How to Transition Your Closet from Summer to Fall

The first step of the storage process is a simple but vital one: designate a storage area. Think under the bed or tall shelves of the closet you don’t typically reach. Use a tape measure to figure out what height, width, and depth you’re working with, and move on to step 2.

Sundresses, blouses, shoes, and hats: summer clothes are not one size fits all. Our favorite storage bins for dresses and straw hats come in three different variations. For less structured pieces, save space by folding them into a storage bag. Pro tip? Layer a dryer sheet between each item of clothing you’re storing to keep them smelling fresh.

So, you’ve stored your summer pieces, but what about those that help transition your wardrobe from summer to fall? Light sweaters, ballet flats that won’t feel feasible after late October, you know what we mean. Our advice: store all your transitional items in the same section of your closet and reserve an empty box in the front edge of your storage space—you’ll need these pieces again as soon as spring—and you might deal with an unseasonably warm day that calls for a breezy cardigan in the mid-fall or even the winter—so keep them as accessible as possible.

We’ve all experienced the deflating moment of finding a favorite sweater ruined by moths. Get ahead of that by storing all of your sweaters in garment bags on these hangers, and, for an extra layer of protection, spritz them with some of this surprisingly effective wool & cashmere spray before you put them away. If moths aren’t your problem, but your coats and cashmere are pilling, run this genius sweater stone over them a few times to get them back in pristine condition.

And there you have it! Clothing storage is admittedly not the most glamorous of pursuits, but you can trust that we’ve offered up the best process possible.