Summer/Winter Closet Switch

In the last months, slowly but surely life has become more normal – we have adapted to the COVID situation, public transportation is full, there is traffic on the roads again, people are out and about, and it has been super busy with helping clients organize and move. Travel has become a lot more common, and I was grateful to have the opportunity to take a quick trip overseas to Israel (it had been over 2 years since my last trip!). I packed light and my suitcase consisted of shorts, tank tops, summer dresses, bathing suits and sandals. It was a wonderful trip filled with beaches, spending quality time with friends and family, and of course eating and drinking (lots of it!). I returned from my vacation, sun kissed, re-energized, and excited to work with my clients and on organizing projects. The first thing I noticed when I returned earlier this week is that the weather had changed since I left. I ran to the neighborhood grocery store dressed like it was still summer and felt a chilly wind in the air. That’s it. It was time to switch out my closet, fall is officially here, and winter is right around the corner.

Here are some tips on switching out your summer and winter clothes:

1) This is the perfect opportunity to purge your summer clothes before you put them away. Pull your summer clothes out of your closet and categorize them by type – shorts, shirts, dresses, sandals, bathing suits, etc. Once in categories, go through the piles and ask yourself – did I wear this during the summer? Do I love it? Will I use it next summer? Either keep (clothes you love and need), donate or toss (anything that is stained/torn). 2) Next organize your summer clothes for storage. I always like folding and packing my summer clothes by category because then it is easy to unpack once you switch out your closet again. Use storage under your bed, a spare suitcase, or vacuum storage bags. If you have enough room in your closet, put your summer clothes on high shelves or in the back of the closet (there is no need for items you don’t use to take up prime space!). 3) Now that you have space to organize your winter clothes, I suggest doing a quick pass through your winter clothes before organizing them in your closet. Maybe there are things that you won’t wear or that you don’t need anymore. By decluttering you are creating more space for the things you need and love and ultimately will have less clutter. 4) Finally, organize your closet with your winter clothes. Put things that you use often in easy to reach places. It’s important to organize your closet based on your daily routine. Really think of what you use the most. For example, will you be going back to the office? Have a section with work clothes. Going to the gym on a consist basis? Make sure the gym clothes are in one of your top drawers or prime area in your closet. Setup your closet in a way that your go to items are the most accessible. The items you use the most will have a designated space. This will save you time in getting ready and it will be easy to maintain since you know exactly where everything goes. I hope that these tips help you when you prepare your closet for winter!