The Seasonal Closet Swap

The Seasonal Closet Clothing Swap

Doing a seasonal swap will get closets neat and clean

The beginning of fall brings new schedules and routines. I am finally getting around to doing a seasonal closet clothing swap, and yes, it’s October. We experience all four seasons where we live, so this means specific types of seasonal wardrobe. Though I’m all for shopping for new winter clothing, our closets would burst if I didn’t rotate summer items. It gets overwhelming when there is too much clutter. I literally feel anxious staring into messy closets. Maybe you know the feeling.

Pull out your summer clothes from your closet and drawers

Summer can be hard on clothes due to all the time spent outside. If you have children, they may have outgrown some of their summer gear already, or will in the next couple months. Consider donating or selling items in decent condition to get them out of your house. Pieces like swimsuits, t-shirts, sandals and shorts might be taking up space in your closet. If you can’t see them either fitting or being enjoyed next year, purge now.

Organize items that are no longer needed

I keep a basket in my laundry room year round where I toss no longer needed items. Place some empty garbage bags on the bottom of the basket so everything is ready. It saves time with my kids since when we try something on and it doesn’t fit anymore, it goes straight into the basket. The items then stay clean and folded instead of being shoved into the back of a drawer and forgotten about. Once the basket is full, I either bag everything up and donate it, or put it in another pile for the future Poshmark account I plan on setting up soon.

It’s useful to keep clear plastic bins ready to swap clothes in and out. The seasonal closet swap does not become so overwhelming later on down the road. These bins can then go into a basement or attic. If you live in an apartment or space is at a premium, you could use vacuum storage bags which hold a lot of items. The air is sucked out and then the bag can be slid under a bed or on a high shelf in a closet. There are also smaller bags available that are ideal for travel.

Deal with dresses worn to formal events

If you wore a dress to a couple different summer weddings and it was heavily photographed, you may not want to wear it again. Consider swapping items with a friend or opening your own Poshmark account to get rid of any expensive items you know you probably won’t wear in the future. Remember, the longer you hang onto things, the less you will get for them if you do decide to sell them down the road. The style may look dated.

Corral all the old sunscreens, sporting equipment and flip flops

My mudroom and car tend to collect a lot of ends and odds, Maybe it’s the same in your household? Toss the tired old flip flops, empty sunscreen bottles, and put things like tennis rackets, pool toys, and picnic blankets back in the spaces they belong.

Pull out all your winter clothing and organize into your closet and drawer space

If you find that you no longer care to wear some of the winter items you’ve unearthed, now is the perfect time to get rid of them. I either wash or dryclean everyone’s jackets in my household before I put them away at the end of season. If you didn’t have the chance to do that last year, do it now. A freshly laundered or drycleaned jacket can literally look and feel brand new again.

Assess where the gaps are in your winter wardrobe and shop as needed

If you have kids, or even if you don’t, you may discover that you are missing some items. A glove lost its mate, the kids have outgrown the coat that fit them last year. It is generally required that children are sent to school with snow gear. Get on this now so you don’t get hit by an early snowstorm and your child doesn’t have the appropriate winter gear for school. As I write this on a warm fall afternoon, I am slightly cringing! Though we have been hit with early freak snowstorms in the past, and then I was scrambling to order boots and snow pants.

Have you done a seasonal closet clothing swap before?  Let me know in a comment below!

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