Build Your Wardrobe

 

I don’t have a well-built wardrobe, I have a haphazard mish-mash of print and color.  It’s true.  My closet looks more like a candy shop than a women’s collection of clothes.  I never saw the need to build my wardrobe.  I liked to shop and bought what I liked, especially if it came off the clearance rack and I had a coupon.

Unless you’re a gypsy, that’s not the best way to build a wardrobe.

Dress: Kohl’s (Last winter on Clearance), Shoes: Miz Mooz

 

I need a few well-thought outfits.

For instance, I never have clothes to wear to a funeral.  I have nothing “business-y” to wear when I need to look professional enough for other people to take me seriously.  I need the perfect “church dress” for when my husband preaches in other churches (churches not our own).

If I’m smart, I’ll go hunt down one good outfit for each of these occasions, so I will be prepared.

A well-built wardrobe will save me money, because I won’t shop and settle at the last-minute.

Your needs may look different from mine.  That’s ok.  We all lead unique lives and have different clothes hanging in our closets.  I’m not convinced a well-built wardrobe is about having ten specific articles of clothes.  That may be a waste.  Figure out what clothes you need for your life, and then begin building your wardrobe.

Build Your Wardrobe

Donate.

Go through your closet and try everything on.  If it doesn’t fit, donate it.  If you haven’t worn it in a year, donate it.  If it’s out of style, donate it.  If it’s worn or ripped, trash it.  If you don’t love it, donate it.  You get the point.  Be ruthless.

If you’re on the fence about a few items, bag them up and wait a month or three.  If you still don’t want them, donate.

 

Make a list. 

Think about your needs.

Where do you normally go in a year?  What types of outfits do you need…a little black dress?  Business casual?  A great pair of jeans?  Snow boots and a winter coat?

Write out your needs on paper.

 

Inspect your closet.

Get your list and go through your closet.  Maybe you already have clothes that fit your needs, but most likely, there will be gaps in your closet.

 

Refine your list. 

Create a new list of only the items you need.  For me, it’s a pair of dark dress pants, dark jeans, a white blouse, and one modest (in style and print) dress.  Those are gaps in my wardrobe, basics I still need to buy.  These items will fill in the gaps and ensure I have something to wear for most occasions in my life.

I’m sure your list will look different.

 

Go shopping.

This is the fun part.  You get to go shopping and fill in the gaps, but there’s a catch.  This month is all about Cheap Tricks and Living for Less, so you’ll have to  hang on to your list and wait for budgeted money, coupons, and sales.

Give yourself time to find the items you need and stay focused.

If you’re trying to live for less, stick to the list.  You’re on a mission.

Go, seek, find, purchase – Mission Accomplished.

 

Less is More

I am really beginning to believe that less is more.  I don’t need a closet jam-packed full of clothes.  I need a handful or two of outfits that are appropriate for my lifestyle, outfits I love wearing.  If I love the outfit, I’ll be happy to wear it again and again.

I know for some, clothing is the art.  It’s how they expressive themselves.  It’s their creative outlet.  For those people, maybe the “less is more” approach doesn’t fit.  I think that’s ok.  Above all, be yourself.

For the rest of us, more clothes means more money and more time wasted.  It doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll have what we need to wear.

What does your wardrobe look like?

Do you have gaps?

Is less more for you, or is more definitely MORE?

Would you get bored without a ton of clothes options?

For more cheap tricks, please click the image below.