How many of us have stood in front of an overflowing closet and said, “I have nothing to wear”? We scan the closet and it seems like none of our clothes go together and half of them went out of style last week. We wonder how we keep buying new clothes all the time, and yet we still feel unhappy with our wardrobe.
1. You Need a Plan
No one builds a house without a blueprint, right? We wouldn’t go around buying random pieces of wood and windows that don’t match, and just hope that it would come together somehow. So why do we try to build our wardrobe this way? Our closets are often made up of a series of impulse purchases that have no rhyme or reason. We buy a sequin mini skirt because it’s on sale at J Crew, and then a red flannel shirt because we saw a blogger wearing it. Then we look into our mismatched closets and wonder why it’s so hard to get dressed in the morning.
Instead of buying things on a whim, we need a plan. The first step is to take a look at our closets and identify the holes – what key items are missing from our wardrobe? What are those pieces that we would love to wear over and over, and that can mix and match with the other things in our wardrobe?
2. Make a List
Once you identify what key items would complete your wardrobe, make a list on your phone that you can reference at any time. It could look something like this: a pair of faux leather leggings, an oversized sweater, a pair of black booties, the perfect denim jacket and high waisted jeans.
Next time you get the urge to buy purple snakeskin shoes that are on sale, stop right there. Pull out your list, and review. If it’s not on the list, it’s probably not a priority and you want to save your money to buy the things you really want.
3. Is It Love or Lust?
Many of us test our purchases with the idea, “If I’m still thinking about it after a week, then I should buy it.” While that idea is better than impulse buying everything in sight, it may not be the best way to build a wearable wardrobe that you love.
We all know what it’s like to have a crush that isn’t good for us, but we can’t stop thinking about them. Just because we can’t get them out of our heads, doesn’t mean that they’re the right choice. Shopping is the same way. We have to ask ourselves, “Is it love or is it lust?”
If we buy the low cut maxi dress that we’ve been obsessing over, but will only wear it once, we may have to sacrifice that perfect oversized sweater that would make getting dressed every day a breeze. Most of us don’t have unlimited shopping budgets, so there are trade-offs. If we shop with more intention, we can stop buying clothes that we don’t wear and start building the wardrobes of our dreams.
PS. To get yourself started on a closet you love, check out VETTA capsule and get inspired!
What are the “love” pieces that your closet contains?
Image via Michelle Madsen
3 comments
Great advice Suzi! Thanks for this post 🙂 It will help me to be more aware of my purchases.
This is the best advice ever… I am making my list.
Great advice. I especially needed to hear the last bit (Love or Lust) because I tend to just delay my instant-gratification a week or two, but usually it’s still not the right piece. Thanks 🙂
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