These 7 tips will be a game changer for re-building your closet and personal style
Do I need to revamp my closet:
If one of the following sounds like you, then maybe it's time to revamp your wardrobe.
You always feel like you have nothing to wear even though you have lots of clothes
You always feel the need to purchase an outfit for events and occasions because you can't seem to put together an outfit from your closet
You have lots of clothes, but they're from a different time in your life, don't fit, in need of repairs or the trash, or just aren't fitting the lifestyle you have now.
If this sounds like you, then you're probably in need of a closet revamp to create a more shoppable closet. Lucky for you, I've transformed my closet to be more shoppable, and I can help you do the same for your closet. But first, let me explain the idea of a shoppable closet.
Understanding the need for a shoppable closet:
"A shoppable closet is a wardrobe that is filled with the things that you need to build and/or recreate outfits. You have the right amount of basics, staples, and trendy pieces to help you in your daily outfit creating. Hence, you are able to "shop" your closet for the things you need to build any desired look.
However, a shoppable closet isn't just about having a certain amount of clothes. It's also about having the clothes that fit your unique style and taste. Having a shoppable closet means focusing in on what you need to create a closet you want to shop from over and over, and not just a closet with lots of clothes that don't get your creative juices flowing.
Another important piece of having a shoppable closet is organization. Much like a store, a shoppable closet is also organized and gives you options for outfit creation no matter the event or occasion you're attending.
Being able to shop your closet also alleviates the need to constantly go shopping for something to wear. You won't need to do that because you can create from what you already have. That gives you money to really invest in pieces you'll love and will work throughout your wardrobe.
Having a shoppable closet also just makes creating outfits easier and fun. There is nothing more exciting than creating looks from my closet with pieces that I've carefully curated.
So, do you want a shoppable closet? Then let me give you some of my go to tips on building one of your very own.
Tip #1: You're nothing without a plan
Before you touch a single item in your closet you really need to create a plan for not just your closet, but your style.
You need to know what realistic styles you actually want to wear on a day to day basis. I say realistic because we sometimes will shop for an aspirational life that we want and not one that we actually have. For example, if you buy nothing but tailored looks that are perfect for your dream life of sipping champagne in a little bistro in Paris, you're going to have a hard time fitting those outfits into your casual every day life running errands or going to work.
Sitting down and getting realistic about what you're day to day looks like and how you can translate that with the desired style type that you love is key. For example, my style is a mix of classic, minimal, and creative. I love the classic, boho, and minimalist style types with just a little bit of eclectic flair from time to time. I also have a very casual lifestyle. I'm a stay at home mom so I like to keep it simple most does. So for me, having pieces that are simple, but have multiple uses in my wardrobe are key. Having pieces that fit the classic, boho, and minimal style types is important to my everyday dressing, but also having eclectic to mix in is a major factor too.
So, the planning part and understanding what you're
Lifestyle needs
Style pillars: these the foundations hold up your closet. These are the styles that you know work for you, you love, and help build your closet and outfits. Going back to my example with my key style. I'm classic, minimal, and creative. Therefore these are the major styles types you see in my wardrobe and I build around them. Knowing your pillars help you stay focus with shopping and with outfit creation over all.
Style aesthetics you love and want to adopt or try. Take your time with this and really put in the work planning. A good way to do research is to go to different stores and try on the clothes that fit in your style aesthetic to get a feel if it suits you. As much as I love the idea of some aesthetics or clothes, it's the reality of how I feel in them that matters. So, take the time to really dig into what you like and make a cohesive plan that going to guide you in your closet revamp journey.
Tip 2: Sort, Divide, and conquer your closet:
Now that you know what you've created a plan and know what your lifestyle, style pillars and aesthetics needs are, it’s time to dig into your closet.
We're still not buying anything at this point. This next tip is to sort through what you have and get that in order. I suggest you go through everything that you have. Look at every single piece and determine if it fits the style plan you created for yourself.
An easy way to go through this process is to pull everything out. Then sort into keep, donate, repair, toss, undecided.
The keep pile should have the things that fit the desired style type you have.
The donate pile are all the things that don't fit your needs.
The repair are all the things that fit your closet needs, but need repairs. Keep it to simple repairs like a new button or a small tear. If it's going to take a lot of work to fix it you might want to just get rid of it.
The toss pile should have the things that can't be fixed and can't be donated do to their condition.
The undecided pile is for the clothes you're not sure about. I like to keep them for a day or two and then go through them again with a clear but also ruthless eye. At that point, I get rid of more of these items and the ones I keep, I turn the hangers around. If I noticed in six months it's not been used, I get rid of it.
