Shop Your Closet

Are you in a rut with your outfit choices??  Do you find yourself choosing the same three or four outfits to wear every week??  It's easy to do... We like a certain outfit, it sits at the front of our closet, and we wear, wear, wear, WEAR it!!  There's nothing wrong with this, except for the fact that we'll inevitably soon feel that we have "nothing to wear" because we have those few favorite outfits glued in our head.

The truth is, we probably have a lot to wear in our closets, we just need to dig to the back and come up with some new ideas!!  So, here's a little tip I like to use... It encourages me to put together new combinations from my closet and it ensures that most, if not all, of my clothing from a particular season gets used!!

It's easy... There are two simple steps!!

Step 1:  On Sunday, choose a handbag from your closet that will be your "handbag of the week".  
For me, this is usually a more casual, larger bag because I'm a pack rat and I need it to carry to classes.  If you have a professional career, you will obviously choose more classic, streamlined bags each week.

An example of a larger bag I would carry to class most days. 

Step 2:  Then choose 5-6 entire outfits (depending on your plans that particular week) that match the handbag... Take into consideration the color of the bag, the style of the bag, and the hardware on the bag (silver, bronze, gold).  Choose everything from hair accessories, jewelry, scarves, belts, and shoes.  
I usually put my jewelry for each day in little piles along a shelf in my closet, but you can also put your jewelry into ziploc baggies and hook those over your hangers if you're tight on space. 

I just put together two outfits so they would fit in a photo.  As you can see, I lay out EVERYTHING... jewelry, clothes, shoes.  I love creating different styles using the same color combos... For example, the outfit on the left is more edgy with the hardware on the blazer and lots of jewelry while the outfit on the right is more classic and understated with the turtleneck sweater and simple jewelry pieces.  (Planning my outfits cuts my getting ready time down by at least 20 minutes each morning!!)

By Sunday evening, you will have your entire week of outfits planned, and I guarantee you will be amazed by the outfit combinations you never even knew you had!!  In these last weeks/months of Winter you will end up wearing a lot of the items in your closet... You won't feel as bad putting your Fall/Winter wardrobe away when Spring comes because you've actually worn it!!

Tip:  Try to choose very different handbags from week to week.  Try carrying each one of your Fall/Winter handbags before you cycle through again.  For example, I always try to carry a black/silver bag, brown/gold bag, black/gold bag, etc. to vary my outfits as much as possible.  It works!!

I hope this idea helps some of you!!  Happy outfit planning!!  :)

Xoxo B.