It seems just yesterday we were counting down for Summer break, and now we’re officially in the first weeks of Fall. When the leaves start to change and a crispness comes in the air, I get excited. I flourish in all of the layers we can wear (and I’m all about building a better wardrobe), so it’s time to determine the look(s) I want to have, including the colors, fabrics and silhouettes that I think work well together this season.

First things first, though: before we add in anything new to our closet, we have to edit our closet, and I’m going to share a few tips that will help you prep your wardrobe for Fall. Once you have an idea of the look that you want during Fall ( I like to use Pinterest to create my own inspirational moodboards for this step), the really hard part begins: editing out your closet. Even if you don’t dislike everything in your wardrobe, this is the easiest way to help you seamlessly rework your looks.

Completely clear out your closet.
Take everything out. Doing this will allow you to truly see the space that you’re working with and reorganize things the way that you want.

Try everything on, editing by category.
Editing by category allows your try-on session to flow smoothly and quickly. Try on an item and ask yourself “would I buy this today?” If yes, keep it. If no, toss it. It doesn’t matter if it fits well or you found it on a great deal, if you couldn’t imagine yourself purchasing it now, let it go.

Compile your piles.
Once you’ve tried on everything, you should have 4 piles: what to keep, what to donate, what to toss, and what to sell. The keep pile is everything that’s going back into your closet. If you have anything that needs to be repaired or dry cleaned, pack it up now so that you can send it all off at the same time. The donate pile are items that are still in good condition, but you wouldn’t be able to sell. Take these to Goodwill or Salvation Army, or consider donating it to your local Dress for Success. The toss pile should be anything that is torn, has stains, or is seriously out of style, and your sell pile should be designer or higher-end mass retailer items (Anthropologie, Topshop, Banana Republic, Zara, etc.) and vintage pieces that are in great condition or only a few seasons old that you can take to a consignment shop or sell yourself online.

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Once you’ve edited down what you already own (and you have a clearer idea of what items you will need this season), the fun part – shopping! – can begin. You’ve figured out your style, made room in your closet, and you can now shop with a lot more purpose!