Seasonal Wardrobe Rotation Checklist

Who this is for

The wardrobe swap, in three short lists. Sort what you actually wore, pack the out-of-season things away properly, and bring the others out and check them before you need them.

Anyone whose wardrobe changes twice a year, households short of hanging space, and people who would rather find the missing button in autumn than in December.

What this helps you track

• What to decide about each thing before it goes back in the wardrobe
• How to leave the packed-away clothes so they are usable next time
• What to check on the clothes coming out, before you need them
• What went out of the wardrobe for good, and where it went
• Where everything is stored and what it is stored in

How to use it

1. Write whose wardrobe it is, the season you are changing to and where the out-of-season clothes are stored at the top.
2. Work through the sorting list first and make the decisions while everything is out; sorting afterwards rarely happens.
3. Pack the out-of-season clothes away using the second list, and label the boxes or bags — the storage box index is the place to record which is which.
4. Bring the new season's things out, work down the third list and put anything needing a repair, a clean or a replacement into the notes.
5. Cross out anything that does not apply to your wardrobe and write your own in the margin; on screen you can add your own items to any list.
6. Keep the finished sheet with the storage boxes so the next swap starts from it.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

When should I change the wardrobe over?

When the weather where you live makes you. The sheet names no months and no dates, because the same season means different things in different places. Write the season you are changing to at the top and use the lists.

How should clothes be stored?

The list says clean, dry, labelled and off the floor, which is about as far as we will go — fabrics, moths and lofts all differ. Follow the care label on anything you are unsure of.

What do I do with what I am not keeping?

Decide before it goes back in a cupboard: pass on, sell, recycle or bin. The donation and charity shop log records where each bag ended up and when.

Can I use this for children's clothes?

Yes, and the outgrown pile is usually the largest one. Write the size on the box label as well as the season, since a child's wardrobe rotates by size as much as by weather.