Sunnier days ahead mean lighter clothes, and in turn this means sorting through the wardrobe. But don't fear - I can help make things simple!

A furniture brand* recently surveyed the UK public and found that 88% people admit that they need to declutter items in their home. Clothing was the top category in need of sorting (47%), shoes were called out as a problem area by 25% and 18% of people said their accessories needed decluttering. If this sounds like you, read on for top Spring cleaning tips:

Which clothing items should I focus on when decluttering? 

Take out anything you haven’t worn for 6 months, items that don’t fit well and clothes that don’t make you feel good. You should also pay attention to duplicates: do you really need 5 almost-identical blue T-shirts?!

Take any shabby-looking clothes to be recycled and consider whether you’re actually going to get around to repairing items that need fixing. If not, they should be removed.

How many clothes does the average woman need?

It all comes down to personal choice! Some people thrive on the simplicity of a capsule wardrobe, whereas others prefer more variety to mix and match for more versatility. I would recommend a maximum of 10 pairs of trousers (no more than 4 of these to be jeans), 10 dresses and 10 skirts or shorts. When it comes to tops, I’d be more flexible to account for seasonal needs and different occasions. I would aim for 8 jumpers and 12 lighter tops, split across smart-casual, casual, workwear and evening occasions. With shoes, if you stick to core neutrals like black, tan, sand, brown and metallics, you should be able to get away with less than 12 pairs covering all occasions. I would focus on no more than 3 pieces of outerwear per season to keep wardrobe space easy to navigate.

How can I be smarter with my clothing choices? 

Investing in a capsule wardrobe will streamline your space. Focus on a colour palette of 5-6 shades, plus neutrals. It’s well worth having a personal colour analysis to define the clothing shades that will complement your colouring and help you look ‘well put together’.

Think about your shopping habits. Are sale bargains a trigger for you to buy clothes you don’t actually need? Are you buying into trends that don’t really suit you? When you’re clothes shopping, adopt a purposeful approach to avoid over-cluttering your wardrobe. A good rule of thumb is 1-in-1-out, ie look to remove an item from your wardrobe every time you buy something new.

A lot of fashion-savvy women choose one-piece items like dresses and jumpsuits. They look ultra-stylish without the bulk of co-ordinating separates taking up space. Statement accessories like jewellery and belts take up little space and can be used to dress-up or dress-down an outfit for different occasions.

To get uber organised, you could take some time at the weekend to photograph a collection of head-to-toe outfits from your wardrobe so you always have inspiration on hand.

How can I organise my wardrobe better?

Group garments in your wardrobe by type and colour for easy access or try create zones for complete go-to outfits so they’re always on hand. Try open shelving, drawer dividers and hanging jewellery organisers so you can see what you have at a glance. For efficient use of space you can also purchase specialist handbag hangers, tie racks and hangers that hold multiple pairs of trousers.

Storing out-of-season clothes separately removes distractions, so you can reduce time spent rifling through your wardrobe. Space-saving vacuum storage bags and clear under-bed boxes are perfect for keeping clothes stored neatly away.

When I do wardrobe edits for my personal styling clients, here’s how I recommend each category of clothing should be organised:

• Hung – trousers, dresses, blouses or shirts, blazers

• Folded – jumpers, T-shirts, shorts, nightwear

• Rolled – underwear (if you have time!), also roll clothes when you pack to go away to avoid creases

• Stored in garment bags – coats that are out of season, occasionwear, anything worn less frequently to keep the dust off

• Stored in vacuum bags – bulky items like padded coats, chunky knitted sweaters, scarves/gloves/hats when out of season

• Stored in plastic storage containers – footwear, although you may find some ventilation is beneficial.

 I hope these tips have given you inspiration for getting your wardrobe Spring-ready!