I want to invest in my wardrobe, but I don’t know where to start!
Fashion and style is a personal journey that everyone should navigate at their own pace in a way that is comfortable for them. It should be a positive way to express yourself! No judgement, no shame, no negativity. This being said, a lot of people don’t even know where to begin when finding their personal style. My style is constantly changing and adapting to what my interests are, what point I am at in my life, and how I want to express myself on a daily basis. I have so much fun navigating my fashion journey, and I am here to help you do the same.
If you are struggling in finding a starting point, a closet clean out is the perfect place to begin. Go through every item you have and see if it is an expression of who you are. This does not have to be complicated! Ask yourself “do I like this?” and “does this make me feel like a confident version of myself?” and you will know whether or not to keep or donate.
After the closet clean out, I always encourage people to research either a person or a brand whose style they admire. I personally have always idolized Emma Chamberlain as a fashion icon. I scroll through her social media posts and get inspiration for outfits I want to recreate while adding personal touches. I also love Ralph Lauren, so a lot of my wardrobe inspiration comes from going through the look-books on their website and seeing what pieces stand out to me. If you can’t think of a celebrity or brand to look into, Pinterest is always a great place to find inspiration. All projects feel less intimidating after a brainstorm and some research!
Now that we have a fresh closet and some inspiration, we are ready to start investing our time into building our wardrobe. For those of you that need some direction, I would start with the basics! Find out what shapes make you feel beautiful. For example, the SKIMS cotton jersey t-shirts fit like a glove and make me feel confident. This is where I will grab a few basic tees to use as a base layer. Go through your basics: t-shirts, jeans, shorts, etc, and find a cut that makes you feel good. From there we grab all of our basic colors and now we have what people refer to as a capsule wardrobe. All of the pieces are neutral and can be shuffled together to create many different looks.
Once our basics are solidified, we can start getting into the really fun part! Finding unique or colorful pieces of clothing can be intimidating, and this is where our inspiration comes in. Refer back to your brainstorming, and search for items that fit the same aesthetic. This is also where thrifting comes into play. I love going to local thrift stores and finding unique items that I can use with the basics I have in my closet. This allows me to experiment with my style in an environmentally friendly way without spending too much money. Playing with patterns and colors can be intimidating, but this is where your creativity can really shine through.
Investing in your wardrobe is the key to helping both your wallet and the environment. We hear the term fast fashion get tossed around in this conversation (saving those details for a different day) and we should ultimately try to avoid fast fashion if we don’t have the proper education. Indulging in brands that are unethical or “too trendy” can put you in an endless cycle of purchasing clothing that you will quickly toss or donate. This is what we are trying to avoid. Investing in your wardrobe can mean so many different things; splurging on a piece that will last long enough to give to your children, avoiding flashy trends that will quickly get tossed or donated, or simply finding pieces that can be worn in various ways. The easiest way to avoid this is to limit your “Event Shopping”. Build your wardrobe without the intent of wearing one outfit for one specific event. If you know you will wear the dress one time and toss it, rethink the purchase! You’ll be inevitably wasting your money while simultaneously contributing to the environmentally harmful side of the industry. Shop smarter! If you want to change up the look of a certain piece you have, try investing in accessories. Shoes, handbags, and jewelry is the best way to transform a look if you feel that strongly about being labeled an outfit repeater.
Ultimately, the biggest tip I could possibly give you is to wear everything with confidence! Your first thought when trying on clothes should be “does this make me feel good?” not “what will people think of me if I wear this”. Fashion is personal and it is only up to you whether or not you “look good”. Shop smart, enjoy the process, and always remember that confidence is the best accessory!
