I know that the pandemic, and this very weird year we’ve been living through, has thrown us all for a loop in many ways. But I’m trying to hang onto those ritualistic events that I enjoy, and which give me joy. At least the ones I can hang onto. Like organizing my closet. And turning said closet when the weather begins to change. Like now.
So, today was the big day. Hubby’s away and I have the house to myself for a week. The perfect time to turn my closet. No interruptions, no timelines. I’ll start when I feel like it, end when I want, and take my tea break, most likely, right in the middle of the mess. Trust me there will be garment bags everywhere, drawers open, storage areas gaping, and clothes piled… most of the day. Before the order must come the chaos.
This is what I wore to do the deed. At least most of the deed, before I heated up and had to change into a tee shirt. This Vince sweater is my one new purchase for fall, so far. I bought it on-line during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It’s wool and cashmere, and has a high neck which I’ve rolled down today. I love it and have big plans about how I hope to wear this sweater. But, I’ll tell you about those later.
As usual, I am hauling all my fall stuff out of storage today. Replacing it with my spring and summer stuff. Deciding if there are any pieces that should be donated. And, with respect to sweaters, deciding which I can wear this season. And which do me no favours at all anymore, now that my hair has changed colour. I filmed the process this year. You can watch the video below. It’s fifteen minutes long, so you may want to pour a second cup of tea. Or coffee. Or whatever you are drinking.
Ah, yes. I am still learning how to edit and use my new ap. How to manage the sound. How to change the volume of the talking and the music separately. I stupidly filmed some of the clips using the portrait, instead of the landscape, orientation of my phone. Sorry that my head is cut off sometimes. Ackkk. When I saw some of those clips within the ap, I wanted to delete them all and start over. But the closet turning had been completed. No way was I going to undo all my hard work. Besides… you know what my face looks like. No need to see it all the time, right?
My next closet adventure will be to do an Allison Bornstein-style edit of my fall clothes. Like I did for my summer clothes a few weeks ago. You can read that post here and watch Allison’s own video on her closet editing system from which I gained my inspiration.
Then I am going to do a jeans-only edit. I am kind of over my skinny jeans. I need to do a thorough look at which pairs of jeans I will or will not wear this season. And plan my shopping strategy from there. Oh, the organization never ceases. Now that I’m not teaching, and organizing my courses and my department, I organize my wardrobe… and try to organize Hubby. Who in turn tries to organize me. It’s a back and forth kind of thing.
So that’s it from me today, my friends. No more to say that I didn’t already say in my video. I do need to learn to stop blithering so much.
What have you been up to with regards to your fall wardrobe? Are you turning your closet? Or do you even need to do that where you live? Or has covid squeezed all the fun out of fashion for you? Do tell.
P.S. That sweater link is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase after clicking it I will earn a commission.
P.P.S. Joining Catherine over at her link-up … #IWillWearWhatILike
45 thoughts on “Fall Rite of Passage: Turning My Closet”
I rewatched Casablanca on Saturday night, what a movie! It was a great way to unwind after a rather fraught week.
I love your new sweater and it would look great with flannel trousers. I also enjoyed the video as I have just moved from winter to predominantly summer clothes. I kept a few things out for cooler mornings and evenings. I enjoy the changeover because I rediscover some favourites and then assess what I need. This year the answer is not much. Covid hasn’t really changed my attitude to fashion because I had a very casual lifestyle before and really don’t care much about trends. Having said that I do want to support my favourite brands as I know retailers are having a tough time as in Australia we have had drought, bushfires and then Covid to deal with in quick succession.
Thanks, Maryann. I had thought I would do a partial turn like I usually do, but instead I did a full sweep. Except this year I kept out all my good short sleeved tees to wear under my fall jackets. Plus I’m going to try to wear my white jeans for a while longer. It’s a good thought to continue to support retailers who are struggling.
Thankyou for that fifteen minutes of fun . I do like the look of your softer trousers/pants rather than skinnies & that’s a lovely jumper/sweater . I have one similar but mine seems bulkier & I struggle with the neck sometimes . I don’t have a long neck so with my square , coat hanger shoulders I can look rather turtle like . It was especially interesting seeing the effect of different colours against your new hair .
