Do you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear? Yeah? I can identify with that. I was that girl a few months ago. Now, I can see everything in my closet, find it readily, and love what I am wearing. Do you know what changed? I did a closet edit and organized my closet. I got rid of things I didn’t love and removed items that didn’t suit my body type or my “wow” colors. I was tired of having so many clothes but not any outfits that I could easily manage and not spend time, money, and drama on my wardrobe all the time.

How do you “Shop Your Closet”?

Let’s break it down into a few simple steps. First, pull out your staples. You know, the black blouse or tee, the white button-up, and another basic like jeans or a skirt. You need the pieces to construct an actual outfit.

In the photo above, we will refer to the pink skirt as item #1 and the denim chambray button-up as item #2. The goal is to create multiple outfits, with each piece you keep. For simplicity’s sake, I kept everything the same, except for the blouse and handbag. In each outfit, I kept the jewelry, skirt, and shoes the same, and only changed the handbag and blouse. With these two pieces, I could change them up by simply changing shoes or jewelry. I could also add a scarf, but I’m not a scarf kind of girl. When you can make multiple outfits out of a few pieces, you increase what we refer to in the Style Coaching Business as Cost per wear.

It looks a little like this. Skirt $79 divided by the number of times you wear it = Cost per wear

Therefore, the more often you wear something, the less it costs. So, shopping your closet and creating new outfits is not only good for your wallet, but it is also good for the environment and for your style. You get more creative with how you wear your pieces. You simplify getting dressed.

You want to have items organized where you can easily mix and match pieces. I recommend trying them on to see how they fit you. Do you like the way they fit you? If you don’t, you won’t wear it, and then there’s no reason to keep it. You only want items in your wardrobe that you will wear. I prefer items that mix and match readily, and one way I achieve this is by focusing on purchasing items in my “wow” colors. (You can find your wow colors with a seasonal color analysis.) In my closet, I’m currently focused on black (because, like every woman, I already have a ton of it.) Hot Pink or Vivid Pink, Tamale Red or Flamenco Red, White, and Cobalt blue. I am not allowing myself to purchase any other colors until I am comfortable mixing and matching these. I have an entire season of colors, but that is overwhelming. Please keep it to a few and master those before adding more.

Another tip for shopping your closet is to have your accessories where you can readily find them. I keep my jewelry, handbags, and shoes within eyesight in my closet. When I enter my closet, I pull out the clothes and the accessories that I will wear together. This trick has saved me so much time. I don’t spend ten minutes hunting down the perfect necklace to match an outfit; I have them right where I can see them, and I don’t have so many that it’s difficult to choose from – only what I love.

My closet is arranged by color and by item. In other words, all skirts hang together from darkest to lightest color, and the same with dresses and so on. Having it arranged this way keeps items where they can easily be found, as if you can’t see or find them, you won’t wear them. Investing in pieces that can be worn with different tops or bottoms not only extends the cost of items, but it also keeps your style more cohesive. Having items organized and a written record of what you own keeps you from purchasing more of the same items. You can easily take your basics from boring to stylish with your accessories, and if you buy pieces that you love, you will have them for years. Most of my necklaces I have had for years, and I still get compliments on them every time I pull them out. They look different in each outfit.

When you can add different sleeve lengths to your skirts or pants, you easily extend the wearability of a piece into the various seasons. Adding a sweater to this skirt allows me to wear it in early spring or early fall, when the air supposedly gets cooler (although in Mississippi, it’s always hot and humid). The concept is straightforward. Mix and match just like you were in the first grade, playing a game of match. Please don’t overcomplicate the process.

If you are looking for something to wear, start in your closet. Here are my tips:

1. Pull out a bottom (skirt, pants, denim, etc
2. Now pull out as many tops that you can find to go with that one bottom.
3. Add accessories including the jewelry, shoes, handbag
4. Photograph each outfit and keep it in an album on your phone.
5. Rinse and repeat, but this time use the same top from the first pairing and add different bottoms and accessories. This is how you create a timeless capsule wardrobe. You decrease the time spent creating because you do it once, and you decrease the money spent because you are wearing pieces more often. Most importantly, no closet drama of nothing to wear.

The next time you’re looking for something to wear, you’ll already have a lookbook on your phone of items from your closet waiting to be worn. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or need to start over, please feel free to call me. I am a trained Style Coach. We will begin with the basics of color analysis, body analysis, mental clarity, and closet organization. With these initial steps, you can be on your way to a wardrobe that makes you look great and feel great. Please feel free to book your clarity call here if you’d like. https://calendly.com/alisaberryinteriordesign/clarity-call, where we will discuss the steps, the cost, and how I am going to save you money and sanity.