Transitioning seasonal clothing can be a snap when you go into it with an effective strategy. Here are a few tips on how to organize your closet for the new season and store out-of-season clothes, keeping your wardrobe fresh and seasonally appropriate all year long.
6 Tips on How To Organize Clothes for the New Season
1. Go Through All of Your Clothes and Assets
All of them. Decide if some no longer fit or have fallen off-trend. Those would be good bets to donate or give away. Even the clothes that you love—like the outfit that you met your spouse in or the one you got engaged in—but still don’t wear—may be clothes to let go. Make peace with how good these clothes were to you and either thank them for their faithful service before donating them, or set them aside for storage and sentimental safekeeping.
2. Remove Out-Of-Season Clothes
Make sure to swap out any out-of-season clothes with new in-season items to obtain additional space in your closet. Be sure to keep a few tank tops, sweaters, and other transitional pieces handy as layering clothes so you can build seasonally appropriate outfits creatively every day no matter what the weather.
3. Organize Each Storage Area With Like Clothing
If you have the space, consider a closet organizer to make all of your favorite clothes easily reachable. Under-the-bed storage can be great for folded clothing as well as shoes or other accessories. Keep your tees together in the dresser with tanks and other similar clothes.
4. Set Out Your Week’s Outfits on a Garment Rack
If you have the space to display it, a decorative garment rack can be a lovely way to organize your clothes. Knowing what you plan to wear ahead of time also cuts down on the frantic flurry of outfits in the morning when absolutely nothing you own seems to be the right choice for the occasion.
5. Audit Your Shoes
As comfortable or fabulous as they may be, not all shoes work for every season. Give a quick inventory check to the shoes in your closet or under your bed and pull those you won’t be wearing for a while. Box them up with any off-season accessories such as belts, bags, or hats in a plastic bin until you need them again. See our article on how to store shoes long term.
6. Invest in a Few Clothes Storage Containers
Pack your can’t-part-with pile in one clothes storage box and fill the others with seasonal clothing that you plan to wear again next year. Label each box clearly as to what is inside, even if the boxes are transparent.
How To Store Out-Of-Season Clothes
Once you’ve finished organizing your closet, it’s time to store all of your out-of-season clothes. Wondering how and where to store your seasonal clothing? Consider these clothes storage ideas to help keep your wardrobe polished and fitting for the season.
1. Consider Offsite Storage To Keep Your House Neater
Even if you have an attic or a garage with rafters, storage space fills up quickly. A seasonal storage unit becomes an extension of your home, allowing you to keep your favorite clothes and accessories ready for every season. This new breathing room makes it so much easier to find what you actually want to wear on any given day.
2. Invest in Storage Containers and Garment Bags
Choose the best storage containers based on what you plan to store. You can find airtight containers or use a zippered garment bag to store your seasonal clothes or even hanging wardrobes with a bar for hangers for dress and suit storage. A covered garment rack on wheels provides even better clothing storage versatility. Generally, your clothes that hang during regular use should hang in storage as well. Knits and other clothes that you fold or lie flat should continue that trend as well.
3. Learn How To Pack Clothes by Season
Each season has its own staple set of garments and these items often need to be packed away in different ways in order to keep them protected when not in use. Consider these tips when changing out your wardrobe in the summer, fall, winter and spring:
Storing Summer Clothes
When storing summer clothes in the winter, set aside bathing suits, sundresses, and very lightweight threads until spring arrives. Store swimsuits in zippered fabric bags instead of plastic ones to ward against mildew. Remember to keep your summer clothes storage boxes accessible in your storage unit in case you have an off-season vacation coming up!
Storing Winter Clothes
When storing winter clothes, start with your winter coats, heavy sweaters, and other thick or wooly clothes. You’ll also want to store your holiday ugly sweater party apparel, and any other holiday themed clothes for that matter. Choose a standing wardrobe box if you find you have a lot of hanging items in with your winter season clothes, like coats, suits, and dresses.
Storing Fall Clothes
With autumn season clothes, remember that many clothes and accessories can stretch into the winter season, too, especially as layering pieces. When spring arrives, you’ll likely move those autumn and winter clothes, shoes, and accessories into storage. However, Halloween and Thanksgiving themed clothes—especially those adorable sets your kids wear—and Halloween costumes, are all perfect choices to move from your living space into your extended storage space.
Storing Spring Clothes
Likewise, with spring clothes, as many pieces can also work for the early summertime. Any holiday or seasonal themed apparel would be a great candidate for storage as well.
Seasonal Storage Unit Tips
1. Package With Care
Pack any clothing, shoes, and accessories you plan to store with special attention to the details.
Use these tips on how to keep your seasonal clothing clean and protected while in storage:
- Drop silica gel packets into any containers of shoes or accessories to help prevent mold.
- Include cedar wood sachets for added protection.
- Toss a fabric softener sheet on top for freshness.
- Wrap or box delicate shoes and accessories to avoid snags or crushing.
2. Label Boxes by Season
At your storage unit, stack your boxes and bins of clothing and accessories in the order you’ll need them next. Be sure everything is labeled clearly by item type as well as by season. Take a picture of your boxes and bins to remind yourself exactly where everything is in case you later add more items to your storage unit.
3. Swap and Repeat When Seasons Change
When again changing seasons, clothing you already set aside in your storage unit is waiting for you! Transition into your seasonal clothes again quickly and easily by following these same steps. Box up the current off-season clothes and bring them to your storage unit to swap with the in-season clothing. Wash, rinse, repeat with this effortless process to keep that wonderful breathing space in your life.
Giving your in-season clothes more space brings so many positives, from easier dressing in the mornings to less time spent looking for seemingly lost items. Even putting away the laundry becomes quicker and easier, too. Now you can and enjoy the new space you’ve discovered. Take the next step and choose from the variety of storage unit sizes that works best for your family’s seasonal clothing storage needs!
Also, be sure to see our blogs on:
