When you live in the UK, you need clothing for all weathers. We can have very warm and sunny weather in the summer (as experienced in 2026) but we can also be subject to cold spells, snow and heavy rain during the winter months. 

That can make it challenging when it comes to storing your clothes in an orderly fashion. After all, bulky jumpers and coats require more space than thin T-shirts and floaty dresses or light trousers. 

Of course, we all have clothes that we don’t wear at certain times of the year. In fact, one survey from 2025 found that the average Brit will only wear about half of the clothes in their wardrobe in any given year. 

Naturally we all have outfits that we’ve bought for special occasions, like weddings, that we hold on to and that aren’t the kind of clothing you’d wear any day, but the research also found many people hang onto items in case they come back into fashion.

There are others who keep clothes that they no longer fit into in the hope that one day they will once again be able to wear these items. 

Step-by-step guide: organising your wardrobe by season

Regardless of what kinds of clothes you’re holding on to, chances are you could benefit from a bit more organisation in your wardrobe. Here are three steps you can take to help store your clothes and accessories in an orderly way, by season.

Step 1: Take stock of what clothes you own

This probably sounds obvious, but you can’t properly plan out the design of your new wardrobe without knowing what you need to store. You also may think you already know what clothes you own, but we urge you to take the plunge and commit to this step fully.

Our recommendation is to get all the clothes out of your wardrobe (and chest of drawers if you also use one) and sort them into categories. It can be helpful to separate them by type of clothing – for example dresses, shirts, trousers and so on – but also by season. 

Are there any clothes that you only wear during the winter or summer? What items in your wardrobe do you find yourself wearing all year round? Knowing the answers to these questions will help with the next step. 

You may also want to add an “occasionwear” category to account for the fancy dresses or tailored suits that only come out for a wedding. 

Step 2: Declutter

Be honest about whether you need to keep all the clothes you can now see piled up in front of you. Are there any that no longer fit that you could sell or give to a charity shop? Are there some that you simply don’t like wearing any more? 

Decluttering your wardrobe not only makes space for new items of clothing, but also helps ensure that when you design your wardrobe online, you are clear on exactly how much space you really need for your clothes and accessories. 

Step 3: Make a note of how your clothes are best stored

Once you know what items of clothing you own, you can look at how best to store them. Do you have a lot of long dresses that need full-length hanging space from the rail, or do you have more short dresses or skirts that will be fine with half-length hanging space? 

Do you have a lot of pairs of trousers that you want to keep crease-free? What about your preferred way to store T-shirts, jumpers and jackets? 

Don’t forget about the likes of shoes, belts and other accessories like scarfs, hats, jewellery and handbags as well. Many of these items end up bundled into our wardrobes, but if we create dedicated space they are easier to find and often stay in better condition.

For instance, making sure that you hang clothes with a bit of space between them allows air to circulate and prevents your garments from smelling musty. Meanwhile, folding and storing wool jumpers in drawers or on shelves prevents them from becoming misshapen.   

Step 4: Design your ideal wardrobe

Now that you have a clear idea about what clothes you own and how they are best stored, you can design your ideal storage solution using our online wardrobe builder. 

As well as setting the dimensions for your wardrobe to precisely match the space available in your home, you can also select from a variety of internal layouts, ensuring that you have a wardrobe that meets your needs.

The internal storage options include:

• Rails – and you can choose whether you want full-length hanging space or short hanging space.
• Drawers – we have one, two and three drawer storage available in our wardrobes.
• Shelves – you can have shelves at the top or bottom of your wardrobe either side of a rail, or you can choose shelving throughout the whole cupboard. 

There are many opportunities to mix and match between the different internal storage options, which means you can tailor your wardrobe design based on what kind of clothes you typically own. 

If you want to split your wardrobe by season, this also means you can design one part of your wardrobe with your autumn and winter clothing in mind, and another part for your spring/summer garments.

You could also have a section dedicated to the items that you reach for no matter what the time of year – this can help if you’re in a rush to get ready to go out and need a staple piece that always works. 

Bonus tip: think about storage for sentimental pieces

Sometimes we keep hold of an item of clothing for sentimental reasons – for instance a wedding dress or suit, or maybe an outfit that you wore to your graduation ceremony. These are often pieces we are reluctant to part with, but that we’re unlikely to wear. 

If you have the height in your bedroom, an overhead cupboard could be a good place to store these kinds of garments, so that you can keep them safe without taking up space in the part of your wardrobe that you access daily.