay, you were sloppy and you messed up your favourite white blouse. I am sorry but there are some stains that will just not come out no matter how many tricks you think you have up your sleeve. Bleach, certain dyes, oils and paint are impossible to remove. Toss it!
Stretched, faded or piled
Check to see how it hangs on you because it could be just too stretched out now. Fading also happens naturally with washing. Ask someone else if the colour is off because you just may be too used to looking at it. Check close for piling as well. Some materials will start to wear and form little balls, fray and not look so neat and tidy. Yup, toss it!
Just smells odd
Some materials will hold on to odours more than others. Give it the smell test. I bet you didn’t think of that? Yes, not everything comes clean with Tide. Love to fry fish or hang out in musty basements? Wear clothing that you don’t care much about when you are doing those smelly chores. Body odour also lingers depending on the material.
Too damaged
It is easy to get things repaired here in Bahrain with a tailor on each block but they are not magicians. Some things are not worth the repair and will cost you more than buying something new. Stop hoarding or your family may be forced to call up TLC. Watch a few episodes of ‘Hoarding: Buried Alive’ and you will stop this nonsense immediately.
What is the statement?
What you wear will convey a certain message. What do you want to say? I am hanging on to the past and still want to wear that cute mini I wore in college? It is time to grow up and dress appropriately for your age? People can tell when women are trying to look like their 18-year-old daughter. I get that you want to feel youthful, go for it, but there are fun pieces that are fresh and fun that do not have mid-life crisis written all over it.
Reward yourself
Recognise and celebrate what you’ve done. Treat yourself to something new and sneak into that shop for that dress you’ve been obsessing over. Now, you actually have room for it!
