Shop Your Own Closet

Recently I noticed that I have been struggling with the age-old issue of having nothing to wear, but yet standing in front of an overflowing closet. Read along for the techniques I use to inspire my current wardrobe without conceding to the itch of buying more.

Before we really get into it, let's start with a brief conversation about overconsumption. Social media is wonderful, but it is also created to make us feel inferior and that we need to purchase certain things to be more like the influencers and celebrities that we follow. It is constant inundation of ads disguised as content. Shein and temu hauls, amazon affiliate links, one-tap purchases, and more combined with the constant flux of micro-trends and various -cores are convincing you that you need to buy more. Learning to shop your own closet and learn what pieces actually speak to you will help you curate a wardrobe that actually feels like you, and not just what's popular online.

Cultivating a personal style is so much more important than just buying whatever is trendy at the current moment, and any real fashion person will tell you this until they are blue in the face.

Okay, first thing I do when I'm in a style rut is remind myself that the problem is not that I don't have anything to wear. The problem is that I need to find new ways to wear the items I already own and reinspire myself. I do not need to buy more clothes; I simply need to relearn how to wear what I already have.

Second, look through your closet and pull out the pieces that feel intrinsically you. Maybe it's your favorite pair of ankle boots or sandals, a beautiful silk top you found at the thrift, a pair of worn in jeans that always look good, the purse you saved up for and finally bought. Grab the pieces that you always gravitate towards. Okay, got them? These are your comfort zone items.

Look at what remains. The dress you loved in store but never had the confidence to wear, the bright pink strappy sandals that you just don't know how to style, the oodles of vintage silk scarves that you collect but never use...try wearing these things with your comfort zone items.

Try wearing things that you haven't given a proper chance. Style your items in a way that you haven't before. Not sure how?

That's what the third step is here for. Look up style prompts online. There are lots of sources for these prompts. Try instagram and tiktok, or maybe check out recent runway collections and find what vibe inspires you. Then recreate it with the pieces you already own. Pair your favorite pieces with items you haven't worn in a while.

Look at different color combinations that you might not usually wear, such as the beautiful pairings in this book. Pull the closest matches you have and make it an outfit. Neutral colors only? Absolutely not. Have fun with color.

Find fashionable people on social media whose style inspires you. Take cues from them when getting dressed (withough purchasing anything through those tempting affiliate links). The idea is to restyle and reuse, not to buy.

Fourth, get rid of the clutter. What about the items you don't even want to try styling? Get rid of them. More is not better. Too much to choose from is overwhelming. Weed out the items that no longer feel geniune to you and your style. Donate them, sell them, host a swap party with your friends.

Last thing I want to include is some the style prompts that inspire me the most when I have nothing to wear:

• Try mixing up more than one printed item. Just keep your color schemes similar for both pieces to feel more put together. Try:

  • A ditsy floral top with a large floral print skirt

  • Cheetah print pants with striped heels

  • Animal print with animal print, snake print boots with a leopard print dress.

  • Mix and match plaids

  • Zebra print sweater with a geometric printed skirt.

• Play with texture. Try:

  • Pair your pleated skirt with a ruffled blouse

  • Suede accents in your accessories

  • Satin slip-skirt with a cotton poplin top

  • Denim and metallic shoes

• Pop of color. Try:

  • All black with red shoes

  • Hot pink sweater tee with navy pants

  • Lavender trousers with a white top

  • Cobalt blue -- anywhere! It's an exciting color

• Try playing with proportions.

  • Oversized and loose fitting items juxtaposed with slim

• Make a monochrome outfit, head to toe with any color.

• Wear something you usually reserve for evenings. Try:

  • The sparkly heels you love with jeans and a tee

  • Statement earrings with a cotton poplin top

  • A bold lip with any outfit

  • A fancy silk top with basic trousers

• Do it scared. Wear something that you haven't had to confidience to wear and Just. Wear. It. Challenge yourself. You bought it for a reason.

This is by no means a complete list. Treat it as a starting point to get your creativity going and remember to have fun!