The Perfect Wardrobe!

I admit that I'm a total girly girl (at times), and shopping is indeed one of my favorite "sports!" Recently, I've been thinking about my wardrobe and what I might like to update, change, get rid of, etc as I do from time to time. I'm always onto the next thing, especially when it comes to fashion.

Well, I took some time to take a good, long look in my closet (pictured). Most of the time I stand in front of all my clothes and whine, I have nothing to wear! And wow, what a lie that is! You know you do it too: the same old song and dance when we women are merely bored with what we have because nothing is new anymore. We oogle over Pinterest perfected outfits that we can neither put together or afford (but Pin anyway, as if we have the intention of wearing that exact outfit someday, if we had an unlimited credit card, a fashion designer at our disposal, and if all the stars aligned...yeah, right!).

A look inside my closet

I also admit that I'm not that fashion savvy. I love, love, love to shop, but shopping a lot doesn't make any better dressed than the next gal. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'm fashion challenged, but I like to be pretty comfortable most of the time. I'm not the kind of girl to wear heels ever, except on a date or maybe to a party or church once in a while. I'm pretty stuck in my comfort zone, though - so much that I get afraid to experiment with what I already have.

The Perfect Wardrobe 

Do you know where the perfect wardrobe is? No where, because it doesn't exist! Sure, celebs may have some pretty hot stuff, but their wardrobe isn't meant for me. And even if I could throw away all my clothes and start over, I could probably look back on it after a while and be just as unhappy with what I had before as with what I have now. The perfect wardrobe is always unattainable since fashion is always changing, since clothes always wear out, and since the pursuit of material goods is not permanently fulfilling. Not exactly the answer you were looking for, huh?

I truthfully believe that the actual "perfect wardrobe" is already within reach - not on Pinterest, at the mall, or in someone else's closet - but in your own closet. Yup, that's right. You already have the perfect wardrobe (okay, assuming you don't need to go on What Not to Wear or anything). But how can you already have the perfect wardrobe? First, you have to go have a little date with your closet.

How to Revisit Your Closet 

Okay, I'm not going to say I've come up with any new or grand idea. But this concept was pretty grand to me the other day. As I said, I often look in my closet and complain of having nothing to wear. Nope, not a single pair of my jeans will do. They all just don't "fit right" today. And all my shirts - they're so old, so I can't possibly wear them! Well, here are a few simple tips to woo your closet on your little closet date as discussed above.

1. Organization is key. 

When's the last time you really went through everything? Are things stored properly and in ways you can access? Closet organization could be an entire blog for me, but actually wearing your clothes starts with organization. If you can't get to those super cute ankle boots you  bought last winter, well, no wonder you haven't worn them yet! Obviously not everything can be within reach, but if you can't decipher through your own stuff, chances are, you're not wearing a lot of it for that reason.

Take some time to organize your closet. It may take a while to even find a system that works for you. Ever since I was in my teens, my closet was like a little personal make over zone for me, so I always kept it was organized and even decorated it (yeah, I was one of those girls). Since I've always had organization, it's pretty simple to me now. But even if you've been Ms. Mess your whole life, you can still start today. :) Just organize it already so that you and your closet are at peace!

2. New does not equal good. 

My husband is a smart cookie. He has heard my I-have-nothing-to-wear complaint many, many times, so he knows better. One time when I was complaining about having "nothing to wear," he told me something that blew my mind away. Are you ready? He told me, No one knows if your clothes are new or not. I had to really soak this up. Really? People don't look at this skirt and know I had in high school? No, they certainly don't. And thank God!

Jeans!

Somehow I always get into the mindset that new equals better. I always wear newer clothes more often. All my old clothes get pushed to the back and my new clothes remain in the front because I access them often. Because it's new, it's like I feel I owe it to myself to get good use out of that new t-shirt. New clothes give us that feeling of importance because it's still new to us; we're still excited and pleased by the item. While new clothes are fun and necessary, the reason I often say I have nothing to wear is because it all seems old to me. But it's not old to anyone else (unless they know you pretty well). And even then, does anyone really care? Realizing that I have the freedom to wear whatever I want in my closet without people judging me for how old it may be or that it's not brand spankin' new is awesome!

3. Fall in love again.  

When is the last time you even tried on half the stuff in your closet? I know I've gone years without trying some things on that don't get much wear, like a fancy dress I have for special occasions. Have a date with your closet and try it all on! On a rainy day or whenever you have some time, be prepared to get messy. And also be prepared to be surprised! I did this exact thing recently, and it, again, blew my mind. I tried on a dress that I never wear and in my head always think it would be good for date night or the holidays (yet, I never wear it for either?). I fell back in love with it so much that I decided to wear the dress that night. So much for having nothing to wear! Trying on your own clothes forces you not only to think about wearing it, but actually wearing it to see what it looks and feels like again. This kind of feeling can reignite the first time you fell in love with those sparkly heels you just had to have (yes, I'm talking about myself here).

4. Mix and match. 

Honestly, this is a tough one for me, which is why I recommend it. I wear the same outfit combos all the time! Once I get comfortable and realize this t-shirt looks good with those jeans, I tend to wear the items together exclusively. I get stuck into pairings easily because I think one "look" looks good, but I fail to consider other options. This whole process requires a lot of thought and trial and error. If you don't have a lot of time to get dressed in the morning, another date with your closet (or the same date where you try everything on) may be in order. That skirt and sweater combo? Cute, but what else can be done with it? Does another sweater look good with it too? How about a different pair of shoes? Mix it up! Take some risks! What you already have can be crafted into some really cool outfits if you venture to think outside of your current outfit pairings.

5. Buy less; wear what you already have. 

This is kind of the whole point of this blog. I am guilty (daily, maybe?) of thinking that I can buy my way to a new wardrobe or one that I will be happy with. But as I said before, it's just not going to happen. There is always another pair of jeans to be had! Instead of becoming bored or dissatisfied with what you have available, actually wear what you have. Novel concept, I know. How do you do that? Do laundry less. Vow to only wear your favorite shirt once a month instead of every week. Wear that one item in your closet (or more) that you've still never worn yet (I'm sorry ankle boots, I'll wear you next week). Turn all your hangers backwards and try to wear everything once before repeating. Just don't settle for shopping for more when you already have so much in front of you!

Obviously, revisiting your wardrobe isn't a one-and-done thing, but a continually renewing process. If you take the time to rework your mindset so as not to be owned by what you own, you can harness the perfect wardrobe for yourself, using what you have. Polyvore and Pinterest are great places for inspiration and to understand new ways to put outfits together, just as long as you aren't pining after actually wearing a pair of $6,000 Louboutins. ;)

I hope this guide helps put some of your clothing woes at bay. How do you revisit your wardrobe without visiting the mall?