Getting ready for Fall, part 2 | Take stock

After you got your closet organized, the second step in your Fall preparations should be to take stock of what you have. Probably the shop-your-closet motto comes to mind here. Indeed, rediscovering old items in your own closet (or in your mother's, friend's or sister's) can be as rewarding and exciting as shopping for new items.

Experts will recommend to assess what you have by taking pictures of your clothes, shoes, handbags, and accessories, and then organize them into a proper database that will help you decide how to put outfits together. Indeed, "closet organizers" software and apps abound (see, for instance Touch Closet). The idea in itself is a good one, and I have to confess that for a while I entertained the idea of doing it. Back in May, as our move for Europe was approaching and I started making lists of what to take along, I thought that it would have been the perfect moment. Yet I then faced the reality that compiling an organized database of my closet items was too hard and time-intensive compared to its possible uses. When getting dressed in the morning, I would never have the time to consult the database for guidance. Perhaps I could use it if planning outfits for special occasions, or to record what I wore on specific occasions, or if I would have the time to plan my daily outfits in advance. In sum, too many ifs. This solution may work well for you, though, so do no feel discouraged by my experience.

My quick-and-dirty way of taking stock of what I have at the beginning of each season is to compile a broad list of the number of items that I have in each of the following categories and sub-categories:

1. Tops (shirts, blouses, knits, jackets)
2. Bottoms (pants and skirts)
3. Jeans
4. Outerwear (trenches, short jackets, coats, puffer jackets)
5. Evening wear (dresses and separates)
6. Shoes (pumps and flats)
7. Boots
8. Handbags (totes, shoulder bags, clutches)

This broad categorization allows me to quickly detect any "imbalance". For instance: do I have too many tops compared to bottoms? Do I have too many heavy winter coats compared to transitional ones? I keep these lists so that, from one year to the other, it is even faster to update the categories that have changed.

Voila. In the next post, I will share my experience about how to make the best possible use of this list for planning your Fall wardrobe.