Fashion Friday: How to Shop Your Closet

August 3rd 2018

 

Breathing some fresh life into a tired wardrobe~

Do you want to keep up with the latest trends without draining your bank account? Are you struggling to find inspiration in the clothes you already have? Are you considering throwing away your whole wardrobe and starting fresh? Well, not so fast, you haven’t tried shopping your closet!

What is “shopping” your closet exactly? Well, shopping your closet is the same as shopping in stores. I find that when I am in stores and see a piece I enjoy, I begin to think of all the ways I could style it. However, when I get home, I often make one nice outfit with the piece then struggle to wear it any other way. This causes me to get tired of the piece faster which results in me throwing away pieces that had way more potential than I allowed them to have!

So how do you make the mental shift from simply wearing your closet to shopping your closet? Well the first thing you need to do is empty your closet! Think of shopping your closet as a new way to clean it out.

Look at each individual piece. How many ways can you wear it? Do you have other items to go with it? What made you purchase this item? Why do you still have this in your wardrobe? Does the item flatter your body and feel comfortable enough that you will want to wear it? If you find that the piece is limiting, doesn’t go with much, was a passing trend or something you can’t seem to get rid of, or it is unflattering or uncomfortable, odds are you should pass on it. Shopping your closet is about curating your clothes to fit your personal style.

Take what you have chosen to keep and play with it. How many ways can you wear an over-sized sweater? Is there a new way you can style they denim skirt? What about that blouse? Play around and see how many different ways you can pair items in your closet to create infinite outfit combinations!

Here are 2 examples of how I took pieces in my closet and wore them 3 ways!

1. Mustard Sweater
    
   

   

   

   Outfit 1 // Sweater- Marshall’s // Pants- Marshall’s // Shoes- Target // Bag- WeiMeiBaige
   Outfit 2// Sweater- Marshall’s // Skirt- Forever 21 // Shoes- Charlotte Russe //  Bag- Olvera Street
   Outfit 3// Sweater- Marshall’s // Pants- Levi’s // Shoes- Target// Fake Flowers- Michael’s

   A color like mustard seems very limiting, but it can actually be worn countless ways! It is a great fall color and pairs really well with denim and earth tones, but also contrasts nicely with black.

2. Black T-shirt
    
   

   

   

   Outfit 1// T-shirt- Marshall’s // Overalls- Target // Flannel- Target // Hat- Forever 21 // Shoes- Payless
   Outfit 2//T-shirt- Marshall’s // Sweats- H&M // Slides- Wet Seal
   Outfit 3// T-shirt- Marshall’s // Overall Dress- Primark // Shoes- Payless // Bag- Coach

   A black t-shirt is a super great basic piece that can be used in so many ways. Having token basic pieces is a great way to shop your closet easily and more efficiently!

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Next, try to accessorize! Dress new outfits up to see their full potential. I find that accessories are what really tie an outfit together and make it something you are excited to wear again. Maybe a dress looks really great with some high socks, or that pair of jeans looks really great with high-top sneakers, or the v-neck of a certain top is just deep enough to style a really cute necklace. Accessorizing newly created outfits is a great way to complete the whole vision.

Shopping your closet is not only great for your wallet, but great for the environment! Up-cycling old clothes is a great way to lower your contribution to fast fashion while also spicing up your already existing wardrobe!

What is one way you can shop your closet?

Jess~