March is ending and the clocks are about to ‘spring forward’ (anyone else remember it that way too?), which means it’s time to switch from my autumn/winter wardrobe to my spring/summer wardrobe. That sounds simple, but it’s an ordeal I put myself through twice a year.
Now, I know many of you will be shaking your heads at that. I know people who think putting a coat on qualifies as dressing for winter. Yet it is surprisingly easy to reach a point where you have two wardrobes’ worth of clothes to suit the seasons. Switching between them isn’t something I just do for fun.
First, I’ve got to hoik out and pile up everything I need to put away. If you’re like me and have a seemingly endless pile of laundry, you’re going to miss something. Come June, you’ll discover a knitted dress hiding at the bottom of the bag – and where will it go then? Next to the tank tops and that one stripy kaftan you can’t bear to bin? I don’t think so.
The stuff I’m not wearing gets shoved in a suitcase until it gets cold enough to put it back into rotation again. Like I actually have room for a second wardrobe in this expensive cupboard I call home. This has always been a fab idea, right up until I need to use that suitcase for a holiday. Then I have to empty everything back out onto the bed until it looks like I’ve never tidied up even once in my life.
Once the summer clothes are out, it’s time for the tests. Does this still look any good? Have the moths had their wicked way with the pockets? Are there holes in it? This year, we sadly had to say goodbye to the floral trousers with the neon piping. May they never be seen again.
There’s a final ritual that I have to go through during the wardrobe switch – ironing every single damn thing. For some reason, I fold the clothes nicely when putting them away and all of them come out creased. I must have suitcase goblins or something.
Phew. That’s that done until September. Unless I do find a Christmas jumper in my laundry next month, in which case I’ll keep you posted.
Pictured: A taste of Kady’s spring wardrobe. Credit Sue Clark
