How to Get the Most from Your Existing Wardrobe

Today’s hot fashion topic is sustainability. Avoid fast fashion. Reuse and re-purpose. Purchase from stores and designers that source their products responsibly.

You want to be a good steward of the plant, and want to do your part. But it’s exhausting, isn’t it? And it can also be expensive if you approach it from the wrong angle.

What is the easiest way to start a sustainable fashion lifestyle? Wear what you have. You’re your budget tells you that you cannot afford another thing, look inside - your closet is probably already full of great clothes to wear. But what if some are last year’s styles? Adapt, modify, and update. The phrase that defines the new shopping trend, “shop your closet,” is apropos for the current social and economic climate. Most of us (including image professionals!) are saving our pennies and not investing in new clothes. Our old shopping habits have died - and hard! - and now it’s time to “make do with what you have.”

You can still wear your current clothes this year – all it takes is a little innovation and creativity to learn how to style those old looks into new! Re-fashion your existing wardrobe and to look at your clothing collection with newer, fresher eyes.

First, study current trends to get ideas.

One of the best resources for studying clothing trends is fashion magazines (bonus points for electronic versions). Here you get visuals, trend reports and exciting ideas. Use the fashion photographs to determine the trends you want to appropriate for yourself and decide which current looks you like to building your new selections.

Next, “shop” your closet.

Remember when you used to shop by season? Spring would follow winter and that was the time to purchase lighter sweaters and pastel colors. Then summer would follow spring and you’d go buy a selection of shorts, dresses and hot weather tops, not to mention sandals and hats and sunglasses! Let’s follow this concept and pay a visit to our closets.