LGD Method: Seasonal Closet Review

Last week, I came across a post on Instagram and have never felt more seen by a meme in my life: "I don't want to be warm, I want to be cold and then warmed by a blanket. Why is that hard to understand?" As a seasons-loving, cozy-minded gal, the summer temps in KC feel like they stick around forever, and simply put they make me cranky. Maybe it's just my cold-blooded internal wiring that gives me more life when the temperatures get crisper, but more likely I suspect it's my love of fall dressing. Give me all the transitional jackets, the layering possibilities, and cute booties!

Even when we are excited to transition our wardrobes (cut to me giddily dusting off my boyfriend blazer collection) there's some wardrobe work to be done as we move into a new season. A truly functional wardrobe (read: where everything just "works", versatility is ensured, getting dressed is easy) requires a bit of upkeep! An hour of intentional review and planning can guarantee that your next season of getting dressed stays fun.

I advocate for a quick review of the pieces you have on hand- no need to try on every piece, but each item should be given a quick once-over. From an organization perspective, every closet or dressing space is unique, and recommendations on how to lay out your wardrobe vary. My two universal truths: the items in your closet should be sorted by "event type" ahead of anything else, and that the "prime" real estate in your closet should go to the "event" you most frequently dress for. With that stated, what is the criteria for seasonal wardrobe rotation?

1. Assess for seasonality: do these pieces have "legs" into the next round of temperatures? This seems straightforward, but be wary of shelving something that has layering opportunity. For example: you may want to stash all your summer camisoles away, but first think through if they can be layered under blazers or jackets in a flattering way. On the flip side, you may want to push all your sweaters to the back of your closet once spring peeks its head out, but saving a pullover for cooler nights, and cardigan or zip up as a layering piece, or a lightweight patterned sweater to tie across your shoulders is a good idea!

2. Assess for fit: do these pieces fit your current size? Keep it objective- 80% of women change sizes at least once over the course of a 3-year period. It's normal and expected for items from last fall to be a different size than you are now. The key to a functional closet is it consisting of items that amplify your personal style goals and flatter your shape- if you can't wear it right now, it isn't functional. We can decide another time what to do with pieces that don't fit your current size, but for now- if it doesn't fit, it's not on hung up.

3. Assess for style: do these pieces continue to support your style goals? Do these pieces still feel "like you"? If these are pieces you haven't brought out since the same season last year, you may find that these items simply no longer look "cute" to you. Maybe it's trendy in a way that you loved last year, but today feels dated. Maybe you've undergone a shift in your own personal style and re-tooling what details you do/don't love. Whatever the reason, if an item no longer fits your vibe, it doesn't get prime real estate. You might be tempted to hang it with the rest of your fall assortment, thinking "maybe I'll find a way to make it work some weekend". It's my job to remind you: "making it work" is not a functional, efficient dressing strategy. Save yourself time and energy by setting it aside.

I feel the need to stress how objective this process should be- there is NOTHING wrong with having items that no longer work for you due to size or style details. One of the #1 reasons why getting dressed is stressful is because we hold on to items out of guilt, and pressure ourselves to "make it work" with things that we don't love or no longer quite fit.

From here, it's time to stash away items that truly don't work in your new season- so I'm saying goodbye to my beloved high-neck cotton tanks, as their coverage isn't sufficient for sub-70 temperatures, and while the cut is great as a stand-alone piece it just doesn't flatter my shape under a layer. You might want to resist moving these pieces around- honestly who wants to spend their time organizing their closet when they could be rewatching Bridgerton Season 2 for the sixth time (just me?). But beyond having the right pieces, efficient and FUN wardrobing relies on those pieces being easy to combine. Combing through pieces from a past season creates visual clutter and unnecessary consideration of clothing that ultimately won't work. Whether you fold these items into bins or move to a back corner of the closet, it truly is essential that you reserve your dressing space only for items that can and will work for you in the season you're in.

This edit and re-organization of your wardrobe can now be the jumping off point for any necessary seasonal shopping. Truly, shopping should ONLY be done after this on-hand review. The assessment eliminates wasting time and money on duplicates of something you already have, and taking a current understanding of your closet to the mall helps ensure that the new goods you bring home can mesh seamlessly with what you already have. (Reminder: if you struggle with whether or not an item should come home with you, check out my blog post that solves that exact dilemma for you!)

If you've read all the way down to this sentence, hopefully you're convinced of the helpfulness and utility of a season wardrobe edit. As always, I'm here to help answer questions or tackle obstacles you run into- whether you are ha

ving a hard time with that season edit, or are questioning what fall trends are right for you. We can schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation (or you can book other services directly) HERE. Together, no matter the season, we can make getting dressed...FUN again!