THE BLOG

How to Shop Your Closet

By shopping your closet. You see something you could wear in your comfort zone but never seem to see it when standing right in front of said closet. 

Wouldn’t it be great if we pull the cool well-fitting clothes from those closet racks every time we get dressed? The clothes we already own in our closet, we have chosen once.

We can make them suitable for our full life now.

Not the little default capsule wardrobe that we think we are, and keeps us down into mediocrity. 

There are new ways to get new clothes and create new outfits with a personal style without going shopping. 

Create new looks with new combinations that your current wardrobe has hidden in its depths. I am not going to tell you about a capsule wardrobe. 

Because by not wearing all the clothes right in front of you by default a capsule wardrobe of everyday hum drum clothes has emerged, and that’s all you wear. I know firsthand. It is what I have done.

Wearing the same eight to ten boring garments every single week is good if they express our true style and confidence. 

The similar items we throw on without seemingly having any fashion sense are not who we are or want to be. 

Unless you are like me and say I am intentionally not a fashion victim. My fashion sense is anti-fashion. Another topic altogether.

A great way to have a new life and get around this closet challenge is to use your own wardrobe. 

The first thing is to organize your closet by putting like with like (another blog I wrote about closet organization). Looking at the color palette. Start with light colors next to each other and move into the darker ones. 

If you have a lot of one type hang them by length also. Shortest to longest blouses, pants on clippy hangars, dresses, skirts, etc. 

For example: organize all the shirts by color and length. How many white shirts do you own? Never too many in my opinion. 

It can be accessorized so easily, especially with a cross-body bag, my favorite. 

This procedure can be made more fun by purchasing all new hangers from Sugar Main Comfort or Costco for the fifty packs. They are affordable and make all the difference.

All this work will make It easy to make upcycle pieces from the clothes left on the bed after reorganizing everything. Trendy pieces too with a little cutting and slashing are the easiest. I only recommend this for one-time wear. 

To have different outfits, look at last fall clothes and see the ones you did not wear and make new things from those. A little planning goes a long way. 

An easy way to do this is to cut something shorter with scissors and add that cut-off piece to make another piece longer. 

Find a guide to discover your body type. Here. A great video to discover your body type.

Should you be extending a short torso, or cutting a long torso in half? Figuring out what looks good on you. 

It might be perfect-for-you is pretty basic and something you already inherently know. 

Write down fuller pants that make my skinny hips look better, High-waisted pants make my long torso look in proportion, and wearing something to emphasize my broad shoulders does not flatter me but instead, I look great in Dolman sleeves, etc.

Using different colors together can give it a personal sense of style. Complimentary colors add style, and all the same, color adds slenderness. Wear a dress with a pair of pants. Use special occasions as an opportunity to go through your closet all the way to the back of the closet with fresh eyes. 

Instead of using those old shopping habits. Think of the old clothes as clothes that do not have a time of year but instead can be made into new items for transeasonal dressing. 

Make that inspirational outfit first which can be the best thing, with a few easy steps without purchasing fast fashion, outfit ideas are sitting in the style rut of your closet waiting to create an interesting outfit.  

It is an easy saving money swap. Have summer travel plans instead, along with giving your wardrobe visual interest with your favorite outfits.

A Fun challenge is the best way to combine different pieces.  The good news is it can happen. 

First, if you use complementary colors by looking at a color wheel, the opposites are complimentary. You will have new stuff or even a single thing that can be worn with something new. 

The next step is to go through your closet every couple of months. This exercise is something to keep on-going as a lifestyle change. 

See use those skinny jeans as pants under a button-down shirt dress (make a shirt dress with so many button-downs in your closet not being worn) or seize a perfect opportunity that in recent years fashion editorials have shown us that anything goes. You too can have amazing pieces. 

The obvious is to sew some simple low-hanging fruit and fix those missing buttons. While you are reading this go thread a needle and sew on a button, or use the sewing kit I give out with every purchase. It has pre-threaded needles. 

Fix the one that you know is there and bugging you. Hint, there are buttons attached to the inside hem of the placket on many of your shirts, then it will become a favorite piece again. Your favorite looks are only a few new outfit combinations away. 

This is the perfect time and you are on the right track to do this. 

One of my staple favorites is timeless and comes in a variety of styles is a denim dress. A denim dress is easier to make than you think from leftover jeans and should be a staple for any clothing rut. (Follow this simple guide for making a denim dress) or look on Pinterest for simple ways to cut your jeans up for fabric or style features.

Be your own sustainable stylist and costume designer.

Make a wish list for a whole outfit. 

Do you wish there was a suit jacket that fits you just right? I think there might be one at your local thrift store. It is unbelievable the amount of clothing just lying around everywhere.  Don’t be that surprise if you find what you are looking for. 

There are so many offerings for the best jacket. Or if you have a few and they do not fit or feel outdated there are a few options. Cut them down the middle or a little over from the middle and resew two back together. 

Cut them off horizontally and make a cropped jacket, or cut two along the front on the side seams and shoulder seams to sew a new front to a new back and visa versa, two new jackets. 

Making a new Moto jacket the kind motorcyclists wear is easier than you think. One we should all embrace for the versatility and coolness factor made with clothes you already have so it is going to be a super individual style piece.

Try a different belt, or use a belt, my favorite is one of my husband’s belts. If you can not steal a belt from a men’s closet?  Go for a scarf belt, sometimes you can attach it to a beaded necklace you never wear. 

Oh how it brings out the style police of looking great compliments! 

Look at what your favorite stores are putting together in unexpected ways without buying anything new. Resist all the way. It is not ruining the economy just changing the fashion business into something necessary a circular type economy. 

Find those ill-fitting clothes from last year and make one new single piece! While you are at it make it seasonless, and as the seasons change make a piece you can layer or wear without anything, seasonless. 

Good ideas are to layer with the trend cycles without any unnecessary purchases. 

A winter closet makeover can be the first step towards transeasonal with lots of layering. Save that extra money you would spend on winter clothes without buying any winter clothes, instead, make some new sweater ideas. 

Use an old sweater to cut out sweater polka dots to sew onto another sweater to make it warm and fashionable.  

A new idea at that, for the fashion lover in you that you have become. Turn another sweater upside down to gain new life and sew it together at the hem for shoulder seams and make slits for sleeves and move the sleeves or keep it as a vest. 

Cut up winter coats and sew them back together for trendy wearable outings. Same strategy as the one for suit jackets. 

In the warmer months, cut off pants at various lengths not just for shorts but at knee length to add big shirt cuffs hem, or bell sleeves to have a fun flouncy bell pant playful outfit. The ideas are limitless and the creativity is yours.

Even those tank tops can be jazzed up with another wardrobe challenge wearing them over classic pieces is a great alternative. 

Wearing clothing in completely different ways, new color combinations with clothes that go together not matching, matchie. 

Utilize your favorite colors, they are already in your wardrobe. 

Make an easy swap with a friend with clothes that absolutely do not inspire creativity. 

Otherwise, make the first inspiration outfit which I know will not be your last.

Now that this remaking your closet is not a daunting task, it helps by giving yourself a limited time frame. 

Start the next time that not having anything to wear hits you in the face. 

Just start looking at each piece and put it on a new hanger and let your imagination and desires flow. 

Writing down ideas is also recommended to keep next to your closet to keep an ongoing closet journal of ideas and desires for what you actually want to put on. Getting you on the right track.

At SaladBowlDress we say , Get Your Dressing On! 

Let me know what you make, mary@saladbowldress.com or tag me @saladbowldress on instagram.

and please share this with a friend.