Fall is here, at least technically. In some places, it still feels very much like summer, but I’m starting to think about cozy knits, embellished jackets, leather boots, blue denim, and all the things I haven’t seen in months.
Which means I’m looking at my closet a little differently, too.
Like me, my wardrobe has always been a mix. I have my elevated essentials from FRAME and Reformation, vintage Missoni, and dresses from Nordstrom. Then there’s my romantic, boho side with Spell, Chloé, Free People, Christy Dawn, and Doên, plus the more casual, slightly grungy side with Urban Outfitters and Dr. Martens.
I love all of it. The problem is that I don’t necessarily have a life that requires all of it anymore.
I’ve been pretty hardcore about cleaning out my closet for the last year, although I actually started selling on Poshmark 11 years ago. These days, if something doesn’t fit, doesn’t get worn, or doesn’t feel like me anymore, I want it out. Sell it, give it to a friend, donate it – just get it out of here. I no longer want to keep moving the same piece around my closet hoping I’ll magically become the person who wears it.
Finding something with the tags still on is always a little painful. I’m happy because I clearly still have a good piece, but I’m also thinking, Okay, but why did I buy this if I wasn’t going to wear it?
Where to Start With a Fall Closet Cleanout
Fall is a good excuse to actually look at what you own before buying more. We’re pulling sweaters and jackets back out, putting summer things away, and figuring out what we’re going to wear for the next few months anyway.
Start with what you’re bringing back into rotation and try it on. Does it fit? Do you feel good in it? Do you actually wear it? Does it still feel like you?
If something doesn’t fit, that’s okay. Bodies change, clothes change, and sizes make very little sense. If you love something enough to tailor it, do that. But if you’re keeping half a closet for the body you might have someday, I’d reconsider.
And technically fitting isn’t the same as looking good. The dress that fits perfectly but gives you pancake boobs still isn’t doing you any favors. Neither are the jeans that technically button but make you uncomfortable all day, and might bust after lunch. If you’re constantly adjusting, tugging, or wondering why you look weird in something, you’re probably not going to start loving it.
Then there are the things that are simply done. Permanently pilled sweaters, falling-apart shoes, stains that aren’t going anywhere. Some things have had a good run. Just don’t put genuinely unwearable clothes into the donation pile. Look into textile recycling where you live instead.
And then there’s the “maybe someday” stuff. The shoes you bought because you thought you were going to become a person who wears those shoes. The beautiful boho dress you keep because maybe your life will suddenly involve more linen, Birkenstocks, and frolicking through fields.
If you’ve been saying “maybe someday” for years, you probably know the answer.
One question I like is, If I saw this in a store today, would I buy it? If the answer is no, listen to that. And if it was expensive, remember that keeping it in your closet doesn’t make the money less spent.
When Your Style Changes
This is the part I understand all too well.
My closet has always leaned colorful, bold, textured, and patterned, and I still love that. But if I’m being honest, some things can start to feel a little costume-y when they don’t line up with the life I’m actually living.
I’ve been buying more neutrals in recent years because I can wear them in more ways and style them creatively. And neutral does not mean boring. Give me a beautiful knit, great denim, suede, leather, texture, an interesting shape, or a subtle pattern and I’m happy.
I still have a serious boho streak, even after selling a lot of it. I honestly think I had hundreds of boho pieces at one point. These days, I think I’m somewhere under 60, which feels both impressive and slightly ridiculous.
I didn’t get rid of everything. I kept the boho things that actually translate to everyday life and still feel like me. A great embroidered jacket, a beautiful dress that works with boots, something textured I can throw on with denim.
Because yes, part of me still misses the days when I could wear Birkenstocks or wedges with a flowy prairie dress, a floppy hat, a vest, or a denim jacket and be perfectly happy.
There is absolutely a version of me who is meant to be frolicking through lavender fields in the Pacific Northwest. And just because I haven’t frolicked through those fields recently doesn’t mean I won’t.
I just don’t need 200 outfits for said possibility.
There is also the reality that I’m a corporate girly now. I’m not trying to erase that old version of myself. I’m just figuring out which parts still work with the life I actually have.
Why I Buy Less Now
I’ve become much more aware of why I shop.
There was a time when shopping could supplement whatever I was feeling. Happy, sad, bored, annoyed, celebrating, whatever. Sometimes I wanted the package as much as I wanted what was inside it.
I still buy things when they really speak to me, and I can absolutely still get carried away by something colorful and completely impractical. But I’m better at noticing the difference between I really love this and I want to feel different right now.
That has made cleaning out my closet a lot easier.
Okay, So Where Does All This Stuff Go?
Once you’ve decided something needs to go, figure out where it actually makes sense to send it.
I’ve sold through Poshmark, Depop, thredUP, Crossroads, and The RealReal, and I’ve given plenty of things to friends. I have a love-hate relationship with Poshmark these days, although it was absolutely my number one when I started selling there 11 years ago. I sold a ton on it back then. These days, I’m much more selective because photographing, measuring, listing, negotiating, packaging, and shipping can be a lot of work for something that ultimately sells for $10.
For designer pieces, great coats, handbags, boots, or current pieces in excellent condition, selling can absolutely be worth it. Poshmark and Depop give you more control if you’re willing to do the work, but I’m increasingly happy to let The RealReal handle designer pieces for me. I don’t necessarily want the stress of selling an expensive item myself anymore, and that’s where TRR makes a lot of sense for me.
Crossroads, honestly, was not my favorite and I wouldn’t put it high on my list. thredUP is more of a last resort, too, but it can be convenient when I have a lot to clear out and don’t want to turn the whole thing into a part-time job. If you use it, I’d choose the premium label option when it’s available. For better pieces, I’ve found it runs circles around my experience with Crossroads.
And sometimes selling isn’t worth it at all. If a friend would love something, give it to her. If it’s clean, current, and genuinely wearable, donate it somewhere that can actually use it. If it’s stained, damaged, or beyond repair, recycle it instead of passing the problem along.
Don’t Immediately Replace Everything
This is where we can all get ourselves into trouble.
You clean out your closet, see all that empty space, and suddenly fall shopping seems like a very good idea.
Put the credit card away.
Wear what you kept. Pay attention to what you reach for over and over and what you keep wishing you had. Maybe you really do need a great coat or better boots. Or, maybe you need nothing.
I’ve found that what I actually wear tells me far more about what I should buy than whatever happens to be trending for fall.
Being able to see the closet floor again feels pretty great.
That’s what I like about a good closet cleanout. Things that aren’t working get a chance to go somewhere they’ll actually be loved, I get more room, and I can see what I own without digging through a pile of clothes to find the sweater I wanted.
Fall is a good time for that. Seasons change, our lives change, and sometimes our closets don’t quite catch up.
You don’t have to get rid of everything. Keep what fits, what you love, what you actually wear, and maybe a little room for the version of yourself who still plans on frolicking through those lavender fields someday.
You may not need a whole new fall wardrobe. You may just need to get reacquainted with the one you already have.
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