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Shop your closet to make the most of the clothes you already own. I recently wrote a post on how to stop wasting money on clothes and this is an extension of that. A few concrete ways you can make your old clothes feel new without spending a dime.

Why would you want to shop your closet and not buy new clothes? Maybe you have tons of clothes but don’t know how to style them. Or, you want to try a minimalist wardrobe but are not sure where to start. Maybe you are struggling financially due to the pandemic, or other reasons and you can’t afford to buy new clothes right now. Possibly, you made a New Year’s resolution to spend less money, or buy less clothes. Maybe you are just bored with your outfits and need a shot of inspiration. Whatever your reason, shopping your closet can be fun and inventive!

Shop Your Closet By Gathering All Your Clothes In One Place

This is by far the most time-consuming way to shop your closet but it’s also the most comprehensive. Collect all of your clothes and put them on your bed or another central location. Include clothes for all seasons but not your pj’s and underwear. Pick up each piece and try to think of 3 different outfits you can make with it. If you are stuck on an item, put it aside and use some of the ideas later in this post to try a new outfit.

If you pick up an item and it makes you cringe, put it in a donate box and don’t look at it again! Like I said, this is going to take a while so I fully understand if you don’t want to go this route unless you have most of a day to commit. I wrote a blog post on decluttering my closet that goes in to more detail.

Make Cute Outfits With Clothes You Already Have

I’ve already sung the praises of “basic” clothing pieces and why they are important in this post but now I’m going to tell you how to use those basics to make TONS of outfits. Pick out 3 basic tops, 2 basic bottoms, and 1 basic outer piece (cardigan, jacket, blazer, etc). Mix and match the 6 items to create as many outfits as you can. Now repeat this exercise with 6 different items or swap 1 or 2 items for other basic pieces. You can also add in accent pieces (colored pants, patterned top, shoes, etc.) to create EVEN MORE outfits.

Below you can see an experiment I did with my work clothes. I took out all of my neutrals (black pants, black blouse, black cardigan, black dress, white blouse, white cardigan, gray pants, navy pants, navy cardigan) and created 8 outfits just with neutrals. (If I wanted to wear all black there could be more but I decided I probably wouldn’t wear that in real life). I then added 1 green cardigan and was able to create SIX more outfits in addition to the other 8. Then by adding 1 patterned blouse with color (white, green, navy), I created six more outfits. So with 11 pieces of clothing I could create 20 outfits. That’s 4 weeks of work outfits right there. Not even including shoes and accessories.

Style Clothes By Starting With A Hero Piece

Another way to use basics for new outfits is to start with 1 accent piece (sometimes called a “hero piece”). This can be a patterned top, colorful bottoms, an interesting scarf, etc. Pick out your hero piece and match it with your basics. If you have a patterned top with multiple colors, use the colors to match other pieces such as pants, cardigan/jacket, shoes, or scarf. Unless you feel comfortable with pattern mixing, I would suggest sticking to solid colors for the other parts of your outfit. I could have done the same experiment above but started with the patterned top and worked my way backwards. I would probably get to the same number of outfits.

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Shop Your Closet Using Pinterest For Inspiration

If you don’t use Pinterest, then Google or Instagram can be your friend, too. If you are stuck coming up with new outfit ideas, try searching Pinterest for inspiration. You can be as vague or as specific as you’d like. For general outfit inspiration, just search for ‘casual fashion‘ or ‘stylish work outfits‘. For help creating outfits with a specific clothing piece you can search for ‘outfits with green cardigan’ or ‘winter outfits with dresses’. Once you have a few outfits saved, try to copy them with items in your own closet. You don’t need to have the exact pieces from the photo but if you do, great!

Try A New Styling Technique

I covered a few of these styling techniques in my tips to elevate any outfit post and they apply here, too. Sometimes we style an outfit the same way every time and it can feel uninspired but by introducing one or more of these techniques you can create a fresh look.

Belt, tie, tuck, or cuff. Adding a belt around your waist will help to break up a long line of color or add definition to a slouchy dress or top. Tying a t-shirt or a button up shirt can add visual interest to your outfit. Cuff your sleeves and/or pants for a more laid-back look.

Wear a dress in winter by adding a sweater over it and keep your legs warm with fleece-lined tights. Or you can add a long-sleeved top underneath a sleeveless dress.

Add accessories like a necklace or scarf. If you always gravitate to the same jewelry, try switching it up. Use a scarf in a way you wouldn’t normally think of, such as, around your neck, a headband, a belt, around your purse handle. Some large scarves can even be worn as a shawl.

Shop Your Closet By Experimenting

I know I haven’t covered all the different ways you can create new looks in your own closet so the best thing you can do is to experiment. Let me know in the comments if you like to shop your closet and how you freshen up your look.

While you’re here, check out some of my recent posts

• Striped Shirt Styled 4 Ways
• Fall Wardrobe Essentials for An Everyday Style
• Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2021
• Dress For Your Lifestyle – Wardrobe Revamp Part 2
• Summer Wedding Guest Outfit for Outdoor Wedding

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