I think I said I didn’t do a spring wardrobe turnover as I could see I wouldn’t be going anywhere in the Covid summer & I was right , I didn’t . However I shall be putting away my light dog walking jackets & bringing down the puffas & warm waterproofs . Oh joy ! I’ve always enjoyed the seasonal changeover & will miss it . It’s great finding things you’ve forgotten & seeing them with fresh eyes . Mine’s a good workout too as it’s up & down into the loft for me .
By the way , my dressing gown is the same as yours , navy with a white edge , kindred spirits ?
If I can find a pair of full length, looser trousers that actually fit me I’ll be surprised. I’ll no doubt be wearing few of the clothes in my fall closet, but at least I can look at them and see fall colours.
P.S. We are definitely kindred spirits, my friend.
Your You Tube videos are getting better and better indeed. It is so nice to see you and your clothes,as well as your method ,almost IRL.
Have you tried Skillshare App that Justine L. and Use Less were mentioning in their videos?
I have painters in my home,so everything is upside down. Nevertheless,we have not an Indian summer,but a real one,temperatures around 28°C,so,no change for me yet. Nights are cooler,but,as I don’t go out in the evening,I didn’t get a chance to wear even my summer blazers. T-shirts,especially finer ones,like silk-cotton combo, are my choice to wear with blazers anyway (as long as turtlenecks are not required)
Enjoy the week (end)- fingers crossed for the garden 🙂
Dottoressa
Yes D , I’m worried about the garden too 😊
Ha ha. We did NOT have frost. I will not have to leave the country. 🙂
Thanks, Dottoressa. I packed away tops this year that I did not wear once. I just keep thinking how much more I will love them when I can wear them again. Hopefully I have done a good job in the garden. So many tomatoes. Today I must think of something to do with the ton of peppers I just picked. 🙂
I love your new sweater. Just a reminder that skinny jeans work really well with boots – only time I wear them. Lise
Yes, I will keep at least two pairs of skinny jeans. They are good for travel and for tucking into boots. I don’t think I will stop wearing them altogether.
Our bedroom is being re-decorated so actual access to my clothes is rather limited. The weather here has been most odd – a cold, wet August that felt more like October, now some breezy warmth – and I have been dodging between summer stuff and warmer clothes for a few weeks now. But when the paint has dried and everything been cleaned and replaced, I intend emptying the wardrobe of warm weather wear and get on with rediscovering my jumpers and thicker trousers. I bought new Levis back in the spring and have rather fallen out of love with them but perhaps their time will come.
It will be lovely to head into winter with a refreshed paint job. One of these years we will have to do that, although Hubby hates the disruption.
My fall pieces have been tucked away, and I recently brought them out again! So excited to start wearing some sweaters 🙂
Jenna ♥
Stay in touch? Life of an Earth Muffin
I am excited to wear my sweaters as well, Jenna. I’ve read your blog, I subscribe on Bloglovin’ Good job!
Oh how I do wish my hubby was going on his annual fishing trip end of September, but the majority vote was not this year due to Covid. I do not get my week to myself and therefore the closet elimination and change will have to take place in bit and pieces. There will be quite a bit of saying goodbye I think this time, as my life is more casual and stay at home this year. I am having trouble finding the loose pants I want as well, good fit around the hips and full legs with a long length. There will be no cropped pants for fall and winter for me. I just had an elimination session last week to get rid of many skinny shorter bottoms and it feels good to have the room back. Enjoy your week and good luck with the garden.
Too bad your husband’s trip was cancelled. My Hubby went with only one other guy… much more easily managed. I’m sure you are both disappointed. 🙂
I just LOVE closet-turning season! I accomplished this 2 weeks ago: my school was slow to tell the teachers what courses they were teaching (as in, the night before school started), so to mediate my stress and to feel productive, I turned my closets……none of my closets are huge, so I divide them by purpose. I have a dedicated shoe closet (good-bye sandals, hello boots and heels!), a clothing closet (welcome back, teacher clothes!) , and a sports closet (see you later, triathlon outfits, and welcome back, cross-country skiing wardrobe). Fall, for a teacher, really is the start of a new year, and an entirely different wardrobe than the shorts and tanks I live in all summer. It’s…does this sound trite?….exciting to see fall and winter clothes again, which feel like old friends. It’s calming for me to sort and organize – especially in a world where a lot of our activities haven’t resumed or are radically different.
