Wish you could figure out a way to make your seasonal transition easy, fun and good for the planet? I hear you. As a busy Mom of two, it’s challenging to juggle all the competing needs in my household — let alone switch out my clothing for the season. In fact, I’m going through it right now.
Let’s take a look at some simple ways you can make this sustainable for both yourself and the planet.
Take It Step By Step
My guess is you’d much rather spend your free time enjoying the changing seasons rather than inside prepping for it. However, it is a great idea to store your off-season clothing in breathable, canvas storage with lavender to protect it from dust, sunlight and moths.
The answer? Take it step-by-step.
Since the weather generally changes over time, you can simultaneously change over your closet over time. If you switch out the clothing that you want to wear now with the clothing that is no longer appropriate, your storage will be organized by temperature naturally!
To keep it simple, do this week-by-week. With the climate crisis, we’re seeing more temperature fluctuation, so this also makes it possible to be prepared for sudden changes. You can even mark your storage with the temperature change to make it easier next year.
Double-Duty
To leverage the action you’re already taking pulling your clothing out as you want to wear it, you can also edit, curate and style your wardrobe as you switch things out. Put your favorite pieces away on hangers styled into outfits with accessories. This also makes it easy to see what might be missing.
Observe how your body reacts to your clothing as you bring each piece out — are you excited to see these pieces or not? If not, it might be time to give to Dress for Success or donate to PickUpPlease.org to benefit our veterans. You could also sell to ThredUp.com and turn your old pieces into “new” ones you might be happier to wear.
Once you’ve built two weeks of clothing along with outfits for the special occasions in your life, your favorite exercise and sleeping, you can consider yourself done. You don’t need any more pieces! This means you can release the remaining clothing — unless there are pieces you absolutely love.
Up level Your Shopping
One of the best ways to help the planet is by shopping sustainable and ethical manufacturers, shopping vintage or by renting your clothing. More and more of my clients are asking for ways to ensure their money is supporting businesses that support the planet and you can, too!
Ethical Fashion: Maven Women
I just connected with the creator of Maven Women, an ethical clothing creator that is working to create pieces that not only honor women’s bodies and needs, but have ethical standards at each step in the supply chain.
Shop Vintage: Farfetch.com
Bringing luxury to the masses, this online retailer has a “Conscious” section, so you can shop Stella McCartney and other eco-brands on resale to pull double-duty!
Rental Clothing: RenttheRunway.com
My favorite way to add interest to my wardrobe these days, Rent The Runway offers a monthly shipment of clothing to rent so you can easily navigate the change in the seasons without contributing to the mounds of used clothing that end up in landfills.
Wardrobe transition does not have to be another chore that keeps you from enjoying the things you love to do. When you approach it step-by-step, do double duty by transitioning and curating at the same time and update your closet by upleveling your shopping game, you can honor your own schedule and the planet at the same time.
About
Allison Hamilton-Rohe is a Personal Style Coach, Founder and CEO of DailyOutfit. She created a unique, trademarked formula to help you translate what makes you amazing into a personal style you inhabit with ease. A global nomad, she is currently living in Silver Spring, MD with her husband, two kids, Dutch bunny and new Doodle rescue. To learn more about her work, check out www.dailyoutfit.com or connect with her on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.
