LOOKING RAIL NICE

There’s a scene in the Sex And The City movie where Carrie Bradshaw falls in love with an apartment based solely on its sleek, cavernous walk-in wardrobe. Any woman can understand her enchantment, after all, who wouldn’t want a room dedicated to neatly storing every garment or accessory you had ever purchased? But while a fabulous apartment in Manhattan might be out of reach, a well-ordered wardrobe is not.

First, create a space for three separate piles of possessions – “keep”, “donate” and “action” (including anything that needs repaired or dry cleaned) – then open your wardrobe.

The best way to declutter is to work at speed. Pull out each item one by one and make a quick decision.

And be ruthless – have you worn this item in the last year?

If it doesn’t fit or isn’t flattering, don’t hold on to it “just because”.

Don’t forget to go through your shoe collection too, as well as accessories like bags and scarfs.

When everything is sorted into piles, bag up the clothes destined for the charity shop and make a plan for the items that need some action required.

Now your attention should be fully on the “keep” pile. Before anything goes back into the wardrobe, decide if it is a summer or winter garment.

You won’t be needing 10 thick woolly jumpers or your entire collection of long-sleeve tops over the next few months, so be reasonable and pack most of them into a storage bag or box destined for the loft.

You’ll be amazed at how enjoyable getting dressed in the morning will become.

Your new, neatly arranged wardrobe will be a thing of beauty