Do you ever have those moments when you open your closet and you feel like you have nothing to wear? It’s ironic, because when we feel this way most of us are actually staring into a closet that has more than enough to wear. Am I right? This is actually the problem. We have more than enough, but what’s staring back at us is often an abundance of clothes that we A) no longer like or never really liked in the first place B) can’t fit into or C) know are not seasonally appropriate. Having too much of something I don’t actually use or like gives me that icky feeling. Who wants that when they open the closet? Not me! This is precisely why I love the seasonal switch! This post will show you how to do it, and why it’ll make you feel like you have a whole new wardrobe without buying a thing. But first, let me tell you what it is:

What is a Seasonal Switch?

When it comes to the seasonal switch, “seasonal” actually has two meanings. It refers to weather, and also to a time of life. When you take everything out of your closet that is not in season at the moment, or no longer fits into this season of your life, you make your closet way more functional and exciting. It’s a closet of now, rather than then. It invites you to use everything in it, instead of saying you’ll wear it “someday.”

How to do it:

1. Take everything out and sort it like with like. I like to make my bed before I start and lay everything out on the bed.
2. Now, go to your sorted categories and eliminate everything that won’t work in the current weather. Fold it, and put it into a bin labeled with the season on it, or a vacuum sealed bag.
3. After that, eliminate anything that no longer fits you. Put it into a labeled bin with the sizes on the label.
4. Next, eliminate everything you no longer like. Put it in a bin for Goodwill.
5. Finally, eliminate everything that is no longer in style. Put it into a bin for Goodwill. If it’s something you think may come back into style, and it’s in really good condition, and you love it, put it into a bin labeled Time Capsule, with the date on it.
6. You can place these bins under the bed, in the garage, or on the top shelf of your closet, if you have room.
7. Re-hang your current clothing in categories of like with like (by color, and type) and hang the categories you wear most often in places that are easiest to access.
8. Repeat every time you have a change in season!

A few tricks to maintain it:

1. The “one-in-one-out rule.” If you buy something, get rid of something.
2. Another fun thing to do is to rehang all your clothing backwards, and when you wear something put the hanger back the normal way. At the end of the season you’ll see what you’ve never worn from this visual cue.

Why it’s so amazing:

Once you’re finished with your seasonal switch, you’ll be excited to put outfits together. In fact, you may get in bed at night and actually have trouble sleeping because you’ll be dreaming of all the combinations of outfits you can now make, and how excited you are about wearing each and every one to different events and outings you’ve planned this fall.

Take it one step further:

Check out a few magazine style pages you like, and see if you have similar combinations of clothing and accessories in your closet right now. You likely do!

I hope this inspires a whole new perspective on your wardrobe this season! If you liked it, you might also like my post: “Why We Hold Onto Clothes We Don’t Wear.”

I want to hear from you!

How do you like to organize your closet for fall? Post your answer in the comments below! If you liked this post, please share it with a friend. Sign-up for my weekly newsletter here:

With Heart,

Lauren