It’s always a hard pill to swallow when it’s time to put the summer wardrobe away, and there are certain emotional stages of unpacking your fall clothes that you experience as you make the shift between seasons. No one likes saying goodbye to filmy white dresses and watercolor-like skirts. It’s a sad farewell to your flirty short shorts and your trusty leather sandals. In their place comes out survival-mode sweaters and Michelin Man-like coats, which is no sartorial cake walk. How could it be when in place of sheer materials and rock-candy colors, you get brillo pad knits and lumps and bumps?
But what if you’re part of the camp that thinks sweaters are cozy and cuddly? Even though you might not be ruing the day the first leaf turns red, there’s still a little pain involved transitioning your summer wardrobe over. There are a lot of sweet memories attached to those pieces, and taking them off of the hangers means saying goodbye to that crazy, lazy summertime, and the girl that came with it. Fall You isn’t always the equivalent of Summer You, and so even the most excited of us over pumpkin spice season can shed a little tear over the change. Here are the seven emotional stages of bringing your fall clothes out.
1. Denial
You've still got red popsicles and patio brunches on the brain. You can almost smell the strawberry and Nutella from your crepe and feel the warm sun on your skin. You don't want the good times to end so you're steadfastly ignoring the crunchy leaves on the ground and the pumpkin spice lattes in everyone's hands. While everyone else is bringing out the grandpa sweaters, you're still wearing your filmy dresses and short sleeve shirts. Who cares that the weatherman said it was going to be 50 degrees out this morning, you'll warm up with your iced coffee.... oh, wait. Erm, that might not work.
2. The "I Don't Wanna Do It" Stage
Alright fine, you've admitted defeat and acknowledged summer has, in fact, packed up her bags and gone away. Mostly because you're now sitting here with a cold and a major case of the sniffles. But even though you know you need your sweaters, there's still the tricky fact of getting the sweaters out. It's just this whole ordeal.
They're in heavy bins in the basement that you have to lug out, then you have to hang stuff, fold pieces, retire others. The next thing you know you have a TLC Hoarders scene in your bedroom. Bleh. Chores. No, thank you.
3. Bringing The Box Out & Forgetting It
When you do finally summon the will to push it up the stairs and into your bedroom, chances are you'll just leave it in the corner of your room and pencil it in your planner to get to it later. It's kind of like a suitcase when you come back from vacation: It'll get unpacked in four months, when you eventually take out all the clothes you need from it. It's called "unpacking organically." Or something like that.
Same goes for this situation. You've got plans to root around when you need certain sweaters, and eventually, the issue will take care of itself.
4. Further Procrastination
Yup, you were just another kid with a dream. You should have known better than to think something so easy would work. You came to this realization when you were running 10 minutes late for work and had no idea where that one cardigan imperative to your outfit went. It wasn't already hanging in the closet, it wasn't jumbled up in the storage bin, it wasn't in the laundry... cue losing your mind and screaming.
That's when you know it's time to live like a normal person, and not someone living out of the trunk of their car. Back to a life of hangers.
5. Reliving All Your Summer Memories
Packing away your striped dress, you totally remember that one time you were just supposed to go out for appetizers and ended up watching the sun come up at the beach. Or how you had the best taco ever in those red little short shorts. Or how about the time, while wearing that crop top, you and your friend stumbled upon a speakeasy and ended up feeling like you were part of a secret society sitting in dusty velvet seats and dark corners. Or how about that wonderful first kiss you got in the summer rain in front of a Latvian deli while wearing that white summer dress. Whatever happened to that guy?
There are so many awesome summer memories tucked away into the sleeves and hems of our summer clothes, and you feel yourself begin to mourn a little as you begin to pack them away, putting the lid on long days and warm nights. Only to invite the gray, soulless tundra that is around the corner. Awesome sauce.
6. Frowning At Last Year's Mistakes
As you begin to take out last year's clothes, you feel a little perplexed. Confused, even. What was wrong with 2014 you? Why do you own a bell sleeved sweater? And what's this patchwork design monstrosity? And those pants look like they belong to a '70s secretary. Not sure if you should break to go get a stiff drink to numb the pain you're feeling over your current wardrobe, you stop to catch some air. Keep faith, not all of it could be so bad, right?
7. Being Kind Of Excited For The Cuddly Feels
When you took stock of the disaster zone, you did eventually notice you have some cute, non-questionable sweaters in there. And as you're putting them tidily away you have to admit that you're kind of a little, teensy bit excited to wear them. Yes, we do have the whole issue of the sun going down come one o'clock in the afternoon and the outside turning into a soulless vacuum, but at least you'll feel all cuddly in a heavy knit.
See? There's always a silver lining... even if it takes you a few weeks or procrastination to finally find it.
