As the sun begins to shine a little brighter and the temperature beings to rise it almost seems as if nature is offering a subtle reminder that it’s time to rummage and reorganise your wardrobe for the upcoming warmer months.
While there’s no need to absolutely overhaul all your clothes, now might be a good time to reassess some clothing items or accessory pieces that have laid dormant during the winter months.
To help you tackle the task of “revamping” your wardrobe in time for spring, Starts at 60 spoke to Danielle Johansen, CEO of Threadicated an online personal styling service dedicated to helping you look and feel your best, who offered professional advice on how best to get your wardrobe ready for the new season.
When it comes to cleaning out your wardrobe, there’s no time like the present!
“I always recommend to my clients to do a seasonal clean out of their wardrobe, it ensures when they are looking in their wardrobe, they are only seeing pieces that a relevant for the season, and they can wear today,” Danielle says.
To avoid feeling overwhelmed with the task ahead, Danielle recommends setting aside an afternoon just as the weather starts warming up to commit to your clean-out.
“For a spring clean out I’d recommend starting mid to late October, any sooner and you could possibly be packing away pieces that you still need when a chilly day comes along,” she explains.
Before you start tossing out clothes and completely tearing through your wardrobe, Danielle advises going in with a strategy in mind.
“I always recommend to my clients to do a seasonal clean out of their wardrobe, it ensures when they are looking in their wardrobe, they are only seeing pieces that a relevant for the season, and they can wear today,” Danielle says.
“From there sort it into colours grouped by styles, for example, all your white shirts should be grouped together, you may even want to get as detailed as grouping sleeveless, short sleeve, and long sleeve together. You’ll be rewarded for all your effort; with all the time and stress you save when you are getting dressed each morning.”
While there’s no perfect method for cleaning out your wardrobe, Danielle has offered a simple four-step rule system to help you figure out what to cull and what to keep in your closet.
Keep – These are pieces you’d like to wear for the season ahead, going into spring there are quite a few transeasonal pieces that will work well for your winter wardrobe.
Donate – Just because it no longer fits or isn’t your style doesn’t mean it can’t be loved by someone else. Pieces that are still in good condition give to a friend or donate to charity.
Store – These are pieces you love and want to wear again next winter. You’ll want to include anything that is particularly wintery, heavy coats and knits, thermals, and woolly accessories. I suggest storing them in vacuum seal bags and plastic tubs with secure lids.
Fix – Create a pile for anything that needs mending, now is the perfect time to sew on that button or fix your hem. Make sure you fix each piece before anything goes into one of the piles above.
Getting dressed through the in-between seasons can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be! According to Danielle, when the forecast is unknown it is best to layer, on a cold morning add a few mid/lightweight pieces, and as it warms up during the day peel back those layers.
Some pieces that are perfect for this weather are, mid-light weight knits and cardigans, denim in lighter shades, mid-weight blazers, a trench coat, midi or maxi skirts dresses and skirts, and lightweight scarves, all will ensure you are prepared no matter what the weather decides to do.
Spring is also the perfect time to get back to a more bright and colourful palette. You don’t have to jump straight into bright pastels if the weather is still a bit crisp out, but swapping a few hues will make your outfit feel more springtime ready with minimal effort.
Danielle says the easiest way to transition into spring colours from winter is to pair your pieces back with white.
“White pants, a white knit, a white shirt, white anything paired with other spring colours instantly lightens up an outfit,” she explains.
“Spring/summer this year is all about colour, with a shade to suit everyone; soft lilac, canary yellow, hot pink, salted caramel, scarlet, and sky blue – so pick your favourites and pair it back with something white for the perfect spring look.”
You don’t need to spend big to give your wardrobe a seasonal update. From matching staples with accessories or different outerwear, there are a number of different ways for you to transition your wardrobe to better suit the season.
“I always recommend to my clients to shop for the season ahead from their wardrobe first, most people will already own a lot of the pieces they need for the warmer months ahead,” Danielle says.
“You may have been wearing a mid-weigh knitted jumper under a heavy coat in winter, so why not try it draped over your shoulders for spring, rather than a new cardigan? Try to look at each piece for its possibility instead of just the ways you’ve worn it in the past.”
Danielle’s last piece of advice for getting your wardrobe springtime ready is creating a shopping list of missing pieces you’d like to purchase for your spring wardrobe.
The list could include essential basics, some fun and flirty skirts, new season colours, or anything you feel is missing and will elevate the pieces you already own.
Remember, spring cleaning out your wardrobe shouldn’t just be a one-time thing. Getting into the habit of getting rid of pieces you don’t wear can take some of the stress out of getting ready in the morning and alows you to have the space to update your wardrobe with new clothing pieces.