I've been working with several people lately to try and get the contents of their wardrobe aligned with the season, their lifestyle, the new economic climate and some kind of logical arrangement so that they can find everything in it, when they need it. And I confess to having conducted this process for myself recently too.

I'm not talking about the standard wardrobe sort, making sure everything in it suits you — fits, flatters and functions for you. That is a good process that everyone needs to do. What I'm actually talking about is a re-alignment.

A holistic realisation that the world has changed, fashion has slowed down, there is less value in ostentatious behaviour, that clutter is weighing you down, that you may have grown up a bit, that things are quieter generally, and that it is time to take stock.

If you have that general feeling and feel like you need to take some steps to make a fresh start and clean out your own closet, here are some guidelines. You may think that some of them are just details. But give them a try; you will soon see how much of a difference they make.

Sort everything out

Start by removing everything from your hanging space, and then everything from your folding space. Arrange it all in piles on your bed, on the floor, where ever you can find the gap — but make sure that all your shirts are together, all your jackets, etc.

If you are limited for room, do your hanging items first, then the folding, then the shoes, then the accessories, and then the underwear and sleepwear. This may seem like a random order, but actually it is the way that you build a wardrobe, so give it a go.

Go in separate directions

While you are busy arranging things into like piles, please take the time to separate out your suits. Jackets go with jackets, skirts with skirts and trousers go with the rest of your trousers.

This is important as you will start to understand what you really have in your wardrobe and you will realise that you have much more to wear if you use these items as separates as well as a suit.

It is also a good idea to remove integrated belts from items. If you put all your belts together, you may be able to see more easily that you can actually wear your zebra stripe belt with the black shirt dress today, instead of the cloth tie belt it came with — creating a totally different and fresh look.

Hanging on

Remove all your hangers. Set them aside. As you start rehanging good items that you are keeping, try and pick the best hangers first. I personally colour co-ordinate my hangers so that I can easily see in my hanging space where my dresses stop and my tunics begin.

You can only do this if you hang all your dresses on one type or colour of hanger, and then all the jackets on another, and all the shirts on yet another.

Also critical to being able to access and move around your hanging space easily, is to hang all your hangers in the same direction. This will prevent them from getting caught or stuck on other items and you will be able to smoothly see everything that you have.

One last word on hangers. Skirts are notoriously difficult as some have loops and some don't, some fit nicely onto the hanger loops and others droop rather frighteningly low. The best advice I can give you is to hang all your skirts on hangers with peg clips. You can fit around three or four (maximum) on a hanger so even though they are pricey as hangers go, they are worth the effort and, again, you will be able to easily see what is going on in the skirt department.

Piling it on

Now that you have everything organised to start the process and you know what order you will proceed in, there is one last thing to arrange. Go to the kitchen and get out your whole role of back binliner bags. Bring them into the wardrobe space. You will be using them.

Choose to have three separate areas in the room for bags. One is a pile of things that are so destroyed, old or revolting that they must be thrown out. This is not a taste issue, this is for things that no longer are functioning (eg. shoes that have broken in half or smell badly, a shirt with a tear that cannot be repaired).

There shouldn't be very many. These will go straight into your outdoor wheelie bin.

Another bag area will be for things that you would like to gift to people who need them far more than you do. Just think of all the people who will be cold this winter, who would be delighted to receive a fleece for the winter even if it is very unfashionable and a bit worn out. Anything that doesn;t fit you, anything that can be used or repaired by someone who will actually take the time to do it should go into this pile. This should be your biggest pile.

In an average wardrobe, in the current climate, one third of your wardrobe contents should go into this pile.

It's a wonderfully motivating pile too. Just when you are getting a bit sentimental about an item, or trying to convince yourself that you will loose those 10kgs and fit into the jeans again, just remember the people who need it more than you. And suddenly it will seem very easy to pass it on.

You final pile will also be a small one, but it will contain any item that you think you can sell on. A good example is an excellent quality vintage item that no longer fits you. Or a designer dress that you never have the occasion to wear. This pile alleviates the guilt of having bought an item and never worn it.

OK, you won’t make that mistake again, but this time you may be able to make some money back on it.

The interrogation

And so finally you move on to the actual sorting. Take each piece in turn and try it on. Ask your self the following questions:

• Does it fit me well as my weight is right now?


• Does it flatter my body shape, and is the colour a great one for me?


• Do I actually wear it regularly and does it work well for my lifestyle?


• Is it working well in my wardrobe and contributing to my personal style?

Anything that you are not sure about, get rid of it and let someone else benefit from it. Keep only the most flattering and functional items.

As you move through this process, hanging or folding things neatly back into your wardrobe as they meet all your criteria, you will start to see a picture of your colour palette emerging.

You will start to get a third-person's perspective on your personal style and you will be able to easily identify where the gaps are for this season. Good luck and have fun with your closet clear out.

For more information on Robyn and other followers of fashion, go to: http://styleguidecapetown.blogspot.com