How to Shift Your Seasonal Clothes in 5 Simple Steps

The season is changing – so should your closet!

Here’s the deal: organizing is not a one-and-done process. Systems need attention and maintenance all the time. Weekly. Monthly. And especially seasonally.

The best time for a bit of closet organizing is right before the start of spring and summer and then again just before fall and winter.

Is it really worth my time to shift seasonal clothes in the first place?

In my opinion, the answer is a huge yes! Here’s why …

A key to being able to find what you want, when you need it, with little effort (the definition of being organized and who doesn’t want that?!) is to store what you use most often in the space that’s most visible and easiest to reach.

Regardless of how big or small a closet is there’s only a limited amount of this “prime real estate.” Once this space is full, all remaining storage options require bending down, reaching up, or reaching/walking deeper into the closet.

When favorite everyday clothes are stored front-and-center putting together outfits each day is a breeze!

Lifestyles can also change with the seasons. Vacations in the summer. Back-to-school in the fall. Celebrations and parties over the holidays. So even if you live in the tropics with steady temps year round, you likely wear different clothes at different times of the year.

Again, in my opinion, a little bit of effort twice a year to assure that current clothes are in the best spot possible is time well spent.

I realize life is busy and taking time to move clothes around isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do. Stick with me here. There is a way to make your closet and drawers seasonally friendly without having to empty the entire space and use a precious weekend to put it all back together. A few simple shifts is all it takes.

5 Steps for How to Shift Seasonal Clothes

1. Take a look at the next 3-6 months on your calendar. This information will help you decide exactly which clothes should be pulled front-and-center and which should be shifted out of the way.
   • What season(s) are you transitioning into?
   • Do you have any vacations coming up that require specific clothes?
   • Will there be any holidays, celebrations or parties to dress up for?
   • Will there be any major shifts in your lifestyle that will require different clothes?
2. Declutter before shifting and organizing. Take a quick pass and pull out anything:
   • In poor condition.
   • Out of style (your style, that is – it’s ok to admit your style has changed over time).
   • Not worn this past season (because there’s a huge chance you won’t wear it next season).
   • Decide if you want to consign, donate or trash what’s going away. Schedule a time to do it!
3. Identify your categories. Refer back to your answers in Step 1 and decide:
   • Which clothes are in-season and should be moved front-and-center.
   • Which clothes are off-season and can be moved out of the way. You can either pull these out and set aside now, or wait until you have time to work through Step 4.
   • Which clothes are actually year-round and are fine right where they are! For example: t-shirts, tank tops, jeans, etc.
4. Make the shift. There are so many different opinions on offloading and storing seasonal clothes – with no right, or wrong way. What I’m shooting for here is easy, quick and doable. All your clothes are currently stored somewhere. What we’re going to do is simply swap what is stored where.

In-season: front-and-center and easiest to reach
Year-round: still easy to access but can be a bit further away
Off-season: as out of the way as possible

• For clothing on hangers, simply shift the order of where things are hung:
  • In-season nearest the door.
  • Off-season furthest from the door.
  • If you have double rods, consider moving off-season to the upper rod and in-season to the lower rod.
  • If your primary closet is super stuffed, see if you can move off-season to another closet.
• For folded clothes on shelves or in drawers simply shift which shelf or drawer you use:
  • In-season on eye-level shelves or top drawers.
  • Off-season on top shelves or bottom drawers.
• If you do choose to use storage containers, be sure to use zip-up bags or bins with lids to protect your clothes while stored. These can be stored on top shelves, under beds or in another closet.

5. Don’t forget about shoes and accessories. Simply follow the same principles and steps you used with clothes.
   • If you have shoe shelves in your closet, place current shoes at eye level and lower; move off-season shoes higher up.
   • Off-season shoes can also be stored in shoe boxes on the very top shelf in your main closet, in a secondary closet, or under a bed.

Go through these steps at least twice a year and you’ll be able to put your hands on an outfit in minutes – no matter what season it is!