The Pros and Cons of Changing Out Seasonal Clothing

I was recently working with a client changing out seasonal clothing. We packed away summer clothing and brought winter wear out of storage.  It got me thinking about the pros and cons of this bi-annual to quarterly process and how it might be simplified.

The Benefits

• It’s an opportunity to take inventory and determine what fits, what’s worn, what needs replacing, and what you can do without.
• Some people find this an enjoyable process, particularly when you find hidden treasures that you have missed and discover that they still fit.
• Storing clothes for next year, particularly if you have kids of varying ages, can help keep the costs down of buying new ones.

The Downside

• Let’s face it – the process can be a real ordeal. You’ve got to find a good chunk of time to complete the project.
• It can be extremely stressful to find the time AND the energy to tackle this process every single year. Is it worth it?
• Hanging on to every item of clothing and footwear can increase the cost of storage whether you need to rent off-site storage or build more closets or cabinets to hold everything.

  

So, how can the annual process of changing out seasonal clothing be simpler? And can it result in spending less time, effort and money on clothing? Perhaps with a capsule wardrobe.

The idea behind capsule wardrobes is to reduce your current clothing to a small collection of useful items that you love and can easily wear from one season into the next or change with each season by adding or taking away a jacket for example.  Maybe you’ve already started decluttering your closet.  Keep going!  For motivation, check out The Big Downsize video on dealing with letting go of your professional wardrobe once you are retired.