How To Organise Your Shoes & Bags

PERSONAL STYLE
Written By Travis Tucker

Shoes & Bags: organising by lifestyle. 

 

Before we even start where to store shoes and bags, we need to get clear on what actually belongs in your life.


Instead of buying lots of different styles “just in case,” I want you to notice what you already reach for on repeat. Shape. Strap placement. Toe shape. 

Once you spot that pattern, you build variations of the same style.

black sandals on table

I always do this very intentionally:

  • If I own the flat version I love, I hunt down the elevated version

  • If I own the elevated version I live in, I add the casual flat equivalent
     

Same style. Same footprint. Same visual balance. Just different levels of dressiness.

Only then do I organise by colour.

black street sneakers in rack

On the shelf above, you’ll see my wide-strap Birkenstock-style flats, with the platform version directly behind them.

Next: my crossover-strap flats, with the platform equivalent sitting behind.

Then closed-toe flats with their platform twin.

Then street sneakers… followed by their patent, platform sister at the back.

Flat in front. Elevated behind. Always paired.

When you can see your options side-by-side, getting dressed becomes easy.

Your eye instantly knows what to grab based on your last hem line, length, colour, and design. 

Your best shoe for that outfit is never hiding. It’s literally staring you right in the face.

With my clutch bags, I store them together in a couple of clear boxes on a shelf.

This keeps the dust off, but still lets me see a glimpse of the colour and shape, so they’re easy to grab on my way out the door.

My larger bags and tote bags live standing upright, side by side, in cloth dust bags on a shelf.

That way, they hold their shape, stay protected, and I can see everything at a glance, no digging, no forgotten favourites.
 

So, how do you start your perfect large bag collection?

Begin with colours that don’t match your shoes. 

black strap sandals on brown handbag

Your bag shouldn't blend in; it needs to balance the outfit and, at times, be the missing one of the 4 LDCP elements.

When your shoes and bag are too matchy-matchy, everything can feel a little… predictable.

A bag in a different colour adds interest, contrast, and intention without trying too hard.

Think of your bag as the punctuation mark at the end of your outfit. It finishes the sentence; it doesn’t repeat it.

black sandals green strap animal print birks.

Shoes: Style and Colour

  • Identify the shoe styles you wear on repeat

  • For each style, collect:

    • A flat version

    • A more elevated version (platform or heel)

  • Store by colour

  • Keep equivalents together so choices are obvious
     

Bags: See It All

  • Store clutch bags in clear boxes so you can see colour and shape

  • Store large bags and totes upright in cloth dust bags

  • Start your large bag collection with colours that don’t match your shoes
     

Final Check

  • Can you see your options clearly?

  • Can you finish an outfit in under 60 seconds?

  • Does everything have a reason for being there?


If the answer is yes, you’re officially making it look easy.

And if not? That’s simply your next place to tweak.


Grab your Free Wardrobe Zones eBook HERE

 
Nat xo

P.S. Missed part one of this wardrobe sorting series? Go Here for the previous lesson.

 
Travis Tucker
Next

Sorting Your Wardrobe