Does your wardrobe feel blah? Are you uninspired to get ready in the morning? Is your closet full of nothing to wear? You, my friend, are in a style rut.
The more significant issue is that your confidence in your clothing impacts more than simply your looks. It can affect every part of your day. In fact, in a 2023 Forbes article titled “Do Clothes Matter To Our Success at Work?” author Adi Gaskell concludes, “When we feel good about how we look, we perform better in our work.”
So, how do you fix it? Luckily, a big part of the issue is identifying the problem and putting some effort in. Like any relationship, if you ignore it for too long, it will become stale and uninteresting. The same goes for your wardrobe.
The following are five ways to spice things up and leave you loving your look again.
CLOSET CLEANOUT
Women, on average, wear only 20% of their clothing. This means you’ve got a lot of stuff you’re not wearing, taking up space in your closet. Keeping these unwearable pieces around creates chaos and makes it difficult to put outfits together. A closet cleanout will help you remove everything that no longer suits you, making it easier to see what you have. To be the most successful, I suggest the following:
- Do a closet cleanout every six months. This will allow you to focus on each season without getting overwhelmed.
- Do it in sections. Be careful not to pull everything out of your closet at once. This process always takes a little longer than you anticipate, and removing everything at once is a surefire way to blow up your closet unnecessarily for days if not weeks.
- Start with bottoms like pants and skirts. This way, when you try your tops on, you try them on with the bottoms you’re keeping. This is a great way to start experimenting and putting outfits together at the same time you’re organizing.
- Do the easiest parts first. Start with all the yeses you want and hang them in your closet. Remove all the obvious noes, and put them in bins to donate or discard. The maybes are the most challenging part and can hold up the process significantly. Maybes should be organized together in a section until you can decide. Putting them aside in a section will allow you more time to decide without sabotaging the project.
- Looking at your obvious yeses or noes, what patterns do you see? What can you learn? For example, if you find yourself keeping all of your button-downs, you know that it’s a style that works for you in general and that you should gravitate toward it. This insight will clue you into what works (or doesn’t work) for you the next time you go shopping.
- Note what items you are missing from your closet and which need replacing for your next shopping trip. I suggest writing down everything and keeping a master list so you stay focused.
INSPIRATION
Sometimes, all you need is inspiration. And with social media, there are plenty of places to find it. Search the term fashion inspo on Instagram or TikTok, and you will discover a ton of resources. Who What Wear is one of my favorites, along with magazine pages like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. I also follow a few of my favorite celebrity fashionistas, like Olivia Palermo and Nicole Richie.
Use the inspiration you find to come up with new and interesting ways to pair your pieces. Often, I see a look that resonates with me, and I can shop for it in my closet without having to buy anything. This discovery phase will help you reimagine your wardrobe in fresh and exciting ways.
SURPRISE AND DELIGHT
While I’m a huge fan of repeating outfits, sometimes you need to mix things up to create excitement. Adding an unexpected element to an outfit can really spice it up. Think sneakers with a suit or denim with a dress. Maybe infuse a surprise pop of color into a conservative look or pair a shiny metallic top with jeans. Unexpected combinations add interest to otherwise boring looks. Have fun experimenting and creating looks that are uniquely you.
It’s important to note that accessories play an essential role in this. They can make or break a look and effectively infuse color and personality into an outfit without overdoing it. Use them to help dress your clothing up or down and create more versatility in your wardrobe.
STYLE UPDATE
Your wardrobe isn’t the only thing contributing to your fashion rut. Dated hair and makeup can be a style killer. Updating your cut and color can do wonders for your look while inspiring new outfits and fashion choices. The same is true for your makeup. Taking the time to style your hair and put your makeup on will significantly improve your confidence. If you decide to make a change, work with your hairstylist to determine what styles will enhance your features while achieving your desired, updated look.
WORK WITH A PROFESSIONAL
It can be difficult to get out of your own way, especially regarding style. Often, it can be too personal to be objective about what works and doesn’t work. That’s when it can be helpful to work with a stylist. The beauty of a stylist is that she can objectively direct you to clothing you may otherwise not gravitate toward. She has expert industry knowledge and years of experience navigating the endless options of stores and brands. A good stylist is much like a great nutritionist; she will identify a strategy that will work specifically for you and give you the resources you need to move forward independently.
Connect with Jennifer and Good Robe and Co:
goodrobeandco.com
instagram.com/_jennifercassara/
