The Seasonal Switch: Why and How You Should Take Your Wardrobe From Winter to Spring
It’s that time of the year when you hear, “March,” and may think, Spring cleaning or college basketball and March Madness. Perhaps, you are a little of both, I know I am! Whether it is exterior elements of your home, interior spaces, the projects add up to get you ready for the outdoor, sunny weather. One of those areas I personally love to tackle is the seasonal switch of my closet. Preparing for the next season can be fun, you get to pull out clothes that have been tucked away since the previous season and change up the look of your wardrobe. Once I share why and how I take my wardrobe from winter to spring with these tips, you too may look forward to this transition each season!
Why
To answer the first and foremost question, “Amanda why do I need to do this?,” listen up! Chances are that your closet real estate is at a minimum and you can’t store all of your clothes in one space. You may need to bring in the spring and summer items to replace the fall and winter clothes. If you are lucky enough to have a larger closet, the items out of season may have been moved to the back or higher up areas and now need to be brought to eye level for ease of use. Or you may be one of the lucky individuals who lives in a year-round climate, and if that’s the case, you will probably stop reading here :).
In addition, the seasonal switch allows you to access what you wore frequently and what you did not, which maybe means it can be donated or sold. So whether it doesn’t fit, is no longer in style, or perhaps damaged, why waste the time packing it up for next winter when you can create more space for new items down the road. Last, pulling out the winter items gives you a chance to wipe down those shelves and vacuum out your closet!
How
I start the seasonal switch (living on the East coast) once we have had some consistent weather. Each day may not be 60-70 degrees, so I keep some of my lighter to medium sweaters still accessible for layering for the chillier days and nights. The heavy sweaters, pants, jackets, boots, dresses all get pulled and assessed. “Did I wear this item this past season? Do I still love it? Does it fit? Will I wear this next year? Does it have a button or stitch that needs to be repaired?” These are the questions I ask myself as I go through the items to make accurate choices, a pile to donate, a pile to pack and a pile that may need to be cleaned or fixed before storing away.
For the majority of my sweaters, I have been using the Laundress Wool & Cashmere Shampoo Wool & Cashmere Shampoo which is so much easier than brining items to the dry cleaners! For the last two years it has not only saved me time, but money!
The next order of business is how to store the offseason clothes. Do you use a closet in a spare bedroom and therefore can hang and fold? I personally have a smaller closet I can use for hanging and then put foldable items into one of these bags on the floor. For storage in areas with potential “environment” issues, I err on the side of caution and always suggest these airtight containers. Especially storage in an unfinished basement, you rather be safe than sorry. The best part about both of these storage options is that because they are clear, you can see through, know what categories are being stored where and therefore find an item in an instant.
Once the winter items are sorted and stored, there is now room to go through a similar process with your spring items. You can ask yourself similar questions, “Do I still love this item? Does this item still fit/fit my style? Does this item need to be repaired?” Again, these questions help you make informed decisions when finishing the seasonal switch. Brining in the next season of clothes is the most exciting part (at least for me), because I get to look at new clothes, patterns and colors in my closet!
You Can Do It
As March progresses, my fingers are crossed that the warmer weather is finally here to stay! Now equipped with the why and how I take my wardrobe from winter to spring, I hope that you feel confident tackling your closet in the coming weeks! Be sure to reach out to The Home Revival with any questions you have or share a picture of your seasonal switch!