How to Shop Your Closet for a Curated Seasonal Wardrobe

A step-by-step guide to turning what you have into what you love

“Beauty starts when you choose to be yourself.” ~Coco Chanel

I started wardrobe capsuling nearly a decade ago when I needed to squeeze into tiny closets. I loved how the process shifted my mindset from quantity to quality, which aligned with moving through my forties. These days, I have a walk-in closet, so I’m not strict about the number of pieces in my seasonal wardrobe, but I continue to curate a seasonal collection. Rather than blindly following trends, I lean into styles and colors that suit me, and I’m starting to upgrade my fabrics so everything feels more comfortable and luxurious. Curation helps me shop my closet first so I can love what I have and identify gaps so I can shop mindfully and decisively.

This process takes the stress out of getting dressed because I love the look and fit of everything I’ve chosen. Look is essential because while I don’t want to be a trend chaser, I also don’t want to get stuck in time. And fit is key to confidence and an overall sense of ease. My weight fluctuates between three sizes, so I feel best when all my choices fit well.

Here’s my process to usher in a curated wardrobe for the new season:

Choose a Color Palette for Easy Mixing and Matching

I always have black, white, navy, light blue, and gray as my neutrals, with some limited browns for accessories. Then, I run with pops of red for winter, pink for fall, and cobalt blue for spring/summer. You’ll want to choose colors that make your skin glow and your eyes pop. Limiting your palette makes it easy to mix and match so you can start thinking about your overall wardrobe rather than outfits. You’ll do more with less this way. It’s also easier to shop because you’ll be able to quickly identify what would fit in with what you already have.

Pull Out Non-Seasonal or Ill-Fitting Pieces

I just transitioned my wardrobe from fall to winter, so I pulled out everything pink or not well-suited for winter. I hung non-seasonal pieces in inexpensive garment bags at the back of my closet. I stored folding items in large-capacity storage bags on the bottom of my closet. I scanned to ensure all remaining pieces fit well, trying things on as needed. If I had space constraints, this is when I would select my favorites based on my available space. Limiting some of your wardrobe to a season helps things feel new and fresh. And, it feels good to put laundry away when the hanging rods or drawers aren’t crammed full.

This is also a great time to set aside things that aren’t getting worn or loved for a donation run.

Add In Seasonal and Well-Fitting Pieces

This season, I added in red pieces, heavier sweaters, some tighter-fitting workout tops since I’ve restarted my hot yoga studio practice, and two pairs of skinny jeans, black and dark wash, for tucking into boots. I tried on any pieces presented a fit issue. For me, that’s blazers, button-up tops, and jeans. This part is key. When you look in your closet or dresser, all of your available choices should make you feel great. If they don’t, they don’t belong in your current lineup.

Scan Trends to Add Seasonal Inspiration

Before you buy anything, you can shop your closet for what will work well this season. I searched Pinterest for “fashion trends winter 2024” and checked the date to ensure the article was current.

Here’s my thought process for evaluating the current trends listed in that article, and I’ve linked Pinterest boards for some of them:

• Ski Sweaters - Think fair isle or cable knit sweaters. (Funny because I think of these as après ski since I wear fleeces to actually ski.) These are a wardrobe staple for me. I love a cozy sweater.

• Long Coats - Yes to this, but modified for my 5’2” frame. Current trends have long coat hems almost hitting the tops of shoes. If I were to do that, I would look like a child playing dress up, so I’ll stick with my inherited cashmere classic that hits just below the knee.

• Teddy - Pass, except for the black hoodie I have that leans in this direction. I’m an inverted V-shape, so this bulk on top is too much. And, while mature women should get to wear whatever they want, the look reads juvenile to me.

• Burgundy - I love this color, but am mostly committed to the clear red that suits my coloring best. I do have a hoodie and a sweater that I usually wear in the fall as an extension of the pink family. I’m transitioning them into winter to play with the trend. If I wanted to spend money on something new, I would add footwear and a bag.

• Barn Jackets - I love these with the contrasting body and collar. But it’s hard to find them in my colors—they lean heavily on browns and olive greens. If I were to get one, I would look for one like this in navy.

• Riding Boots - I don’t have riding boots, but I have tall black and brown boots that will fit the bill. I’m adding dark wash skinny jeans and leggings to the winter lineup because they tuck into boots nicely.

• Animal Prints - Nope. Not my style.

• Low Rise Baggy Jeans - Yes to a modified version of this. I want to keep things a little more clean-cut and I don’t want to overwhelm my petite frame, so I’ll stick with mid-rise and not too baggy.

• Faux Fur - Nope. Not my style.

• Olive Green - Nope. Not my color.

• Suede - I worry about suede with all of the rain we have here in the Pacific Northwest, but I do have some red suede flats with fun tassels that I can treat and pull out for dryer days.

• Lace - Not my style, but I have a long skirt with an overlay that nods toward lace that I can play with.

• Chocolate - I have boots and a bag in chocolate that I can add into rotation.

• Leather - I have a black leather jacket with an optional hood that will be great this winter.

• Wraps - Love a good wrap or blanket scarf, especially when traveling. I have one in red plaid that will be perfect this season.

• Boat Shoes - Nah, I’ll stick with boots for the winter.

Extra Credit: Build a “Packing List” of Trends in the StyleBook App

I keep an inventory of my wardrobe and build outfits and packing lists in the StyleBook app. After browsing the trends above, I created a packing list to house my clothing pieces that fit in with the current trends so I can have them top of mind when planning outfits.

Or, you could keep photos of your trendy pieces in a designated album on your phone.

Pin Inspiration Outfits to Help You Dress

Once you’ve curated your closet for the season, you can hop on Pinterest and search for inspiration outfits using key items. This will help you be creative and decisive when dressing, and it can also help identify wardrobe gaps if you’ve repeatedly pinned outfits with a missing piece. For example, I’d love to layer sweaters with a white button-up for a more polished look, but my only white button-up that fits is in linen, which works better for warmer seasons.

Put Finishing Touches on Your Closet

Consider organizing your closet for a calming aesthetic. I group my closet by type (dresses, blazers, tops, sweaters, pants) and then by color (black, gray, colors in rainbow order). And, for uniformity, I use wooden hangers unless I need a velvet hanger for no slip.

Make Wish and Repair Lists

Now that your wardrobe has curated seasonal pieces that fit well, make a list of anything that’s needed and a list of anything that needs to be repaired/weatherized.

I don’t need much, but I’ll keep my eyes open for that white button-up. I might add a red silk blouse for dressier occasions. I’ll need to repair a seam on my long cashmere coat and add some leather protector to my footwear and bags.

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Let me know what you think of this season’s trends and how you’ll be incorporating them (or not) into your wardrobe! If you need inspiration, you can find my fashion Pinterest board HERE.