5 Ways to Prepare Your Wardrobe for Fall

My favorite season without a doubt is fall. I adore the weather, the resumption of my stew-making, and the seasonal coffee drinks. But I adore clothes the most. I’m ready for fall weather when I can start layering again, wear real shoes again, and swap out my bright summer colors for more subdued hues. I usually have clothes for fall, but it takes a little effort each season to get my wardrobe ready. I’m going to give you five recommendations today, along with some shopping advice, to help you get your wardrobe ready for fall.

Step One: Remove your fall/winter clothing from storage and divide it into categories such as jeans and slacks, sweaters, long sleeve tops, and jackets and cardigans.

As a side aside, there are two reasons why you should keep your out-of-season apparel away if you don’t already.

(You’ll have more space in your closet to view what you truly have for this season to wear. When I did this, I discovered that I wore more of my clothes and felt less like I had a ton of alternatives but nothing to wear.
I’ve also discovered that hiding clothes away for a few months makes me more eager to wear them again. There’s a good likelihood that something needs to go into the donation pile if I don’t like seeing it.

Determine whether any of the clothing needs to be cleaned, repaired, or donated in step two.
I am aware that for some people, getting rid of clothing might be difficult. Personally, I fit that description. Even if I didn’t want to wear them all season, I’ve saved things in the past because I used to truly adore them. Even though they weren’t really my style or were uncomfortable, I retained the items because they were in excellent condition.

There are many reasons why people hold onto clothes they no longer use, but getting rid of unworn items is crucial for maintaining a useful closet. Get rid of worn-out clothing if you know you won’t have the time to fix it. If you haven’t worn it since last year, throw it away. Get rid of the object if you look at it and feel anything other than positive about it.

Take stock of what’s left and attempt to create three distinct ensembles using each of the remaining tops.
I’ve been trying to build a “mix and match” wardrobe for the past six months. I simply wasn’t aware that I needed to first conduct some careful browsing because that term had previously looked to be so elusive (more on that later). I now appreciate having tiny seasonal wardrobes (as few as 24 things!) that allow me to put together a variety of looks. This strategy is very useful for those of you who don’t like buying, even if I still love clothes and enjoy shopping. Here are some examples of ensembles I created with only leftovers from the previous year:

I adore chambray with stripes, and there are many ways to change up this look. Attempt it with ballerina flats as opposed to boots. Instead of ankle boots, wear it with tall boots. Swap the positions of the tops and wear the chambray over a thin striped top.

These trendy olive cargo vests are great for layering right now. Do you know what the rule of three is? Try to wear at least 3 pieces—more is better—for your ensemble to feel truly put together. Wearing jeans, a striped top, and a vest, for instance, is considerably more fascinating than simply donning a top and jeans. It will stand out even more with a scarf. Or, for an incredibly warm and cozy appearance if it’s extremely chilly outdoors, tuck a soft, flowing cardigan under the vest and over the striped top.

I’ve already mentioned the rule of three, and occasionally all you need to round off an ensemble is a cute necklace. Along with a cute pair of shoes.

With just a few pieces, you can have some variation in your wardrobe, I hope these pictures have shown you. Is your closet big enough for that?

Fourth step: Create a shopping list.
So maybe the step three exercise has helped you identify some wardrobe gaps. Have you ever worn a top and bottom set and wished you had a jacket or vest to layer with? Do you own a dress that, with a belt, you would adore even more? Do you have an outfit for which you simply lack the appropriate shoes? What about the extras? Are there any seasonal trends that you can’t wait to try? Make sure you have it with you when you go shopping by writing it down—including the colors you want—on paper or in your phone.

Each person has their own personal style and set of “staples” that they favor. I’ll give you a couple of mine just to give you some ideas of what might complete your fall wardrobe.

Bottoms:

-Denim in black, dark blue, and medium blue.

-a cute necklace

Tops:

-Long sleeve with black and white stripes

-tunic in one color only

sweater in black

Outwear:

-a layering vest, like a puffer vest, an extremely long one, or one that is now in style.

– Cargo coat (camel or green)

jacket with structure

-jacket sweatshirt (feels like a sweatshirt, looks like a jacket)

Shoes:

-high boots

the ankle boots

-sneakers

– adorable winter boots

Accessories:

scarf with a patchwork or cable pattern

necklace with a long pendant

earrings with a statement

In style:

Choose a few trends that you like and give them a shot this season! For instance, I’d like to finally test out cold shoulder sweaters and over the knee boots.

Fifth step: Go shopping!
This will be the hardest part for some folks. I would advise trying internet shopping if you really detest going shopping or have kids that make trying on clothes in stores challenging. I have the following advice about shopping online:

-Continue shopping at places that provide free shipping both ways. For this, Nordstrom is fantastic because of their vast selection of prices. Maybe you could order online and return in-person when you have the time if a store you adore doesn’t provide free return shipping.

-Buy extras in multiple sizes and/or colors, especially if you’re trying a new brand. Yes, there is a significant up-front investment, but you won’t get your money’s worth. By doing this, you can avoid the disappointment of getting something you really like but it doesn’t fit.
-Discover some fashion bloggers who embody your particular style and follow their advice! Some bloggers may even offer advice on fit (size up or down) and fantastic styling suggestions for the item that you would not have considered.

– Be tolerant. It takes time to shop, it’s not always enjoyable, and it can be challenging to find the perfect item. I’ll assure you, it’s not just you. It’s okay if you don’t get everything on your wish list this year. It takes longer to build a wardrobe than it does to run a race.

Are you looking forward to organizing your fall wardrobe? What further “staples” would you include?