The switch from summer to autumn is the best moment of the year to edit your wardrobe, and to organise it in a way that actually fits your life.
Here in Amsterdam, it happens almost overnight. One week you're cycling in a light shirt, the next you're battling wind and sideways rain with your hood up. Suddenly the sandals and linen look out of place, and you're digging around for your boots and that jumper you know is somewhere.
Instead of just swapping one pile for another, use this moment to take a proper look at what you own. Done well, a seasonal switch helps you discover new outfit combinations, see exactly what's missing, and get dressed faster every morning.
Step 1: Pack away summer and edit what you have
Start by taking out everything that's purely for warm weather: sandals, linen, thin dresses, shorts. Before you store them, ask yourself whether you actually wore each piece this summer. If you didn't, be honest about why.
Then bring out your autumn and winter clothes and give them the same honest look. Try things on. Does it still fit? Does it still feel like you? Is it in a colour that suits you? Sort everything into three piles: keep, repair or alter, and let go (sell, donate or swap).
Keep in-between pieces out, like light knits, a trench coat and ankle boots. In Amsterdam, autumn can swing from mild to freezing in the same week.
Step 2: Organise by areas of your life, not by item type
Most of us organise our wardrobes the way shops do: all the jeans together, all the jumpers together, all the shirts together. It looks neat, but it doesn't help you get dressed. You still have to build every outfit from scratch, every morning.
Instead, organise by the areas of your life. Think about what you actually do in a typical week, and group your clothes around that. For example:
Work, whether that's the office, client meetings or working from home
Weekend and casual, for markets, errands, coffee with friends
Evenings and social, for dinners, drinks, birthdays and events
Active and outdoors, for walks, cycling in the rain and the gym
Home and lounge, for comfortable days in
Your categories will be personal. Someone who travels a lot might add a travel section. A parent might have a school-run section.
When you hang pieces together by activity, new combinations start to jump out at you. That blazer you only ever wore with trousers might look great with the knit and jeans next to it. You start seeing outfits, not just items.
Step 3: Pair shoes and coats with each area
An outfit isn't finished until you've walked out the door, and in autumn that means shoes and a coat. So take your organising one step further and match them to each area of your life too.
For work, that might be smart ankle boots or loafers with a wool coat or trench. For weekends, trainers or Chelsea boots with a casual jacket or parka. For evenings, something a little dressier, perhaps heeled boots and your best coat. And for cycling and walking in the Amsterdam rain, waterproof boots and a proper rain jacket that you actually like wearing.
If you can, store shoes near the clothes they go with, or keep a photo of each pairing on your phone. Either way, you'll stop reaching for the same pair of boots every single day.
Step 4: Spot what's missing and shop with a list
This is where organising by life area really pays off. When your clothes are grouped by activity, the gaps become obvious.
Maybe your work section is full, but you have nothing for evenings that you feel good in. Maybe you have three casual jackets but no coat smart enough for the office. Or maybe every outfit falls apart because you don't own a pair of boots that can handle the rain.
Write those gaps down. That list is your shopping plan for the season. It keeps you focused on what you'll actually wear, and it stops you buying a fourth grey jumper because it was on sale.
When you do shop, choose pieces in your colour season palette. They'll work with what you already own, so every new piece adds more outfits, not more clutter.
A wardrobe that works for your life
A seasonal wardrobe edit takes an afternoon, and it pays you back every morning until spring. You'll know what you have, you'll see new ways to wear it, and you'll shop with a clear plan instead of on impulse.
Would you like help with your own wardrobe? I offer personal styling services like a wardrobe edit.Together we'll go through what you own, organise it around your life, and build a list of the pieces that will make it all work.