The art of “Wardrobe Curation” Saves up your Time, Money, and Energy!

When most of us struggle to find something nice to wear every morning even with piles of clothes in the wardrobe and wonder the “why” part of it, I have tried summarising the cause with the solutions below.

Gone are when lots meant luxury, in the times of frequent travels, raising real estate, and scarcity of time and mental space in general, less is more, minimalism is the key that saves your precious money, time, and energy. By following a minimalistic wardrobe you can have a better mental piece as you will have to make fewer decisions while having clothes to wear which makes you look presentable minus the daily struggle.

Below are the steps which I have followed diligently over the years and which made quite an impression with my family and friends around me who struggled daily with their overflowing wardrobes-

1. Declutter

Less is the new more, having piles of clothes which don’t fit you anymore is not an asset but a liability which is taking space in your mind and wardrobe, initially it may seem difficult and costly but try removing everything which is sitting idle in your closet, clothes who haven’t worn in the last 6 months, don’t fit you anymore, is torn, faded, doesn’t give you joy while wearing and slowly in this process, you will realize the mental as well as physical space you have created, and you don’t even miss any of those items.

If you still find difficulty in tossing them off, separate the items you are not wearing and wait for 2–3 months to notice even if you need them, if you still don’t better toss them off or donate.

2. Organize

Now when you have tossed away all unneeded, organize the newfound space properly, you can start organizing your space by doing the following-

Fold your clothes properly in a 2 or 3 fold structure or whatever suits your space the most. Don’t forget to use the vertical space of your wardrobe.

Arrange your clothes in sections that make separate spaces for jeans, tops, t-shirts, lingerie, etc. In the same way keep in mind whether they are your work clothes, gym clothes, nightclothes, or home clothes and arrange them separately.

Use hangers and drawers to optimal use by hanging your nicer clothes in them, you can even hang multiple tops in one hanger and will end up saving a lot of space. Put small items like handkerchiefs, socks, and lingerie in separate drawers.

Also arrange wardrobe space according to the season which means putting your winter wears away in separate boxes in summer and likewise, also heavy traditional wedding dresses should be stored separately.

My Humble Closet

3. Think

Now after all the tossing and decluttering you’ll have a better idea of what worked for you and what didn’t. Most of us wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time, it may differ from person to person but most wearables are usually the basics, recognize your basics, their style, fit, brand, fabric and notice what made them stay, it may be there style or comfort or finish or how wearing them makes you feel.

Make sure you have all your basics sorted like for me it is plain blue denim and black jeans. a mid-size handbag, a sling, a large size bag, shoes and sneakers most often, and tops that don’t require ironing and are 3/4th sleeves usually from the brand. Also, I know though I shop or get lots of Indian wear as gifts, I usually avoid wearing them regularly like for office. Think a bit about your style, and what makes you feel great.

4. Avoid

Avoid wearing fast fashion that comes and goes at a lightning speed, shopping anything just because it is cheap especially in sales gives the worst ROI in longer runs, Buying classics which makes you feel happy even after 50th usage is a better investment compared to buying cheap which gets ignored after 1–2 occasional use.

Shop consciously and don’t buy stuff that is not of proper fit, fabric, style, and avoid compromising on it. One great piece that runs long is better than 5 pieces that are cheap and die soon. Also, avoid buying items that are tough to mix and match with your existing wardrobe.

Disclaimer- Cheap every time is about price and the quality that should be judged in a situational manner.

5. Invest

Now when you are clear about your style and figured what stayed, what didn’t, what gives you joy, which type of clothes you end up wearing again n again and felt good in, it is time to invest in the same.

Invest in wearing good fabrics, quality, styles that don’t go out of trend, with an emphasis on quality over quantity, and avoid buying trash, Only buy what gives you joy. Invest in good basics that you are gonna wear frequently, Invest in clothes whose elegance never go out of style, that suits you, fits you well and you feel great wearing them. Invest with a vision of long-term usability rather than short-term usage.

6. Maintain

The art of Wardrobe curation is a continuous cycle. You need to keep decluttering stuff that no longer serves your purpose, keep organizing, buying consciously, be less greedy and more mindful, and invest in the right pieces.

Additionally, you can reuse the existing pieces by renovating them like dying the clothes whose color drained out, buying an item to match with the pending to wear item, and fixing the fit here and there.

By being generous in donating stuff you no longer need and avoiding buying in haste you’ll be mindful to buy only the best which you deserve to wear and gives you happiness.

7. Hire people

If all of this doesn’t make much sense to you and taking care of your shopping and wardrobe tires you down, you should hire a specialist to do the same. Having a specialist wardrobe curator and a personal stylist will take all the toll from you of curating your wardrobe and styling you in your best form. You can enjoy and get calm in the whole process with assistance from professionals.

Please leave comments below to share your thoughts on the same, you can ping me for any assistance. We are Wardrobe curators named- “set my wardrobe” based in Banglore, India, and will be happy to help!