Washington, DC, was hit with a fantastic spell of almost-Fall-like weather the past few days. It was enough for me to get my boxes of Fall/Winter clothes down from the attic.

Yours are sitting in your closet, you say? Well, they really shouldn’t be. (And if you’re lucky enough to have a giant, massive closet, like a few of my clients, then you don’t need to remove your out-of-season clothes entirely, but you should have them sequestered — in garment bags and off to one side.) Here’s why: Those unwearable (because out of season) clothes are a distraction! You open your closet and think you have lots of options, but really, those are things you can’t wear at all, because of the season. (Same goes for the formal gown you wear once a year, your ski parka you last wore three years ago … get the picture?)

So people often ask me how I handle the transition between seasons. Here’s how I do it. On Labor Day, I pull all the true summer stuff from my closet and dresser: the filmy scarves, the fabric bags, the canvas shoes, the bright white, the poplin. Ditto straw, seersucker, eyelet, and the like. It’s over! Stuff you didn’t wear all seasons should exit your life, through a charity donation or a gift to a friend. (Really.) The rest should be cleaned or laundered and stored until next year. At the same time, pull out your Fall/Winter stuff. You know those long-sleeve silk tunics and all the other stuff that SAY Fall but actually isn’t that warm? This is its time! Wear it now, because you know you won’t during the next blizzard.

The reality is that those boxes stay in my bedroom for a few weeks, sometimes even a month. That’s the time when we are truly in between seasons. It’s too warm for even my lightest-weight cashmere, and I can still wear some of my silk tanks under other pieces. Then those warm-weather clothes go upstairs for the rest of the season.

And here’s my reward: Looking through my old “friends” from last year, and finding ways to wear them that feel current and very Fall 2010. Wouldn’t you like to do that? It can be a little tricky, so let me know if you’d like some help and support. (Note to readers who don’t live in the Washington, DC, area — this can be accomplished remotely! Just inquire for details.)

How do you handle the transition between seasons? Maybe you’ve got a better way — if so, I’d love to hear it. Drop me a line. And don’t forget to subscribe to this blog feed.