Transition your Wardrobe: How to Organize your Closet for Fall

Autumn is right around the corner. With Labor Day upon us and the promise of sweater weather in just a few weeks, now is the perfect time to reassess and organize your wardrobe closet.

A beautifully styled and simplified closet tailored for the colder months will:

  • Save you hours of wasted time digging through irrelevant warm weather duds
  • Inspire you to wear more of your clothing this fall and winter seasons
  • Create a feeling of spaciousness and ease in your routine

Here are our top organizing tips for transitioning your wardrobe closet for Fall.

 

1. EDIT YOUR WARDROBE 

Doing a full wardrobe edit will help you create space and hone in on your look for the coming season. Our decluttering process is simple. Pull all your clothes, shoes and accessories out of your closet and separate into 4 piles (while sorting like with like):

  • Keep: will wear in fall and winter
  • Store: love it, but only wear in spring and summer months
  • Donate or Sell: don’t love it or wear it
  • Repair: needs to be dry-cleaned, repaired, etc.

The more you purge at this stage, the more refreshed and intentional your wardrobe will feel. We always tell clients to be relentless in this stage and to donate or sell anything that doesn’t make them feel like a million bucks.

2. PREP & SAFELY STORE YOUR WARM WEATHER CLOTHES 

Storing sandals, tanks, and summer dresses elsewhere can carve out some much-needed space in your wardrobe closet, which is especially important in tiny New York homes. Before packing anything away, check for stains or tears and get them cleaned and repaired now. Having summer items cleaned before packing them away will preserve them and save you time come spring.

Here are a few of our favorite storage options for your warmer weather clothing:

If you have the space to keep your warmer weather clothing in your main closet, fantastic! We just recommend rotating the warmer weather clothes to the far corners or highest shelves, so that your prime real estate is reserved for the clothes you’ll be grabbing for the most.

3. DONATE & SELL ITEMS 

Ditching items that no longer serve you is not just about creating space (although that’s a nice side effect). When you purge the old, you make space for the new. Whether it’s new career aspirations, a new relationship, or simply a new season, it’s important to consider how the energy will shift when you discard items that no longer support your goals and aspirations.

However, knowing where to sell, donate, and recycle items can be a little overwhelming! Here are some of our go-to resources:

  • For high-end items in great condition, we use The RealReal (an online consignment shop that does all the work for you)
  • For lightly worn business attire, we love donating to Dress for Success
  • For casual and worn items, we donate to Goodwill

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4. REPAIR + CLEAN FALL WARDROBE 

.Repairing, cleaning, and tailoring your fall clothing and accessories will set you up for success. Start by assessing all your shoes, and set aside boots, flats, or heels that need to be resoled, polished, or weatherproofed. Next, look for any jackets, coats, dresses, or blouses that need to be dry-cleaned, patched up, or tailored.

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With a little bit of investment upfront, you’ll end up buying fewer duplicates throughout the season because your collection will be ready for action.

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5. FILL IN THE GAPS 

.Now that your wardrobe has been edited, streamlined, and prepped, consider what clothing pieces would round out your collection. We love the concept of a capsule wardrobe because it focuses on completing your wardrobe with classic, high-quality pieces that mix and match easily. Often times our client will love a blouse, but will rarely wear it because they don’t have the right skirt or pant to pair it with. Consider what pieces you skip over because they need the right skinny jean or leather jacket.

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With a few intentional pieces, you may just round out your wardrobe and give yourself more options to play with.

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6. ORGANIZE &. MAXIMIZE YOUR CLOSET 

.A well-organized closet will save you time and energy. Begin by grouping like with like, and deciding which items will be folded and hung. Here are a few rules of thumb that we go by:

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  • Fold: pajamas, athletic wear, undergarments
  • Hang: jackets, coats, blazers, blouses, trousers, dresses
  • Fold or Hang:(based on your preference & space needs): shirts, shorts, jeans, light knit sweaters, scarves, belts

 

Next, group items by type, style, and color to quickly see what you have. If your storage space is still tight, consider maximizing storage with these helpful tips and stow lesser-used items out of the way to reserve “prime real estate” for all your favorites. 

 

 

 

 

HI, I'M MONICA

I help high-performers organize their lives. Follow for my 3-step method + the Simply Spaced life.

This blog post may contain affiliate links. If you use them, I may be rewarded credit or a commission of the sale. Please note that I only recommend tools that I personally use and love.

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