If you’re anything like me, you’re trying to shop a little less this year. Today’s post is all about making it easy to shop your closet. If you can learn how to make what you already own seem exciting, you’re more likely to want to wear it. Here are 15 tips to help you take what’s in your wardrobe and make if feel new again!

1

GET ORGANIZED

My closet is a wreck…just yesterday I couldn’t find my black leather pants! How in the world do you loose leather pants? The point here is, if you can see what you have, then you don’t know what you have.

Organize everything in your closet by category. It’s much easier to access what you want to keep if you break everything into categories. This way, you won’t get overwhelmed and can stop and start again easily. If you dump everything in your closet on your bed, you’ve pretty much made a commitment to finishing a large project in a day!

If possible, hang outerwear in another place because it’s bulky and takes up a lot of space. Also, thin coat hangers will help to maximize your closet space.

2

FIX ANYTHING THAT’S DAMAGED

If you’ve got anything in your closet that is missing buttons, (my beloved Cabi leopard coat), is ripped or has a stain that can be gotten out, take care of it immediately and you’ll have that item back in rotation.

3

MAKE YOUR CLOSET AS GORGEOUS AS POSSIBLE

My closet is one of the last things in our home that needs to be renovated and I’m so excited for that to happen (hopefully soon)! Even though I said above that it’s a wreck, when I do straighten up I try to display things in a nice way. I also have a rolling rack that I use for YouTube videos that I use for overflow so things don’t get too crowded. The best advice is to organize your closet to look as much like your favorite boutique as possible. I believe that fashion is important because it’s how we creatively (or not) present ourselves to the world so we should treat our clothing like it’s some thing special!

4

GET A LEATHER PUNCH FOR SHOES AND BELTS

A leather punch (I just ordered mine here) is a very small investment ($19) and it’s used to add holes to belts and shoe straps. My waist is smaller than my hips so I added another hole to my Gucci belt allowing me to wear it with different style jeans. Another tip…if you can’t find a belt in your size, you can order a bigger size and take it to a reputable shoe repair shop and have it cut down.

5

LAYER SEASONAL CLOTHING FOR MAXIMUM WEAR

Wear some of the summer pieces that you love all year long! There’s no reason to wait until warm weather comes around again. Here are a few tips that will give you a few ideas and help you make the most of your wardrobe…

Add chunky boots, tights and jackets to summery dresses… you’ll completely change the look and take them from summer to winter. Alternately, turn a summer dress into a winter skirt by adding a cute sweatshirt or sweater on top.

Take an idea from Diane Keaton and wear a turtleneck under a shift dress.

Wear a summer knit vest over a blouse (as I have above) to add warmth and texture.

Wearing a fur vest over a longer lighter jacket (such as a denim or army jacket…example in this video) is a great way to make your lighter fall coats more winter-appropriate.

Layer a maxi skirt or dress with a chunky sweater (as seen here), add thick leggings and booties underneath..

6

USE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR STYLING IDEAS

Use Pinterest , Instagram and YouTube to search for specific items you already own, and you will definitely find plenty of inspiration on how to style them. This is one of my favorite ways to find outfit inspiration when I’m in a rut! Another idea is to make a private board on Pinterest that you can easily reference.

7

HAVE YOUR CLOTHING TAILORED

If you own things that don’t fit you well and you still love them, it’s worth the time and money to have them tailored. You’ll feel as if you have brand new clothing for a fraction of the cost of what brand new clothing would be!

8

CLEAN AND ORGANIZE YOUR JEWELRY AND ACCESSORIES

Clean pieces that are tarnished, and invest in an inexpensive jewelry box to keep smaller jewelry organized and consider installing hooks to hang longer necklaces. This will keep them in plain site and tangle free. Get a scarf hanger to keep scarves front and center, making them easier to choose from and wear. Accessories can make an outfit!

9

ASK A FRIEND FOR HELP

Other people see us differently and usually much less critically than we see ourselves. Grab a bottle of wine and ask someone you trust who knows your style to spend an afternoon putting outfits together. You’ll have a great time and sometimes fresh eyes can really help! Alternately you could hire a closet organizer for a more professional opinion.

10

LOOK AT THE COLOR WHEEL

Use color wheels to find complementary colors to make your outfits unique and unexpected. Pick the color you want to match and look directly across the wheel to find its pair. If you have two colors that go together on the wheel, a third color will make the whole outfit pop..

Try experimenting with new color combinations. Mixing your existing clothes in unexpected color combinations can make them feel new again.!

These color sets work well together…

Primary Colors

Complimentary Colors

Analogous Colors

Analogous colors are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel (I didn’t know this). For example, yellow, green-yellow, and green are categorized as analogous colors.

Neutrals with a Pop of Color

11

MIX AND MATCH EVERYTHING

It may sound overwhelming if you have lots of clothes, but try at least ten new combinations you’ve never worn.

Wear those gorgeous fancy shoes that are sitting in your closet in an unexpected way. Try combat boots with dresses or wear your strapy heels with jeans and a tee!

Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize…chunky wedges or a bright bag can totally make an otherwise boring outfit.

12

DOCUMENT WHAT YOU WEAR

Act like a fashion blogger for a week or two and take pictures of everything you wear (mirror selfies work well) and keep the pictures on your phone for reference. I will admit that sometimes I go to my own blog or Instagram page to remind myself of the outfits that I’ve put together. Taking pictures constantly over the past several years has helped me to define my style and really see what works and what doesn’t. You’ll also get an idea of the pieces you wear most which can help you to change things up a bit.

13

CAPSULE YOUR WARDROBE FOR 30 DAYS

Try the 30 x 30 Style Challenge…started in 2010by @kendieeveryday, the 30 x 30 style challenge is simple - choose 30 items in your wardrobe and create 30 outfits for 30 days. Using less will make it more of a challenge obviously, but people have different size wardrobes. Limiting your options can help you think creatively about how you put outfits together and also frees up a lot of time deciding what to wear each morning. I have also discovered the website Cladwell, which will create a capsule wardrobe for you from your existing clothing.

This challenge seems a little daunting for me, but I am considering doing it for a week to see how it goes.

14

DEWRINKLE

You don’t want to wear clothes that look wrinkly and unkempt. Try keeping a hand steamer in your closet and in five minutes your clothes will be ready to wear.

15

FILL YOUR CART (just dreaming here)

Fill your shopping cart at your favorite on-line shopping destination without overthinking. Just choose what appeals and then evaluate what you’ve chosen. I always gravitate toward skinny jeans, fabulous shoes and especially booties, sweaters and floral blouses which is mainly what I already have in my closet. After you’ve done this, instead of buying it all and maxing out your credit card, look at the site’s stying ideas to see how they’ve styled the pieces you’ve chosen. Then use similar pieces in your closet to copy the look. Nordstrom is great for this fun trick. You can also add your name to my email list (see below) and you’ll get 3 emails each week with fun styling ideas!