How To Build Your Dream Wardrobe
Everyone goes through a time in life where they want to re-invent themselves and really define their personal style. Anyone who has experienced this knows that it sounds a lot easier than it actually is. I believe everyone should have their dream wardrobe and feel fabulous every day, so I wanted to simplify the process as much as possible for you. Hopefully, you can follow these steps and be that much closer to achieving your perfect wardrobe!
This post is all about helping you build the perfect wardrobe.
Finding Your Vibe
The first step to building your dream wardrobe is to ask, “What is my personal style?”
In my opinion, the easiest way to do this is to just dig deep into Pinterest and Instagram to find style inspiration and outfit ideas. I recommend these two sites because they are both such visual platforms but, you can truly find style inspiration anywhere; from people walking down the street, in magazines, or even watching tv and movies. I love making mood boards and taking screenshots of items or outfits that I love (the ‘save’ tab on Instagram is a game-changer!)
Once you have fashion inspo practically coming out of your ears… it is time to analyze. Look through all your saved material and start to look for patterns and consistencies - I’m talking colors, specific pieces, outfit combos, and overall vibe. You will start to notice the similarities and once you do it is easy to start correlating the photos to words. See some examples below:
Vintage
Classy
Parisian
Minimal
Preppy
Grunge
Girly
Western
Retro
Eccentric
Edgy
Casual
Modest
Romantic
Trendy
Polished
Bold
Sporty
Sexy
Boho
Modern
I would describe my style as classic mixed with a hint of preppy and edgy.
Figuring out how you would describe your style aesthetic, makes shopping for your wardrobe so much easier. You will have a much clearer vision of what pieces you should be looking for and the kind of stores you should be purchasing from i.e. if you think your style is eccentric and boho, you are probably not going to have much luck shopping at J.Crew.
get real with yourself and your body
The idea of going shopping always sounds fun until you’re in the dressing room on the verge of a mental breakdown. Trying on clothes and finding the perfect outfit can actually be very exhausting and draining on your mental health. I think one of the most important things you can do that will save you time and energy is to really take a step back and look in the mirror. Your skin tone, hair color, height, and body type all affect how clothes are going to look on you. Looking at photos of beautiful celebrities and influencers and wondering, “Why don’t I look like that?” is a tale as old as time. I am 5’3’’ and a size 4 so obviously, I can’t except to look the same as the model wearing the clothes online and that is perfectly fine. Doing a little research on what colors pair best with your hair color or searching for outfits that flatter your body type will really help you get a head start on the kind of pieces you should be shopping for. I cannot stress enough how important it is to not get discouraged if something doesn’t fit or an outfit didn’t look exactly how you had envisioned it to; these are struggles everyone goes through and is totally normal.
Identify your key pieces
Finally, onto the fun part… shopping! I only say this because I love shopping for clothes but I understand this is some people’s worst nightmare. I also need to address my fellow shopping addicts; this is not a free-for-all to just buy everything you see! You need to have a game plan and a preexisting idea of the items you need to be on the lookout for - this is where your mood boards come in!
One thing you should do before any shopping spree is to evaluate your current wardrobe situation and see where you are lacking. If you have 20 pairs of jeans but only a few shirts you rotate between, you probably shouldn’t be browsing in the denim section. See what items you are in desperate need of and make that the focal point of your shopping trip. It is important to stick to the style keywords you picked above because this helps you find pieces that will work together and fit your vibe. If you stick to buying items that all fall under the same one or two categories (minimal, romantic, classy…) it makes putting together outfits so much easier because you will have a very cohesive wardrobe.
Online vs In-Person Shopping
I personally am a fan of online shopping but, I know everyone has their own preference. I feel that it is easier to shop online when you have a specific item you are in search of because you have thousands of websites at your disposal (plus the ability to filter out items). I find that I only shop in person if I need something quickly; waiting for packages is never fun, or if I am just browsing. Sticking to a shopping plan when you are in a store is so hard because it is incredibly easy to get distracted. I would recommend going into a brick-and-mortar store in the early stages of building your wardrobe because you probably need just about everything and switching to online once you only need a piece here and there.
Quality > Quantity
One major step into adulthood is when you leave behind fast fashion and start investing in your wardrobe. Don’t get me wrong, I love Zara as much as the next girl, I am talking about the sites that are selling tops for $10 each. While this may look like a major score, these items often feel cheap and will fall apart after only a few wears. Spending that extra bit of money on a piece that will last you for YEARS is so worth it!
(Related Post - How To Buy Luxury Items For LESS)
Now I know it may seem daunting when you need new clothes ASAP but, there are ways you can get quality and even designer items for a fraction of the price. I am super into shopping second-hand and thrifting which is so inexpensive and you can find some amazing pieces. If you don’t have many thrift stores nearby, you NEED to hop on eBay or Poshmark because there are thousands of items for you to shop. I love both sites because you can search for something as simple as a “black mini dress” or get very specific if you are on the hunt for a certain piece. If you are looking for strictly designer labels, The RealReal is one of my favorite websites to shop from. They are known for re-selling designer bags but, they have an insane clothing selection as well; I have purchased a few items each under $60.
Something important to remember is that the perfect wardrobe is not built in a day, it takes a long time to really define your style and grow your collection.
Start the closet clean-out
Now, this step can technically be done at any point but… you are going to need to get rid of that dead weight a.k.a. your old clothes. If you are really dying for a fresh start, this can be square one or if you want to wait until you have a solid new wardrobe, this can be done last. This closet purging can either be the easiest thing to do or one of the hardest; letting things go is never fun but necessary at times. Your best bet is to go through your whole closet and truly try everything on and I mean EVERYTHING! Check to see what no longer fits, has holes, or if it just no longer suits your style. This is going to take a lot of time and willpower so you need to really ask yourself if you will actually ever wear these items in the near future.
A rule I like to go by is: If I have to make up a specific scenario in my head of when to wear this, I probably shouldn’t keep it. Example: “This skirt would be perfect to wear over a bikini for a tropical vacation.”
Once you have your pile (or multiple piles) of clothes, you can either donate or resell. Donating is the easiest option but I know how hard it is to give away things you bought with your hard-earned money. I will usually donate anything that I know nobody would buy (those old Vicotria’s Secret Pink hoodies, etc.) and try to resell my better quality items. If you want to resell on your own, I recommend Poshmark, it’s the easiest selling app I have ever used. ThredUP is also a good option because you just mail them your clothes and they try to sell them for you, I do know it is a fairly long wait period and you don’t make as much as you would selling on your own. Reselling is always nice because you can re-invest that money into new clothes to replace the old ones you just got rid of.
Confidence is your best accessory
No matter how amazing you’re outfit might be, it’s pointless if you can’t be confident. Feeling good about yourself on the inside really does show on the outside. You can tell if someone is uncomfortable in what they are wearing or insecure by the way they are carrying themselves. If you are confident and loving your look, you just walk a little taller and have an inner glow. Just remember that you only have one life so why do you want to live it wearing something that doesn’t make you happy?
This post was about helping you build your dream wardrobe.