I knew I shouldn’t have put my winter jacket away.
Every year I do it. The sun comes out for three days in a row, I feel optimistic, I pack things up, and then it gets cold again. Every. Single. Year.
This whole winter, I have felt like a plant every time there’s even a sliver of sunshine. I run outside and stretch my whole body toward it, trying to magically charge myself with enough light to make it through another grey day. So with spring (finally, hopefully, please) on the way, I’m willing the warmer weather in the best way I know how: my annual spring closet reset.
This is not about buying new things. Not yet. Before you even think about what to add, you need to know what you already have, and whether it’s working for you.
Here’s how I do it.
Table of Contents
1. Give Your Winter Pieces Some Love Before You Put Them Away
Before your coats and sweaters go into storage, give them a proper once-over. Grab an electric fabric shaver or a sweater stone and go over any pilling, you’ll be amazed how much newer pieces look when the fabric is smooth again. While you’re at it, spot clean anything that needs it.
This step takes maybe twenty minutes and it means that when you pull those pieces out next fall, they’re ready to wear. Not something to deal with when you’re already cold and just want to get dressed.
2. Freshen Up Your Jackets Before You Hang Them Back Up
If any of your lighter jackets have that particular smell that comes from sitting in a closet all winter, or if the underarms need a little attention, try this before you reach for dry cleaning.
Mix equal parts vodka and water in a spray bottle, mist the affected areas, and leave the jacket outside for a few hours. The vodka neutralizes odour without leaving a scent of its own. It’s a trick that sounds a little unusual the first time and then becomes the only thing you use.
Which brings me to the next tip.
3. Put Your Spring Jackets Outside Overnight
Before you hang them back up in your closet, give your spring jackets a night of fresh air. Better yet, hang them inside out so the sun hits the inner lining, the parts that sit against your skin and tend to collect the most oil over a season.
It sounds simple because it is. But it makes a real difference in how fresh your pieces feel when you start wearing them again.
4. Turn All Your Hangers Backwards
This is one of my favourite tricks for understanding your own wardrobe, and the beginning of a new season is the perfect time to do it.
Turn every hanger in your closet so it faces the wrong way. As you wear pieces and return them, flip the hanger back to facing the right way. Check in after a month or two and look at what’s still backwards. Those are the pieces you haven’t reached for once.
That’s your information. What you do with it is up to you — but at least now you’re working with real data instead of a feeling.
5. Pretend You’re Packing for a Spring Trip
This is my favourite exercise for getting honest about what you actually love.
Imagine you’re packing for a week-long trip, somewhere in the same climate as where you live right now. There are dinners out. There are casual days. You need to pack thoughtfully because you can’t bring everything.
Go ahead and pack that imaginary bag.
Now look at what’s still hanging in your closet.
Ask yourself: why didn’t these pieces make the cut? What is it about the pieces you chose that made them your first reach? How are they different from the ones that stayed behind?
The answers are more useful than any style quiz. You already know what you love, this exercise just makes it visible.
6. Make Your List (Then Shop with Intention)
Once you’ve done the work above, you’ll have a much clearer picture of what’s actually missing from your wardrobe. Not what you want in theory. What would genuinely fill a gap.
Make that list. Be specific. “A light jacket I can throw on in the evening” is more useful than “a jacket.” “Flat sandals that work with everything” is more useful than “sandals.”
Then, when you’re ready to shop, start local. I have a Canadian boutiques guide on the site with shops organized by city, because the best version of spring shopping is finding something from a designer who made it well and meant it to last.
[Explore the Canadian Boutiques Guide →]
The Point of All of This
A spring closet reset isn’t really about your closet. It’s about getting clear on what you actually wear, what you actually love, and what you’re actually missing, so that when you do shop, you’re not just reacting to whatever’s on the rack.
The best spring wardrobe is the one that works for your life, not the one that looks perfect in theory. This is how you build it.
S.C.
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