Sortorial specialises in home and wardrobe organisation with a stylish state of mind, and you should too this 2020

By Dana Koh
co-founder of Sortorial

As a Capricorn, I'm great at compartmentalising—not just feelings, but things around the house as well. Nothing thrills me quite like sorting out overflowing closets specifically by colour then style then occasion; shoes into a display wall of transparent boxes; and vanities, oh vanities, spilling with skincare, makeup, tools and fragrances, which I'd sift out, streamline and stack up to create your very own beauty department—one that flows seamlessly with your beautifying and self-care rituals. 

Here are 8 Sortorial tips to help you organise and optimise your wardrobes and vanities this brand new year:

1. Edit your closet by shopping it

There have been so many things in my closet that made me go, "What was I thinking?"—and I'm sure yours is the same. The culprit's usually a sale, or a random purchase based on a trend I thought I could pull off.

So what you need to do is go through your racks as if you were in a store. Take out what you'd want to try or ‘instantly buy’, for simple reasons like how it suits your style or is just irresistibly cute. For everything else that you didn't choose, or that doesn't fit anymore, donate or re-sell on THE FIFTH COLLECTION, because there is someone else who truly wants and needs those garments. 

2. Use the right type of coordinating hangers

This may seem obvious, and yet I've encountered a shocking number of people who are using the wrong hangers for their clothes, causing them to go out of shape. And honestly, matching hangers (all slotted in the same direction) instantly gives your wardrobe a much more organised aesthetic with minimal effort.

Sturdy velvet hangers are the most versatile, working for even the most slip-prone blouses and yet remain gentle on delicate materials.

Another space-saving solution are multi-tiered hangers, mainly for pants—but, if you don't have those, and have those regular clip ones for bottoms, you can hook them together to create your own cascading column.

3. Karma your clothes

You get what you give, so adopt that approach with your wardrobe as well. For every piece that you acquire, donate a piece in return. This way, you're guaranteed enough space no matter what, and you naturally become a lot more conscious when you shop.

An easy way to decide what you can give away is to create a section of lesser worn clothes, and face the hangers the other way around. Those that remain reversed are by default the ones you don't intend to wear anymore, and can deal with letting go. 

4. Use your eyes and height to gauge where things should go

Every current season item (that you use for work and weekends) should be stored at eye level and within arm's reach. Things like winter wear can be stored in vacuum bags and slid under the bed, and holiday pieces like scarves and swimwear can be tucked into storage bins and stowed away beneath your lower rack of clothes. 

5. Divide and conquer your drawers and shelves

Just because you have built-in organisers, doesn't mean you can't customise and optimise them to your needs. For shelves, acrylic partitions work wonders for stacks of folded garments or rows of bags and clutches—and a must-have is Threadstax, a magical stackable, folding tray. Not only does it provide a guide so that every piece of clothing is folded to the exact same size, but it also allows for easy stacking and removal, like shuffling a deck of cards.

For drawers, varying fabric compartmentalisers work great for rolled garments like casual home wear or fitness attire that are pliable and can afford to be lightly creased. I love little honeycomb-shaped dividers with individual slots for undergarments, to be placed in the drawer along side bras in a neat row sorted according to colour. 

6. Create a bird's eye view for accessories

Chucking your jewellery and accessories into a box will entangle and possibly tarnish them, so as much as you can, find individual slots for each, with drawer trays that allow you to store and see everything from top down. Rings, earrings and bracelets can go into velvet trays, while watches should always be in a proper multi-watch box or in the ones they were bought in—depending how much of a connoisseur you are, of course. Velvet stands are great for necklaces, and you can easily buy these on Lazada or acrylic stands from Muji.

7. Build up your beauty tiers

From stacked acrylic drawers to floating shelving units, the best way to get your vanity area sorted is to build upwards. I personally prefer adjustable, shelving units for skincare simply because these products need more space and I line them up from left to right in accordance to the sequence I apply them on my face—starting with toners, lotions and essences, before moving onto serums, moisturisers and oils, all on the topmost tier. Targeted treatments like eye creams, lip balms and spot treatments go on the second tier, while heavier jars of sleeping masks or more luxurious (read: expensive, so used in extreme moderation) creams go on the bottom.

All my makeup go into acrylic boxes with one product category per compartment, like lipsticks, contour-highlighter palettes and eyeliners, brow pencils and mascaras. While emptied candle jars or old drinking glasses make great brush holders, I use an old glass cocktail shaker because it has a cap—for those who don't use brushes that often, it's best to store them covered after you've thoroughly cleaned and dried them.

8. Handle your bags with tender loving care

Never stash your bags together, unless you want to distort their shape, tarnish hardware or stain them. If you have the shelf space, it is best to space them out in their dust bags (or old pillow cases), stuffed with the original paper they came with or acid-free options, which are readily available at places like CartonBox and PackEverything. Remember to tuck in chains and fasten zips to avoid any pressure marks or dents from forming. Besides keeping them in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, you should air them out every once in a while to prevent humidity-related damage or mould growth. Dehumidifiers are essential for storing bags safely as well.

sortorial specialises in home organisation and personal styling in Singapore. we will organise your home, declutter your wardrobe and give you practical fashion solutions. For more information, visit the site here