Taking the time to go through your clothes helps you see what you already have and what you're missing or may need to replace. I also love going through my closet because it helps me see that there are pieces that will fit my needs now that I know what my needs are. Plus, you don't want to purge everything and start from scratch. I did that once, and it only makes things harder. There are gems in your closet you just need to separate them from the clutter that's not serving you. Speaking of clutter, that brings me to Tip #3
Tip #3: An organized closet is a happy closet
Now that you know what you want to keep, it's time to organize it. This is where the fun begins. When I redid my closet, I was fortunate to have a whole room where I could display my things almost like a store. However, even before I created my closet room, I'm a big fan of organizing my closet so that it's easier to shop. Here are some examples of what you can do to organize your closet
Color coordinate: This one is something that I've been doing since I was a teen and read the Clueless book "Cher's guide to whatever. It said if you can't have a computerized closet color coordinate your clothes. It's honestly been one of my favorite and most effective ways to keep things in order. I use this tip with my dresses and skirts as I tend to pull for these per the color I need rather than the item. But you can use this for your entire closet to help keep things orderly
Seasonal: If you live in places where there are multiple seasons, you can organize according to season. Putting only the clothes for that season out and storing the others.
Clothing type: this is the way I've been organizing my clothes as of late, I put all the long sleeves, short sleeves, t-shirts, dress blouses and sleeveless tops grouped together and color coordinated. The same goes with pants, jackets and sweaters, and shoes.
You don't have to have your clothes organized with this level of anal detail. I just suggest creating a system that let's you know what you have, and where you put it. When you know what clothing pieces you have it makes it easier for you to pull those pieces when you want to create looks instead of rebuying something similar because you forgot you had a version in your closet. When organizing I want you to think about your favorite places to shop. The stores you like are probably very organized and put the things you want in your eye line. You're more likely to shop and find things you love and need from those stores because they're so organized and aesthetically pleasing. It’s the same concept for your closet. When you see it on display and you know what you have, you are more likely to use it and rewear that clothing pieces time and time again.
Knowing what you have to work with makes finding outfit ideas easier because you can search using the items you have and want to wear. Speaking of outfit inspo, here's tip #4
Tip #4: Get inspired to get dressed:
Making your closet shoppable isn't just about the clothes that you buy to put into the closet. It's also about having the creativity to know what to do with the clothes that you already have in your closet.
A big reason that closets become unusable is that we like to buy for the events and occasions in our lives. Meaning, we have somewhere to go and you can't find anything in your closet to wear. So you go out and buy something just for that event. Now, those pieces don't work for your overall closet and after doing this over and over you no longer know how to make your clothes work for you.
This is why it's important to have a style plan, sort through your clothes, and organize your closet. It makes finding inspiration that much easier. When you know what you have and what style you're trying to achieve you can focus on the creative side of building outfits. This side is actually the most important part of creating outfits because it involves you finding inspo for what you want to create and really getting in tuned with your own personal style. Finding your personal style takes time and practice so constantly looking for inspiration to guide you is a key part of having a shoppable closet. It's keeping you in your closet, looking at your pieces, and creating looks using your inspo and your clothing. Doing this helps you fine tune what you need and don't need for the style aesthetic you want to portray.
Ways I love to get inspired:
Pinterest:
I create lots of boards for the different aesthetics that I love, as well as the different seasons, and events.
Magazines
Old movies and tv:
I love looking at old movies and tv and trying to recreate a modern version of an outfit
Staying inspired is key to using your closet for all that it has to offer. Another way to get the most of what your closet has to offer is by treating yourself like a doll and dressing up
Tip #5: Play dress up
The best way to know what you can do with the clothes that you have is to play dress up. By this, I mean go into the closet and try on individual items to come up with 3 different ways to wear that one piece. Do this for as many pieces if not all the clothing pieces you have. This will help get your creative juices flowing and also help you get familiar with the pieces that you have and what they can do within your wardrobe.
Another way I love to play dress up is to create go-to outfit combinations. I do this by putting together easy outfits that I can pull on when I have nothing else to wear. If you want to take your outfit creation up to another level consider taking pictures. I love to put together an outfit and then take a picture of what I created. If it’s a go-to type outfit, I store them all in a notes app for easy access when I need to refer back.
You don't have to be this extra, but I do encourage you to play with your clothes. Getting to know what you have and how to style it makes shopping your closet and creating outfits just that much easier.
Once you have those planned outfits don't forget to include tip #6
Tip #6: Accessories can be your secret weapon
We often forget that simply accessorizing a basic outfit can take it to a new level. Things like belts, jewelry, and purses can add so much to an outfit. It's simple, but accessories can be your secret weapon to turn a basic outfit into a stunning outfit.
Speaking of basics, do you have them?
Tip #7: Being basic is your closet gamechanger
Having the basics you need to build an outfit is a gamechanger. When I reset my closet, I learned a lot of lessons about why my closet wasn’t working for me. One of the big lessons I learned was that I didn’t have the basics I needed to build great outfits. We don't put a lot of stock into plain white t-shirts or a black blazer, but these pieces are the foundational clothing items that will unlock endless possibilities in your closet.
So this is when I finally encourage you to go shopping, but only for the basics that you’re missing in your closet. Take inventory of what you have and fill the gaps of what basics you need to help complete your wardrobe and help you shop your closet.
Creating a wardrobe you love takes some work, but having a closet that inspires you to express your unique style and personality makes it worth the effort. With a little planning, organizing and outfit creating I'm sure you will curate a wardrobe that you'll absolutely love to shop from. If you need help with stocking your wardrobe with the basics click this video here. Until next time, stay bright, live true, and continue to be vividly you. Bye!