Switch Out Your Wardrobe With Our Easy System

For our friends in warmer climates, your wardrobe may not change all that much season to season. But for those of us facing cooler temperatures, it’s high time to swap our closet full of spring and summer items for fall and winter fashion.

Perhaps you’re dreading that monumental task, and if you are, we don’t blame you. But it doesn’t have to be just another chore on your to-do list. With a smart system and a little pre-planning, your closet switchover could just be the easiest task on your fall to-do list. Plus, we’ve got all the baskets you need to store those off-season items safely until it’s time to unfurl them.

Ready to rock some fall fashion? Here is our fast, simple system to help you transform your look from sundresses and shorts to sweaters and scarves:

Step 1: Tackle your closet by type of clothing.

The easiest way to feel overwhelmed by any big organization task is to start willy-nilly. By only removing one kind of clothing at a time, you ensure you stay focused and don’t get frustrated. Plus, you can really see what you own and make decisions about what to keep, or not. (See the next step.) So just pick a clothing type and start with it: pants. Skirts. Shorts. It doesn’t matter what you choose first. Once you’ve got all of that type of clothing off the racks, the next type will be so much easier.

Step 2: Evaluate everything for “keep or donate.”

As you pull clothing off by type, evaluate each piece, and whether (or not) it still serves your needs. Marie Kondo shares a great bit of advice on this in her popular book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. In it, she suggests holding each item in your hand and asking yourself if it still brings you joy. (In the case of clothing, you may want to actually put the item on to ask this question.) If the answer is “yes,” keep the item. If the answer is “no,” or if you feel ambivalent, place it in the “to go” stack. Another way to evaluate clothing might be to ask yourself, “Did I wear this item at all this year? If so, how many times? ” The answer may clarify whether or not the piece still serves your fashion needs.

Step 3: Wash and mend anything that needs it before you put it away.

Once you’ve created your “to keep” pile, examine each piece for split seams, missing buttons, or broken zippers. Mend anything that needs work or, if sewing isn’t your specialty, take the items to a tailor who can assist with that task. Also, wash all items that may need washing. This helps to keep your items smelling fresh and sweet when you open the bins up next spring! As clothes come out of the dryer, press them and carefully fold them for storage in your favorite basket or bin. Not only will your investments in clothing last longer with this kind of care, but you’ll feel great about them as well.

Step 4: Have a location and baskets ready for the big switch.

Having a plan is half the fun—and satisfaction—of a big organizational task. While you’re mending and washing your “keeper” clothes, make sure you also know where in your home you are going to store them. Will you stack large wicker storage baskets in the basement? Or slip underbed wicker storage baskets beneath your dust ruffle? How about lining up wicker shelf baskets in your linen closet?* (We have all these and more, by the way, so there’s no need to settle for a partially-satisfactory solution!) Be sure you have the place worked out, and have the baskets on hand that best fit both your off-season clothing and your storage space.

Step 5: Pack your clothes in mothballs or with sachets to help protect them.

As you pack up the washed, mended keeper items from your off-season wardrobe, don’t forget to consider what you can place inside the baskets to keep the items fresh throughout the long winter. Mothballs are a good choice if insects or rodents are a concern in your storage space. For a gentler, more fun idea, consider adding a few old-fashioned lavender or rose sachets among the folded layers of clothing. Imagine how lovely this will smell when you open the bins next spring!

Step 6: Donate or resell your gently-used items for those who need them.

Once your keeper clothing is safely packed away, take the gently-used items you’ve eliminated from your wardrobe to a place where someone else can use them. Great options include giving them to a local shelter, donating them to a thrift store, experimenting with a consignment shop (which gives you back a percentage of the purchase price), or even selling them on eBay. Whatever your chosen way of passing those items forward, make sure you do it swiftly. If boxes or bags sit around for months, you’re likely to procrastinate further, not to mention feeling the added weight of their energetic and physical clutter.

Step 7: Take time to organize your new season’s clothing within your closet.

Do you have a habit of keeping your closet ordered by type of clothing, or color, or some other system? If not, now is the perfect time to adopt one. As you hang up or fill drawers with your current season’s clothes, give thought to what kind of organization would make getting dressed easier. Plus, if all your clothes are easily visible and organized on your racks, you’re more likely to wear everything you own rather than simply pulling the same items multiple times. Invest in color-coded hangers, if that helps. Or reconsider how you’re group items on the rack space that you have in your closet. This is also a good time to consider tools like hanging shoe or jewelry organizers.

Step 8: Enjoy your handiwork.

One of the greatest results of a big organization project like a closet switch-over is the way it makes you feel when you’re done! Don’t neglect to have a glass of wine, hot cider, or other favored beverage when you’re finished, in celebration of your accomplishment. Also, take time to stand in the closet doorway to admire what you’ve done. Closet switch-overs are a big task. With yours behind you, you’ll be more mentally and physically free to tackle the best of autumn’s activities in comfort and style!

The Basket Lady is the world’s premier supplier of high-quality rattan and wicker baskets at near-wholesale prices. Contact us toll-free at 888-742-4172 or view our entire collection at BasketLady.com. Send us an email or visit us on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram.