Rework Your Wardrobe Without Buying New
I recently mentioned on my Instagram that I don’t often have those ‘nothing to wear’ days anymore, which is a huge benefit of a capsule wardrobe, but I do still have those ‘don’t know how to style things in a new way’ days. This becomes especially apparent when I’m trying to create new outfits for the blog and styling videos on a regular basis. But this blog has been the perfect experiment to prove to myself that you don’t need a ton of pieces in your wardrobe, you just need the right pieces and a bit of creativity. So today I’m sharing my tips for reworking your wardrobe without buying new.
Curate Your Feed For Inspiration
My number one tip for reworking your wardrobe is to expand your frame of reference for your closet by taking in inspiration from others. I constantly look for new accounts to follow on my Instagram, of people with similar personal style to myself and then I will usually bookmark my favorite looks to try to recreate them with things I own. I also do this with my Pinterest and regularly update boards for each season. This look was actually inspired by one of my favorite bloggers at the moment, Anaxmolina. Another added bonus of pinning your inspiration is that you can look back and find patterns in what you pin so you know what kind of pieces to look for at the start of each season.
Try Tonal Dressing
All of the #ColorMyCloset challenge pictures I’ve seen on Instagram lately have reminded me just how chic tonal dressing is. Although for me, the fun lies in all the neutral and earthy tones. The main thing to focus on here is to not worry too much about everything matching perfectly. I think tonal dressing works the best when you bring together pieces of slightly varying shades to create an effortless look. It’s also a safe bet when you just don’t know what to wear but you want to look like you put some thought into our outfit. An all black look is a failsafe for a reason!
Store Seasonal Items
So a new season rolls around and you suddenly get the urge to add some new pieces into your rotation of basics. What do you do? Instead of hitting the mall or refreshing the new in page, why not try unpacking all your favorite seasonal pieces from last year! I do this more in the fall and winter season for my capsule wardrobe, but there are a few pieces and accessories that I like to bring back out for the warmer months too and they always feels so fresh and new again! Storing your out of season clothes makes more space in your closet (a must for my tiny apartment), it helps preserve your clothing longer and it gives you more appreciation for what you already own.
Wear Your Less Loved Pieces
If you have certain pieces in your wardrobe that aren’t getting a lot of wear, why not challenge yourself to style them in three or five different ways. Don’t forget to document these awesome fits with a quick photo for reference later on. You might find that you’ve reinvigorated your love for that patterned dress or wide leg pant. Pairing these pieces with your more well-loved items will give you a whole new take on what you can do with your wardrobe.
And if you still don’t feel motivated to reach for them then ask yourself why: is there a button missing? Unflattering fit? Just not your color? Some questions might be solved with a quick alteration or trip to the dry cleaners. (Seriously, I have a beautiful pair or wool pants that I’ve gone two winters without wearing because I keep forgetting to bring them to the cleaners.) And some items, you might choose to part with so you can make room for something that really works, when the time is right.
Get App Happy
There are a bunch of awesome apps out there that helps you keep track of what’s in your closet and even puts outfits together for you. One that I’ve yet to try out myself but have heard great things about is Smart Closet, a free app where you can take pictures of everything in your closet and it pairs things together. This can be super helpful in understanding what you use most and least in your wardrobe and virtually eliminates those “nothing to wear” days.
So there you have it, my tips for reworking your closet without buying anything new. Do you have any go-to tricks when your closet is feeling less than inspiring? Let me know in the comments below, as I’m always looking for new ideas too! As always, thank you so much for reading! xx Jessica
