4 Tips on How to Shop Your Closet

When I was a teenager I had so many clothes. I had two closets and dressers stuffed with clothes and I would have promised you I didn’t have anything to wear. Everything I had, I felt I had worn it out. It left me very frustrated with my situation. I couldn’t see past the clothes staring back at me. I was thinking more like a spoiled teenager and less like a creative innovative person.

Sometimes, even now, I find myself feeling frustrated with my closet even after my Shopping Fast realizations. Frustration likes to poke its head out but then I remember I already found the key which is to shop your closet by maximizing your closet. Meaning use all the clothes in your closet, dresser, shelf you name it. Old and new clothes are welcome. Many times we forget about pieces that are at the bottom of our drawers or the back of the closet. All clothes get a chance when your maximizing a closet. Below are some solutions I find work for me every time when frustration creeps up and I know it’s time to shop my closet.

1. GET TO THE BACK OF THE CLOSET

It’s easy to forget that you have great clothes throughout your closet or dresser, not just in the front or on the top. Remind yourself to look throughout your closet from front to back, side to side, to find clothes you forgot you even had. Same applies if you put your clothes in a dresser, look in the back and corners since no one hardly ever pulls out their full dresser. You’re more likely to forget clothes back there. This is literally half of the struggle because most people just can’t see all the options they truly have to work with to make the right outfit.

2. CHANGE UP THE TOP OR THE BOTTOM

This one may be the trickiest advice to do of them all. In order for this to work, you have to be in tune with yourself and notice what you normally gravitate towards when making an outfit. Like most people, I tend to pair the same tops (blouses, sweaters, etc.) with the same bottoms (pants, skirts, etc.). This often makes me feel like I don’t have as many outfits as I really know I do. So then I remember to shake it up! Instead of always doing the same fitted button down blouse I switch it up and put on the loose pattern blouse. When switching it up it helps to look at color tones and then trying to compliment it with the different top or bottom.

3. PUT DIFFERENT ACCESSORIES ON

This is the part I feel like most people forget about. Accesories are a signficant part of an outfit and in many ways can make or break an outfit. Just like clothes we tend to graviate towards a few accessories we like everyday never really wearing all our other options. Challenge yourself, even if you’re wearing an outfit you always wear, try on a different watch, pair of earrings, bracelet, etc. It’ll throw people off and no one will realize you’re wearing the same outfit from last week.

4. BELIEVE YOUR CLOSET IS MARY POPPINS’ BAG

Your closet is endless just like Mary Poppins bag. Or at least that’s what you’re going to tell yourself. Full of beautiful options, colors, and textures. You just have to see it. The mind is a powerful thing and the same thing applies when thinking about your clothes. Tell yourself your closet is enough and you have great options to pick from to make an outfit. Talk yourself through the process. Or shoot sing yourself through it like Mary Poppins, whatever works. It may sound a little much but it will save you headache from feeling like your closet is not enough.

I hope these tips are able to help you through the frustrating times with your closet and inspire you to tap into your creative juices to create new outfits. Incorporating these tips into your life can be extremely benefical in living a zerowaste/minimalist journey. I know for me I’ve inspired myself to be more creative with the things I own now. I believe that’s a great attribute to have.

Photo Credit: Sarah Carroll

Do you have any clothing tricks you use to spice things up?