The back-to-school excitement of fall stays with us long after we graduate from the routine of papers, tests and homework. And if you started off each school year by shopping for new outfits and new shoes, it can seem almost mandatory to begin the season with new clothes. That fresh-start feeling, coupled with stores pushing the latest trends, makes it hard to resist the urge to shop.

This, of course, can present a small problem. What are you going to do with all the bulky sweaters you bought last year, and the year before that? How are you going to have room (and money) to introduce some new, current pieces into your constantly changing wardrobe?

Have no fear! Your personal stylist is here with a few fall makeover tips:

1. Get an idea of what new items you’d really like to add to your wardrobe this fall/winter season. Look at magazines, window shop, make a list of what really appeals to you. As much as I encourage you to not put restrictions on your style, remember to be aware of what works for your body type and your lifestyle. The biggest mistake people can make is obsessing over a trend that is never going to look good on them and then being upset when they try to wear it and it doesn’t work. Get over it—not everything is for every body!—because you’ll be happier with your choices if you are true to who you are.
2. Do a little fall cleanout. If you open up a box of sweaters from last year and one (or more) of them makes you gag, it’s time to get rid of it. Even if there’s nothing really wrong with it but it makes you slightly ill to look at it, put it in the give-away pile. Then there are things that you’re not sure about—you might like them, you might not. How to decide? No worries! Keep them in your closet, in a separate pile if you like, and then review your wardrobe again at the end of the season. Anything you haven’t worn once, you’re truly over; you can send it to the donation pile as well.
3. Now, go into your closet and take a basic inventory of your fall/winter pieces. How many pairs of boots do you have? Are they all black and could you use a brown or a neutral pair, or vice versa? Is it really time for a new winter coat, or is the one you have from last year still looking mighty fine and you can restrain yourself from making a similar purchase this year? Because you’ve weeded out the pieces that no longer work for you, you’ll be starting with a clearer, truer palette, which will make it easier to identify the holes in your wardrobe and the pieces that will complement what you already have.
4. Pair up your inventory with the items you’ve been eying in stores and purchase the things that your wardrobe is truly calling for. If you are on a budget or have limited space, consider this what you are allowed to buy. It is okay to replace the things that truly need replacing, or fill in the missing holes in your wardrobe. This is how to maintain a fresh and workable wardrobe.
5. Spend wisely. Winter items generally cost much more than spring/summer pieces because they are bulkier for cold months (this is, of course, for my east coast shoppers). Invest in well-made, classic staples so that your pieces will last: good boots, a wool/cashmere coat, dark wash jeans, a flattering winter hat and matching scarf, cashmere lined leather gloves. If you allow yourself to buy nice things and take good care of them, you will have them for a long time—and your body will thank you when it’s cold outside and you’re nice and toasty!

Carla Nemiroff is the founder of Carla’s Closets, an image and wardrobe consulting firm based in New York City and Los Angeles. During college, Carla’s passion for fashion and eye for design made her in-demand with friends since she was known to whip up a fresh new outfit from a closet filled with seemingly stale choices (and eliminate any ill-fitting or unfortunate choices that had been sitting on the closet floor since 1996). Today, Carla works with men and women to create wardrobes that are stress-free AND fashionable. Find out more at www.carlasclosets.com.