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How to overhaul your closet is a challenge when it comes to spring cleanup. However, doing so is an important step to get your closet under control. Unfortunately, a closet overhaul is one of the most annoying tasks to do. You actually can’t wait to get out in your beloved summer wear, but first the cold season gear has to be stored and the warm season gear to be evaluated and updated as needed. While shopping for updates is fun, it takes work to identify what to shop for. Read how to get the job done fast and efficient in 20 easy steps.

Contents
  1. What You Need for a Closet Overhaul
  2. Your Step-by-step Cheat Sheet How to Overhaul Your Closet
  3. Top of the World Style linkup No. 298

 

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post.

 

What You Need for a Closet Overhaul

Spring means you should prepare your closet for the warm season. Thus, when the weekend forecast has a 90 to 100% chance for rain or snow, plan to take an inventory of your wardrobe. You will need at least eight trash bags, two laundry baskets for clothes that need ironing or need to be washed, respectively, a cell phone, tablet or photo camera for selfies, insect-safe storage boxes, three to four hours of uninterrupted time.

 

Your Step-by-Step Cheat Sheet How to Overhaul Your Closet

Be tough on yourself. That’s the hardest part! Always recall that your closet is valuable real estate. If it is too full, you can’t see what you own, you can’t find what you look for, you waste time dressing, and most likely can’t dress your best. Not to mention that not wearing your investment pieces is like tossing them.

Pro tip: Whenever a trash bag is full, bring it into the garage. Doing so gives you more room to assess out your remaining wardrobe and to work thru the following step-by-step list of tasks for a successful wardrobe overhaul.

Here are the steps to do. Some of them of course can be done concurrently while going thru your assets.

  1. Label six trash bags tailor, dry cleaner, charity, consignment, cobbler and trash, and the baskets laundry, and ironing. Create new labels when a new bag has to be started because the bag with the same purpose is full.
#closetcleanup overflowing wardrobe
Clothes piled on the bed with boots and shoes in a corner in preparation of a closet overhaul
    1. Pile all clothes onto your bed, and put your bags in one corner of your bedroom and your shoes pair by pair in another corner so you won’t triple over them.
    2. Now go thru your cold season footwear.
      • Identify which one to keep, clean them and put them in storage.
      • Identify which one to bring to the cobbler; put them in the respective bag and have the job done asap so you have them ready when temperatures drop in September.

      Bad heels are never in style. Have them replaced when needed. #styleadvice Click To Tweet#shoelove shoe closet overhaul what to keep, what to toss examples

    3. Next clean your closet, i.e. vacuum clean it, remove dust from shelves, brush the floor, etc.
    4. Go thru the clothes pile on your bed item by item and apply the following method:
    5. Next, put your all-season wardrobe (e.g. white shirts, LBD, jeans, T-shirts, trench coat) back into your closet.
      #fashion clothes on hangers and shoes in boxes
      Clothes hung on the racks and shoes in boxes after a wardrobe overhaul

       

    6. Put the rest of the fall/winter garments into a storage box and into your storage space until fall comes – hopefully not so soon.

      Budget tip: When you have enough space and don’t need the money asap, store the consignment bag with your winter clothes and bring it to the consignment store in early fall. The pieces will sell at a higher price than now, and more of them will be sold.

    7. On your way back from your storage room, get last spring’s clothes storage boxes.
    8. Pile them onto your bed so you have to finish the job the same day. Go thru your spring clothes and repeat the procedure of step 5. Then continue at step 10. Note that despite your clothes may have fit before you did your closet overhaul to create a working fall wardrobe, they may not fit anymore.  Thus, before hanging them back into your closet, a check for fit is needed even when your weight did not change. Put the fault to menopausal body changes!
    9. Don’t forget checking your underwear for issues like stains or being out of shape.
    10. You are almost done. Now take your warm season shoes from your storage. If it’s the first time you make a closet overhaul, check which one needs to see the cobbler, and put them into the respective bag. Also, if it’s the first time, you may have to identify which to keep and which to toss.
    11. Put your sandals, pumps, etc. into their space in your closet.
    12. Take a critical look at your clutches, purses and totes. Sort out all bags with loose threads on the handles or shoulder strap that can’t be repaired or covered up with a silk neckerchief. Put the rest back into their space.
    13. Now look thru the remaining wardrobe in your closet. Identify what is missing by asking yourself the questions below. Write the missing items on a shopping list.

      Pro tip: Use your cell phone so you have the list always with you.

      • Do you need new shoes?
      • Are there too few prints and pattern or too few solids?
      • Are all the basics covered?
      • Does my wardrobe miss color?
      • Are there enough neutrals?
      • Is a key item (e.g., blazer, coat, jacket) missing?
      • What updates would be great for your wardrobe?
      • What did you wish, you had bought last spring? Why did you regret not having it? Would you miss it this time around too? What would it add to your options?
      • Do I have enough work clothes/weekend clothes?
      • Do I need special underwear (neck-holder bra, T-shirt bra, slimmies, shapewear, etc.) for some of my summer/spring clothes?
      • What about my underwear?
      • What about your bags?
        view on sweaters, jackets, skirts and storage boxes on racks and shelves
        Folded sweaters, storage boxes for totes, purses, clutches, jackets and skirts on the rack

         

    14. If possible, haul the trash bags to the landfill or transfer site on the same day.
    15. Take care of the dry cleaning, ironing tasks as soon as possible. At home dry cleaning saves time and money.
    16. Revisit the list of needed pieces and prioritize them. Write the highest price you are willing to spend on the side of each items. Calculate the sum. Re-adjust the upper limits until the sum equals your fashion budget. See this  guide how to save when shopping.

      Stylist tips: An excel spreadsheet or google sheet can easily handle the math. If you cannot afford all the items on your list, you may want to consider to use some or all of these secret tricks to get your look on a budget.

    17. Go thru your clothes not only with respect to fit and trends. As lifestyle changes, your personal style may change too. Thus, makeover your wardrobe for fit, style, and trends.
    18. Find a date for a shopping trip, but just search for the top item of the list to save time. Use these tips for successful clothes shopping. Cross every item you bought off the list. When you got an item cheaper than expected, you may re-adjust your upper limits on the items still left on your shopping list. You can find a fashion budgeting tool with tutorial at the link.

      Pro tip: If you see something on your list by accident and you still like it the next day and it’s within your budget, by all means buy it the next day.

    19. If you had a major lifestyle change, examine whether you style needs and/or style has changed. You can determine your primary personal style using the quiz at the link. Adjust your shopping list to changes in style, hair color, and lifestyle as needed.

     

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    Top of the World Style linkup No. 298

    banner of the weekly Top of the World Style linkup party on Thursdays

    Welcome to the Top of the World Style linkup party.

    Katie in pink blue plaid pants, black top, yelow bag
    Katie from Hello Katie Girl became the Top of the World OOTD Readers’ Fav. Photo from her post

     

    Rene in lace skirt, velvet floral top, ankle strap wedges
    Rene from Fine Whatever Blog became Top of the World Style Winner. Photo from her post

     

    Darlene in lime joggers and camouflage hoodie
    Darlene from Aquamarine Style became the Top of the World OOTD My Fav. Photo from her post

     

  1. Congrats Ladies! Grab your award buttons.
  2. Click here to enterSee these awesome looks at the Top of the World Style #linkup party. #timelessstyle Click To Tweet

    Photos: G. Kramm

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