Whether we like it or not, autumn is on the way and it’s time to start thinking about ways to organise wardrobes and doing a little bit of de-cluttering. With darker mornings, earlier nights, and colder weather fasting approaching, we need to start thinking about getting prepared. It can be hard to transition from summer to autumn/winter especially when we can’t pinpoint when the weather will turn.
If you haven’t already started to think about your plans for your autumn wardrobe, it’s time to get ahead of the game and organise yourself into the move. If you’re stuck, we’ve put together some useful tips to help get you on the right track to having an organised wardrobe ready for autumn…
Clear it out
Unless you’re planning on jetting off on a holiday any time soon, it’s time to face the fact that you probably don’t need your summer sloths to be taking up any of the hanging space in your wardrobe. It’s time to store them away for next year. This is the perfect time to start sorting through your clothes and deciding if anything can be donated or needs to see the bin.
If you haven’t worn something in the last 12 months, get it gone. If something doesn’t fit, don’t let it take up room in your wardrobe for years on end.
Our bodies change in many ways so it gives you a great excuse to buy new. If you put anything in storage from last autumn/winter get these out now, but don’t forget to check they still fit and you still like them before you wash and hang them.
Make lists of items you do and don’t have
The best thing you can do when sorting through your wardrobe is making a note of the items you do and don’t have. It may seem silly to write down all the items you own, however, it will help you to identify what you need to get and don’t. This then helps you to stop buying the clothing that you don’t need and instead focus on filling the gaps.
Have a look at the items that you no longer need or could really do with updating. Identify any key pieces that you need and then you can allocate a budget for them. Items like knitwear, a comfy hoodie, and warmer socks are items that usually get forgotten about. If you have any special occasions coming up such as a wedding or party, plan ahead. You could always reuse an outfit you have kept or plan well in advance the outfit you want to get.
This way you usually save money and also stop the stress of last minute shopping.
Check out new releases
Organise your wardrobe and keep it looking good by keeping up-to-date with the new collections that are getting released in your favourite stores. Have a look at the styles and trends that are being planned and start thinking about the ones you would like to add into your look. Are there any key pieces that take your fancy? Now is the time to start planning for them, otherwise you may miss the season and not be able to find the budget for them.
Planning ahead gives you the time to find the most cost-effective way to follow the trends or find the key pieces you want. You want to find the key pieces that are going to last in your wardrobe so be careful with your choices.
Create a vision board
Use Pinterest, look books, blogs, magazines, etc to build yourself a vision board (even if it’s a mental one). It will help when you are out and about to get the pieces you need to complete your wardrobe. Think about things like the footwear you want, the accessories that will go with more than one outfit, the colours you like, materials that you prefer, etc.
Go over your ideas a few times until you have a few favourite looks that you would like to include.
Remember your lifestyle is important
You need to remember your lifestyle when you are thinking about an organised wardrobe. It should be a replication of your lifestyle. If you’re on your feet all day then wearing big chunky heels probably aren’t ideal, save them for your evenings out. The same goes for if you are working from home. Although you may want a few smart pieces for the odd video call, most of the time you want to have comfortable clothes for working in at home.
Think about things that you have planned or you do on a regular basis. Do you do sports? Are you planning a trip away? What are you going to need for these? When looking at your lifestyle, look at the amount of time spent on each activity and divide your wardrobe space up by that. You may find that in the cooler months you feel like you have more casual than smart, however, this is normal as more people spend time at home during this time.
Stick to a number of colours
For convenience and practicality, you should ideally have a wardrobe that is white, black, nudes, greys, and neutral colours. These range of colours allow you to have the maximum and optimal mix and match choices. It will help you to keep your looks fresh. You can add plenty of texture and structure with these colours.
You have probably already noticed that autumn and winter clothing seems to be these colours anyway, however, it’s great to add in other colours like maroon, navy, khaki, magenta, and vivid red. Your neutrals are a brilliant starting colour.
Quality over quantity
Some people go a little overboard when it comes to clothing, shoes, and accessories. Ideally, you should try to keep your wardrobe under control and not too large. Having quality pieces is far better than having loads of bad quality items. In fact, you are likely to feel as though you have more to wear from choosing quality over quantity and wonder why you didn’t do this before. If you buy good quality key pieces, it’s really easy to coordinate them with some lower-cost accessories or one-off pieces.
One of the biggest rules you need to follow when choosing your clothing is how they fit, this should come above all else. Include a decent sweater, a couple of pairs of jeans, a few basic tops, a quality coat, a smart jacket, and a long sleeve dress with tights. Make sure you stick to the styles that you know suit you.
Build some favourite go-tos
Once you’ve done all the above tips, have topped up your essentials, and bought the quality item, you need to build yourself some favourite go-to outfits. You know, the ones that you can pick up not bother and throw on but still look great? Go through your wardrobe and build as many outfits as you can. Of course, you will have more tops than jeans, however, most people will wear jeans more than once before washing.
Mix and match your pieces and don’t forget to look back at your vision board for some ideas of how to build your outfits. Doing this is usually the place where you are able to identify the last missing pieces that you need.
Organise your wardrobe, and prepare for the colder and darker autumn and winter weather will help to keep your mood up and make those cold mornings more enjoyable and relaxing.
Is there anything that you do to update your wardrobe from season to season? Please share your tips in the comments below.
Feature image credit: Chuttersnap / Unsplash
