Wardrobe Edit: Maximize Your Wardrobe
In this post, I'll be discussing one of the steps included in a wardrobe edit - a service I offer as a personal and wardrobe stylist. This step should follow the organization of what you already own in your closet, and comes just before adding any additional pieces to your closet. I recently worked with a client who already knows what her personal style is and has items that suit it perfectly. Her only dilemma? Finding ways to create outfits out of them. In about an hour's time, I pulled and pieced together more than a dozen looks to sport during this summer's season. For the purposes of this blog, I'm only sharing a few.
Maximizing your wardrobe simply means putting together new looks from what is currently in your closet. There have been a number of both women and men who tell me they have tons of clothes but nothing to wear. Most times, there are too many statement (fashion-forward) pieces that outweigh the essentials - i.e. blazer, denim jeans or jacket, tee-shirt, button-up, etc. In this case, my client had the perfect balance between the two but lacked the knowledge of combining them to not only make one outfit per item but several by mixing and matching.
To make her feel included in the process and have the experience work best for the both of us, I allowed her the opportunity to show me some of her favorite blouses and bottoms before I began working in her closet. Once done, I pulled clothing to compliment her go-to pieces, focusing on pairing her prints and patterns with a solid and neutral material.
Styling Tip: Try to wear what exists in your wardrobe, or what you're purchasing to add to it, in a minimum of three different ways. Spot a dress or suit for that upcoming event or party, but have plans to wear it to that one occasion? Do not purchase it!
Accessories will always amp up your wardrobe -men, I'm talking to you too! A simple addition of a belt, bracelet, or necklace will make a basic outfit appear luxe. Below, I give an example of how I paired the same pair of floral pants with two of the same top in a different color. One, I purposely styled with no accessories and added a necklace to the other.Viola!
Buying new clothes isn't always the solution to not having anything to wear. Sometimes you just need to go against the rules of fashion and current trends and reinvent your wardrobe with a little nostalgia for playing dress-up and creativity! As always, be creative, shop smart, and stay true to you!