The Cold-Weather Closet Reset
Texas is slow to change its seasons, but my years in Michigan and Colorado shaped how I think about a seasonal closet reset. Winter there doesn’t ask permission, and you learn quickly that your closet needs to match the weather you’re about to have, not the weather you had in September. That lesson has followed me everywhere since, and it works wherever you live.
Not everyone has the space to keep fall and winter pieces out year round, and bulky knits crammed next to your linen are just visual noise when you’re trying to get dressed. So if you’re someone who keeps your wool and shearling tucked away until the first real cold snap, it’s time. (Mariah Carey would agree. The moment November 1st hits and the Christmas music starts, winter is coming.)
The first rule of transitioning is the easy one: shorts and flip-flops, buh-bye. Denim is next. Ankle-length and ripped pairs go into storage, and lighter washes can stay. I’m not a firm believer in the Labor Day white pants rule, and I’m not alone. I love a monochromatic winter look, and if I want to be an elegant snow bunny or a model off duty, I will be. If you live somewhere that never sees a snowflake, skip the calendar and sort by your coldest realistic day instead.Think good layering pieces, even if just draped over your shoulders. Pull everything out one category at a time and make four piles: pieces that work below freezing, pieces for cool and damp, the in-between days, and warm weather only. A client in Naples will end up with a tiny cold pile and a client in Minneapolis will end up with most of her closet in it, but the method is exactly the same.
Then ask three questions of everything you pull. Does it fit the life you have right now? Does it work with at least three other things you own? And would you be annoyed to find it in the wrong season next year? That last one is the question that finally gets people to let go of the sweater they bought for someone they no longer are.
When you bring out your sweaters, here’s something I’m noticing this season: fitted ribbed knits are showing up far less. Rolled necks, cowls, and oversized shapes are everywhere. If you still love a fitted option, it’s a great layering piece underneath all that volume {long sleeve}.
And if you pull out a favorite and discover it’s pilling, like the 525 sweater I stole from my mom that has clearly lived a full life, this is the best tool for the job {sweater comb}. It’s also oddly therapeutic, which I say as someone who has spent actual evenings doing it.
As we discussed in the fall piece, burgundy and chocolate brown are still around. As we move into winter, olive green and powder blue join in, and I love how that softening will make the transition into spring even easier next year.
Before you close the closet, store the warm-weather pieces properly, with one bin per season, and keep a small transition rack for the things that earn year-round duty. If you’re missing anything after the reset, I’d name three gaps and stop there: a coat that works over both a dress and jeans {under $200}, one great layering piece like a fine knit, turtleneck or {cardigan}, and a boot you can actually walk in {brown suede}.
Tell me in the comments what winter looks like where you live, because I’m already thinking about a piece on dressing for specific climates. Next week, I’ll show you how to get from dinner plans to weekend errands using just a handful of what you’ve pulled out. And if you’d rather have someone do a reset like this with you, I’m thinking about offering seasonal closet resets all year, in person in Dallas or remotely, and I’d love to know if that sounds useful.