haven't we all let out a groan on some days when we open our cupboards? “such a mess!” we hiss at the tumble of clothes that grow steadily each day. it is only when the closet is on the brink of explosion that we get down to throwing away some garments and making space for recent acquisitions.

a wardrobe goes through major overhauls at certain milestones in our lives: when we grow out of infant clothes and step into teen threads, move from campus wear to a working wardrobe, when marriage, pregnancy and special celebratory events colour our lives.

through the years, you will discover that fashion trends are replaced by your own style. you know what best conceals your body’s imperfections. you understand what styles flatter your assets. you learn the difference between clothes that fit and clothes that stay eternally in style for your body. through the graveyards of mistakes, we cleanse our closets of garments that do not flatter and no longer make sense to keep.

a wardrobe should be reviewed every six months. the first step is to completely clear out the closet. empty everything into a large carton. air the cupboard for a day after it has been thoroughly cleansed of ‘dust bunnies’. at this stage decide if you need to have a carpenter fit in a new shelf or a second rack. fix the doors, shelves and locks. paint the interiors, if necessary. this may sound strange to the uninitiated, but should you paint your cupboard interior an indigo blue, you can guard your clothes against insects as indigo is a natural insect repellent. line all the drawers with natural, acid free paper.

now decide to which clothes you should bid a quick farewell. by quick, i mean get them out of sight immediately! give them to the needy. if they are of couture quality, donate them to a fashion college, so that students can appreciate the quality of handwork, or take them apart to learn construction techniques.

segregate the garments into clothes that should hang and those that can be stored folded. in a perfect wardrobe, garments like kurtas, woven blouses, dupattas, trousers, shirts and ties should be hung. never use wire hangers. they distort clothes at the shoulders. knits, woollens, camisoles and salwars should be folded. do not ever hang pullovers or sweaters. lingerie can be folded or rolled. lengthy items such as belts, panty hose and churidars should be rolled. precious garments like fine jackets, embroidered ensembles and antique clothing should be protected in muslin or plastic clothes covers. wrap white silk saris or kurtas in blue tissue paper to retain optical whiteness and repel insects.

the art of the perfect fold is illustrated here. fold clothes to fit into a certain space and store them in a manner that they can breathe. do not crush too many folded clothes in a pile. stack a maximum of seven shirts in a pile. if the shelves are too high, add a shelf in-between.

what goes where?
once the garments are neatly folded or hung, segregate them into three groups: clothes worn daily, infrequently used and rarely used. hang and stack the daily clothes within easy reach, up front. next store the garments you use infrequently, and preserve the rarely used ensembles at the back. repeat this procedure for accessories and lingerie. it is a good idea to use assorted chocolate boxes to store jewellery like earrings and rings in individual spaces. bangles can be slipped over a used can. always stack bags neatly like books on a shelf. hanging bags by their handles causes the leather straps to crack and tear.

keep shoes on the lowest rack in order of use: the regularly used should be upfront and the rarely used go at the back. preserve quality shoes in shoe bags. if you store documents and photographs in your cupboard and should you live in high-humidity climate, install a zero watt bulb in the drawer to keep the space moisture free. the bulb should be left on throughout the wet spell period, or if necessary, throughout the year.

get specific
if, like me, you are a perfectionist, you may now arrange each section colour wise. go from white to yellow, orange, red, blue, green, brown, grey, black. if you have a minimalist wardrobe, this job is easy. between white, cream, beige, grey and black, your closet will resemble one of those beautiful photographs you see only in magazines.

for a final touch, put pot-pourri sachets, pine balls, lemon grass or neem leaves in each drawer. or place the internationally new ‘comfort’ closet fresheners in your wardrobe. they are available in superstores overseas in the fabric softener section.

maintenance work
i have discovered that the best way to keep my wardrobe and clothes in good condition is to use the clothes as per their washing or laundering requirement. wear predominantly white clothes one week and coloureds the next. this way, one does a single white or coloured wash at the weekend.

do not postpone putting your wardrobe in order. besides the wonderful way your closet looks, you will discover that rearranging your clothes is one of the most therapeutic tasks. so what are you waiting for? play a cd that thrills you, sing along with the chanteuse and put your closet control rules into action. enjoy!