Aside from clothing, I just finished watching “Get Organized with The Home Edit” on Netflix, and now I have plans to tackle other parts of the house….but not all at once. I need something to look forward to while I wait for snow!
Too bad I wasn’t able to do that back-to-school post we’d been thinking of. I find organizing things calming as well. Order in at least one part of our world is so satisfying. Just wondering if your Fleuvog collection has its own closet? 🙂
Nice job on the video and an excellent job of switching the seasonal wardrobe. Easy to see that your highly developed organizational skills honed at school are still put to excellent use at home. Have not even attempted a change of seasonal clothing yet as it is still too warm and humid to even look at a sweater. Maybe next month.
Love the Vince sweater on you. Would look good with a fine wale corduroy trouser/skirt or even a pair of velveteen trousers–a nice contrast of textures. That sweater is such a good neutral you would have your choice of colours for trousers/skirts. Of course, you would also to choose something that would allow for good options to wear with your other sweaters/jackets. Enjoy the decision process.
Thanks, Mary. I think grey in many forms will be a big part of my fall wardrobe now.
I haven’t done my seasonal closet switch yet. I’m always reluctant in the fall hoping for a few more warm, summer days! It has definitely turned chilly though and I’m wearing the warmest pieces in my summer closet; transitional pieces that will remain when the true summer clothes are put away. At least, unlike last year, we had a real summer this year and I wore pieces that never did see the light of day during the non summer of 2019. Anything that I didn’t wear this year will likely be donated when I finally do turn my closet.
Who knows what kind of weather you guys in Alberta will be getting. Didn’t Calgary already have snow once this season?
Well done! Fine accomplishment and inspiring.
Thanks, Pat. 🙂
I haven’t done the changeover yet, but it won’t be long. It was very chilly here last week, so I had to layer (refuse to turn in the heater yet). This week will be warmer, but I can still wear a few “fallish” things. Loved your video. Since we are staying so isolated, it felt like a visit with a friend. 😊🍂🍁
I will be turning on the furnace tonight when the temperature goes down to 3°C. Must remember to go and cover the tomatoes. So glad you liked the video.
Not yet here — we had mid to high-20s temperatures last week, so still wanting to keep out the summer clothes, but now we’re under heavy (and very unhealthy) smoke cover, and it’s hard to know what we’ll be into when that’s done. I generally approach fall clothes more gradually, reluctant to put summer away for another year. But I got a head start on thinking ahead to coats and gloves and scarves and hats when I noticed some fluttering around the hall closet the other day. . . . Washing and clearing out drawers and closet, putting garments in direct sunlight, vacuuming, lavender-strewing, a bit of cursing, just for good measure. . .
The air quality is bad I hear. What a year we’ve had, eh? Does direct sunlight help with moths???
I’m not entirely sure, but I once read (on the site of a very knowledgeable knitter with an impressive stash of wool to protect) that moths don’t like direct sunlight. Can’t remember if that had to do with their larval (chewing!) stages, but I added to my arsenal the practice of periodically taking everything out of the dark and into the sunlight. At the very least, I know they’re not keen on being disturbed, and I think shifting everything keeps them on their fluttering toes (or whatever!).
Found a bit of damage, a few emerging critters, and I’m glad it caught it early. Quite a few garments got a soak and are now dry and waiting for a crisp fall day.
Ever since I has an influx in my hall closet a few years ago, I’ve been more diligent. Once we have a sunny day I think I’ll hang my winter coats out on the clothesline. They don’t get out much.
Your new jumper/sweater is lovely and the colour looks great with your hair. Is the sweater colour grey?
I’m interested to know how you store your clothes? And what do you use to moth proof your woollens?
Enjoy your week alone.
The new sweater is a silver grey and cream heather. I store my sweaters with lavender pouches, and wash before I out them away for the season. I use cloth and plastic zippered pouches/cubes I bought at Bed Bath and Beyond, and pack them into a drawer under the bed. My jackets get dry cleaned and then stored in garment bags.
