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It’s time to switch up some things in my wardrobe. Now that it’s September, I feel like it’s time to put some of those summery pieces in storage, and bring out some autumn gear, which I’m really excited about. 

Autumn is probably my favourite season, and the fashion that comes with it—the layering and the cosiness—is just top-notch. I’m really excited about it.

As someone who has massively decluttered her wardrobe and no longer keeps a lot of items, I now have pieces that have really stood the test of time. They help me maintain a clutter-free closet while still giving me options. I don’t feel restricted, and I can still have fun with my clothes, even while keeping my wardrobe simple and clutter-free.

And in this article, I’m sharing my ‘empty-empty-fill-fill’ system. It’s a really simple way to think about your wardrobe declutter when you’re changing it for the new season. I hope this helps you.

Keep reading below or watch the video:

Step one is “empty” 

What you’re going to do in this first “empty” step is to basically bring out what you had stored away. Essentially, you’re emptying your storage areas. Whether that’s the bags you have under your bed, the clothes bins, the baskets, or boxes. Or whatever you have in your loft or elsewhere—wherever you keep your items stored away. This is a good time to take those out and see everything you have.

Go through all those pieces and have a look. Decide what’s going back in your wardrobe right now and which pieces you want to get rid of. 

I find that once I bring out items from previous seasons, I can really tell how I feel about them. If I’m not excited to wear a particular piece, then maybe it’s time to declutter it. This is also a great opportunity to declutter items from the current season.

For example, when I take my autumn items out of storage to put them in my autumn wardrobe, it’s the perfect time to sell anything I don’t want to wear this season. Many people will be looking to buy seasonal items. So if you, too, have pieces that are still in good condition, you could make some money from them.

I keep my off-season items in drawers under the bed or in baskets at the top of my wardrobe. My plan is to go through them and take out all the pieces I need for this season, making space for the previous season’s items. This is basically the first phase of the “empty” step.

Step two is also “empty”

I’m now going to go through my wardrobe and take out anything that’s not needed for the current season—summer items like shorts, light dresses, and linen shirts that I don’t see myself wearing for the next few months or until next year. I’ll empty those out to create space in my wardrobe, giving me some empty hangers and open areas.

This will give me a nice, half-empty “container” where I can put the current season’s items in.

At the same time, this is a good opportunity for me to look through my summer clothes. I can see if there’s anything I need to declutter—maybe items I no longer wear or don’t feel excited to wear.

I also like to have a look through my digital wardrobe. Tracking my outfits helps me see which items I haven’t worn much this summer. Sometimes I decide to keep them and give them another chance next summer, which is totally fine. But there are some pieces I’ve decluttered along the way—like dresses or other items I realised I’m just not excited to wear. It’s better to clear those out of my wardrobe.

Step three is “fill”

As I’m going through the pile of clothes that I took out of storage, I pick from there the items that I think I’m going to wear for the next 2-3 months. I find that September and October are a little bit transitional. Sometimes it’s not that cold yet. So I don’t need all of my chunky knits, but I will take some layering pieces and sweaters out.

This is the step where you’re slowly starting to fill the wardrobe. There’s no specific number of items that works for everyone. Some people say 30 or 33 items. What matters most, though, is that your wardrobe isn’t so stuffed that you feel overwhelmed when you open it. You should be able to find everything easily. If your wardrobe is streamlined and everything fits comfortably in the space you have, that’s ideal. Then you can keep as many items as you want.

During this step, you can also try to be mindful of keeping items that you actually wear. If you don’t wear something, it’s probably for a reason. So it can easily go, either to make a bit of money back or to give it to someone who will use it. This way, you can have a clutter-free wardrobe that you really enjoy picking outfits from.

In the minimalism space, we can sometimes get a bit hung up on numbers and having the absolute minimum of items. But minimalism is not really about that. If you’ve watched my previous wardrobe videos, you’ll have noticed that some wardrobes have 30 items, some 44, and some 52. The exact number doesn’t really matter. What matters is having a curated selection of clothes that you love wearing. They should suit the season and fit your lifestyle.

Step four is also “fill”

As you look around your room, tackle anything that’s left out. Those are the items you didn’t put back in your wardrobe—either because you don’t want to wear them this season or because you’re decluttering them.

Obviously, take the declutter pile and make a plan to donate it to a charity shop or wherever you want to get rid of it. Anything else that you want to store for the season can be put away. In your daily wardrobe, which you open every morning, you want to keep the items that are an option right now—things that fit you, make you feel good, and are season-appropriate. Everything else can go into storage.

Let me know how you’re getting on with your wardrobe declutter and if you’re as excited for autumn as I am. I’d love to hear from you!