How To Build A Transitional Wardrobe From What You Already Have

As the cooler weather slowly but surely starts to blow in, we once again find ourselves in one of those transitional seasons. You know, those in between seasons when it’s too cold for some of your favorite pieces, but too warm for others. Or when the weather can’t make up its mind. I know it’s officially transitional weather when I stare at my closet before getting dressed, grousing about how I have “nothing to wear.”

But running out and buying all new clothing is rarely the answer, even if you are buying clothes from sustainable companies or thrift shops. The most sustainable way to build a fall wardrobe is to shop what you already have.

We get it: it’s easy to feel like you have “nothing to wear.” So below, you’ll find some creative tips for working with what you already own to create a transitional wardrobe that feels fresh and exciting for the new season.

Organize your closet

You won’t get far in reimagining your wardrobe if you can’t even see it all. Step one should be a closet reorganization. When your clothes are squished together or not organized with any sort of rhyme or reason, you’ll probably forget about at least a few of your favorite or most useful pieces—I know I do.

“You’ll probably find yourself bellyaching about having no good clothes a lot less when you can see everything you own every time you open the closet.”

To combat that, take everything out of your closet and reorganize it when you put it back in, pairing like with like—all the shirts together, all the pants together, all the skirts together, etc. You’ll probably find yourself bellyaching about having no good clothes a lot less when you can see everything you own every time you open the closet. You’ll start to consider more possibilities.

It’s also a great idea, says YouTuber Alyssa Beltempo in this video, to put aside clothes you know you’ll wear a lot in the coming weeks, so in this case, transitional long skirts or maybe button downs, so they’re featured prominently in your closet or bedroom and you’ll remember to reach for them.

Closet reorganization time is also a great opportunity to stow away any clothes that can’t be transitional and that you know you won’t use at all during the upcoming season. But you might be pleasantly surprised with the number of pieces you can keep on rotation after the next few tips.

Get good at layering

We all know that a crew neck sweater looks great over a collared button down. But now is the time to think outside the box when it comes to layering, one of the best ways to transition your wardrobe to a new season.

“Now is the time to think outside the box when it comes to layering.”

A few of my favorite transitional layers are using an oversized button down to make an outfit more weather-appropriate, adding a crew neck sweater or t-shirt over a flowy dress (don’t put your summer dresses away yet!), or adding a form-fitting turtleneck under a loose, summery romper, blouse, or spaghetti-strap dress. Some more ideas to get the juices flowing: tights or tall boots paired with short skirts or dresses, or layering multiple light jackets at once to get more use out of lighter pieces in colder weather.

Have an outfit creating session

YouTube creator Erin Elizabeth has a fantastic tip for shopping your own wardrobe—have an outfit creating session where you set aside time to comb through your wardrobe and experiment with different pairings you’ve never tried before. This is a great task to complete while you’re reorganizing the closest.

“Make sure to take photos of your favorite new outfit combinations so you don’t forget them.”

The key here is to experiment. Try pairing items you thought wouldn’t go together, like casual graphic tees with more dressy skirts, or maybe a casual look elevated by a heel. You might find out that pairing your summer dresses with boots looks great, even though you’ve never tried it before. You also might find some new layering combos, too, playing around with your button downs, sweaters, dresses and fitted shirts. Make sure to take photos of your favorite new outfit combinations so you don’t forget them.

Know what you love, and embrace it

Embrace your own preferences and creativity. Are you constantly cold? Break out those cozy sweaters and boots even if it’s not technically winter! For wardrobe combos that feel easy and natural, think about your own preferences first, and take it from there. Do you love scarves? Transitional seasons are a perfect time to go scarf crazy. How about hats? Same there—we especially love berets for times like these.

“Embrace what you love, but don’t feel pressure to wear what you don’t.”

Think outside the box and you’ll probably find tons of new outfit combinations in your own wardrobe that are great for any season. If any time after Labor Day is jacket season in your mind, challenge that idea and layer multiple sweaters for a new look that’s just as warm.

We stand by socks with sandals as a transition combo, too, but know your own preferences—embrace what you love, but don’t feel pressure to wear what you don’t. You want to feel like yourself here, and pulling from your own wardrobe this season is a great first step.

Natalie Gale is a Boston-based freelance journalist. When she’s not writing about art, food, or sustainability, you can find her biking to the farmers’ market, baking, sewing, or planning her next Halloween costume. Say hi on Instagram!