It’s still too hot here to wear even a sleeve. But it will cool down sometime soon, and I can’t wait to get out my warmer clothes. Like many others said, a lot of the” going out” part of our Summer wardrobes didn’t get worn this year, so I’m determined to wear all my Winter stuff, even if it’s only to the shops. Which it probably will be.
I do like your sweater, have a similar hand-knitted one. It would look great with some loose flannel trousers, an all-time favourite garment,so elegant and comfortable, Katherine Hepburn knew a thing or two !
I love Katherine Hepburn’s loose and easy-chic style as well.
Loved the video. How can watching someone turn out their closets make for such compelling viewing? Your soothing and engaging voice and sense of humour add a great deal to the enjoyment. I need to attend to my wardrobe too but it’s a smaller job than yours because I have more space. It’s more about bringing the new season stuff down to lower shelves and more accessible locations in the hanging area than packing things away. The hardest part is working out what to retire and then being firm about what, if any, new clothes are needed. As I’m not going often and when I do it’s pretty casual, I doubt that I need anything new for summer.
Even if we’re not shopping, it’s still nice to do the switch. I just love the look of my fall jackets and sweaters in my closet. Even if I’m not wearing them much.
Hi Sue, your new jumper/ sweater is gorgeous… great choice. The colour works so well with your hair and skin tone and the overall style , neckline etc is perfect! Good luck with your hunt for grey flannel trousers. I’m looking forward to seeing how you style it with those and other ways in the future.
I’m really enjoying your videos as well. I like that they’re “genuine” and not overly edited. After watching, I’m left with the feeling of having met you again. In this instance, I’ve been curled up on a chair, having a coffee as you work through your closet. Offering my opinion and advice, when asked! 😂
I’m always impressed with how you turn your closet in such an efficient manner as the seasons change. Definitely advice worth following. At the moment I’m not that organised with mine.
One thing I’ve noticed this year, with no travelling and very few outings is that I’m using a tiny capsule wardrobe which makes deciding what to wear so easy. I am looking forward to wearing jumpers, boots, hats and scarves again soon though, if only for a walk by the river. Making do with dreaming of travel at the moment.
Hope Stu has had a good week, ( and good weather) canoeing, fishing etc.
Rosie xxx
Thanks, Rosie. Next time I film a video, I will envision you curled up with a cup of tea. That reminds me, I must clean up my boots and waterproof them. No packing for travel this year, except for our fall camping trip at the end of the month.
P.S. That shot on IG of your sweet granddaughter is lovely. I didn’t realize she had reddish hair.
Yes, she’s a lovely golden red, not as dark auburn as mine was at her age. There’s actually redheads in both families! Meant to add that I met Ingrid Bergman when I was in my teens. Mum and I had seen her on stage in London and waited at the stage door , hoping for an autograph . She was so lovely, gracious, friendly … happy to talk and as beautiful as she appears on the screen.
Rosie
Redheads in my family as well. And now my niece’s son has the gorgeous red hair. Must have been lovely to meet Ingrid Bergman. I’ve always admired her.
Great video! I need to tackle my closet soon. Although, we only have one season here so no rotations of clothes. Lovely sweater on you. That was a great Nordstrom find!
https://justlivejoy.com/choosing-the-perfect-bag-and-tote-for-travel/
Yep it was a find. I saw it last year and didn’t buy it due to poor colour choices. I was happy to see it again and snapped it up.
Loved this if only because it is me to a T (right down to the glass of wine and an old movie at the end). So funny I should happen to see this post on the day I’m doing my closet too – it’s a big deal twice a year and I don’t even have a lot of clothes! Thanks for posting it!
Glass of wine and an old movie is my routine when Hubby goes away. So is the closet turning. Glad to know I’m not alone. 🙂
Lots of compliments for the new jumper and I’ll add mine to it, Sue 🙂
As for me, I don’t have nearly as much to do when the seasons change. I’ve a couple of winter jackets and coats that’ll be put away as well as knit jumpers and that’s about it.
The weather has become most screwy and more changeable than a hyperactive stripper !
Last week I was almost in T-shirts and shorts and today I’m back in jeans with a cashmere turtleneck layered under a heavier woollen V-neck jumper !
Comments are closed.