6 Steps to Get Your Wardrobe Ready for Spring
Spring is one of trickier seasons to dress, it’s the ultimate transitional season where you go from thick winter coat in the morning to stripping off to a t-shirt come the late afternoon! We have to peel back the heavy layers which we’ve been used to, but it’s not warm enough to wear summer outfits (other than that odd week we get in March every year, when we hope ‘this is it we’re finally getting a long summer’ haha!) and the weather just won’t co-operate.
So many of my client’s tell me that they struggle at this time of year, not knowing what to wear and struggling for inspiration. I always advise them to have a review and reorganise their wardrobe as it’s the most effective way to break the cycle of wearing the same winter outfits that you’ve been used to, refamiliarise yourself with what you have and get excited for the season ahead!
Follow these simple steps to help you prepare your wardrobe and give you clarity for spring:
Put away your heavy winter wear
Living in the UK we realistically wear light knits and layering pieces for the unpredictable weather all year around. So ensure that you have access to them in your wardrobe so they are available for the cooler mornings and evenings we have. For those thicker, heavier pieces that you rely on only in the deep winter such as thick down coats, thermals, chunky knits and footwear, remove them from your main wardrobe and store them elsewhere. I’m a big believer in only having items in your wardrobe that you can use immediately. I only have a small wardrobe space built into the 1930s alcoves in our bedroom, so as space is at a premium I vacuum pack all out of season clothing and store into a large suitcase in the loft eaves. Vacuuming packing also helps with keeping everything fresh, so that when you bring it out again later in the year you can wear it straight away.
Try these vacuum bags to store clothes away.
2. Utilise the opportunity to review and edit your current spring wear.
Hopefully you’ll find some gems you had forgotten you have! For anything that looks more worn than you remember or no longer fits or you simply are not going to wear, put it to one side and don’t let it take up valuable space in your wardrobe. Prioritise getting anything that you had been meaning to take to the tailor mended so that you can enjoy wearing it again.
3. Get inspired
Get clear on how you want to look and feel in your spring clothes so that you have a clear vision on how you want to look going forward, it will help you make conscious purchases going forward so you can create a cohesive wardrobe. Be realistic about your lifestyle and the kinds of outfits that you will actually wear and feel comfortable in. Although I love a gorgeous summer dress and blouse, realistically I rarely have an opportunity to wear them, so my inspiration board and wardrobe revolves around trousers.
Have your daily activities changed since this time last year and does your wardrobe reflect this?
4. Try it on
Start putting together complete outfits from the pieces that you own and try them on. Everything from a top, bottoms, accessory, bag and footwear- even think about the underwear you will need as this can often flag gaps in your wardrobes. A quick 30 minute try on session is so valuable, try on combinations you may have not worn before.
Footwear and handbags can really finish an outfit, make sure you have enough everyday pairs to complete your outfit.
5. Organise your wardrobe
There is no set formula for this, it’s anyway in which you find it easiest to choose items and to put outfits together. It may be that you like to keep your work and and personal wardrobes completely separate, arrange buy colour or type. My preferred method is by arranging by type of item (tops, trousers, skirts, dresses, etc) then by colour (light to dark), as I find it makes it easier to finish outfits that way. For larger collections of items, such as tops I subdivide by length such as sleeveless/short sleeved/long sleeved so you can easily identify what you have. Whatever system allow you to quickly locate and create an outfit in the quickest time!
Do you have enough variety or are you missing pieces in a certain colour or style category?
6. Make a list
A shopping list will give you focus and stop you from making expensive and unnecessary purchases. Make sure it’s specific, such as a light coloured trench coat, rather than a more general spring coat, so you know exactly what you need to finish off the look without feeling overwhelmed with the thousands of options in the shops.
These steps don’t need to be done all in one day if you are short on time, do a step each day or so to make it manageable. You can get further inspiration and tips in my Masterclass Get Your Wardrobe Ready for Spring.
