The 4-step guide to a chic wardrobe

When considering homecoming as an ode to fashion in all its forms, from catwalks to coat racks, our editors are turning their attention to a space that often goes unnoticed: the wardrobe. Whether you're working with a free-standing armoire, a hallway cupboard, or a built-in that's seen better decades, your wardrobe deserves to look as good as the garments it stores. Consider this your guide to making it chic—no sledge hammer or full-scale reno required.

1. Pick a Lane (and a Colour Story)

First, take stock of what’s going on. Multiple hanger styles? A rainbow of shopping bags? Chaos disguised as ‘eclectic’? Streamline. Stick to one hanger shape and tone—dark wood or black velvet is a safe bet—and build a loose colour palette around soft, grounding tones: oat, charcoal, cream, wood. It’ll calm the chaos and make everything feel more edited, even if it’s not.

2. Bins, Boxes, and Other Grown-Up Things

No one is too stylish for storage. Fold-away crates, lidded linen boxes, clear pull-outs—whatever suits your space. The trick is consistency: identical boxes in one colour will always beat mismatched baskets from three different life phases. Use them for off-season gear, belts, bags, or anything else you can’t deal with looking at daily.

3. Treat Shoes Like Art

A row of heels stuffed beneath the hem of a jacket is not the vibe—nor is it good for the longevity of any garments. Even if you’re short on space, a simple shoe rack (read: the non-wobbly kind) can turn chaos into curation. Display your most-worn pairs at eye level, rotate by season, and tuck the rest into dust bags or clear boxes. Think less ‘floor dump’, more ‘editor’s closet’.

4. Make Room for Breathing Room

This might sound counterintuitive, but leave a little space empty. A gap between your hanging items. A clear corner on a shelf. A drawer that’s not bursting. The absence of stuff makes the rest look considered. You know that thing stylists always say—‘edit, then edit again’? Apply it here. After all, shouldn’t this space be absolutely functional?