How to Stretch Your Closet: The Question That Will Change Your Life

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Its been a few weeks since I blogged about getting the most out of what you have hanging in your closet, and with fall fashions upon us, I'm needing my own reminder now more than ever. I find myself lingering in front of store windows longer and swearing I need every single article of clothing that passes through "the store's" doors. And while I'm all about stretching, I have to be honest...its impossible for me NOT buy anything for fall. No matter how much Matt protests "you don't need anything," I'm a girl with fashion cravings that has to indulge every once in a while. But those indulgances can't be often, as funds are limited, and I don't want my American Express to burst into flames while trying to buy groceries. (Because while I don't need that fabulous scarf, I do need that milk and bread.)  So when I do shop, when I do decide what few pieces I am going to add to my closet, I have to be smart, and I have to be picky.

Stretching your closet is mostly about making the most of what you already have hanging in your closet, but a portion of it is also about making the most of the money you am spend when you do decide to shop. I guess its more like "stretching your fashion dollar." And lucky for me (and my bank account) I have discovered an incredibly short, yet amazingly powerful question to ask myself when I'm shopping. This one little question has literally transformed my shopping, buying, and wearing habits.

"Do I LOVE this?"

Ok, good.  Say it again.

"Do I love this?"

Nice, job.  But say it one more time, this time slowing down and exaggerating the movement of your mouth as you say the L-word.

"Do I loooooove this?"

Alright, now that you've indulged me, and repeated this so many times your roommate, spouse, cat, or neighbor are giving you strange looks, let's take a second to recognize questions we're not asking.

"Do I really, really, really like this?"
"Do I think this is super cute?"
"Do I almost totally love this?"

None of those questions are the same as, "Do I love this?"  So what's up with the emphasis on love?  Well, my mom started asking me this question years ago when we used to shop.  You know, when I still thought money grew on trees and Mastercard was another word for free-so-you-never-have-to-pay card.  In those days, I used to roll my eyes when she asked me that, before stomping back to the dressing room after an exasperated, "No, I guess not."  But when I began to buy my own stuff, and I realized you actually had to pay off that credit card bill, that question suddenly became my best friend.

"Do I love this?" doesn't just mean, at first glance, does it make my heart go pitter patter?  "Do I love this?" means when I put it on, and I'm standing in front of the fitting room mirror, do I love it?  Do I love the way it looks, do I love the way it fits, do I love the color on me, do I love the way it makes my body look, do I love the feel of the fabric?  Notice its not about like...do I like the way it looks, fits, feels, and hangs.  Like is not enough.

You see, in my opinion, there are lots of cute clothes out there, lots of things I like.  But I'm not a bazillionaire, and I don't have a yacht sized closet, so I can't buy everything I like.  I have to stick with things that I love, things that are perfect.  Still not so sure?  Lets do a little experiment.  Think about the last time you had a closet purge.  (You know, when you pick through your closet to get rid of things that you no longer wear, like, or fit into.)  Ok, so think back to the last time you did that.  Think about the things you got rid of, the things you decided you didn't want anymore.  I'm going to guess that for 90% of that stuff, you had some sort of doubt, hesitation, or wish when buying it.  Examples: "I like this, but I wish it were a little longer....This is cute, but the color is a little off...This isn't quite what I've been looking for, but its cheap, so I'll get it...Its a little short, but with tights I'm sure it'll be fine."  Am I right?  I see you shaking your head, and no, I'm not psychic, I've just been there before.  I started asking myself that a few years ago, and I was ashamed at my answer.  Sure, there were one or two things that had worn out or been ruined in the wash, but for the most part, the things I purged were things I simply "liked" when I bought them, not loved.

So I'm challenging you to give my love question a shot.  If the fit isn't perfect, if the color isn't the exact shade you want, say no.  If the fabric doesn't feel right, and you don't like the cut of the skirt, put it back.  If you like something but can't exactly figure out why you don't love it, don't fret, just walk away.  I swear by this question yall.  Because its a heck of a lot easier to stretch your closet when its filled with things you love, rather than things you like.

How to Stretch Your Closet: The Laundry Edition

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Hey there, fab friends! Sorry I've been MIA the past week, but Texas was so busy and fun that I decided to take a break from blogging and enjoy the people around me. I'll do a full recap later in the week after I wade through the 345 pictures I took on the trip. So for today, I wanted to do the third installment of the "How to Stretch Your Closet" series. (You can see the first two installments here and here.) I actually wrote this piece last winter, before I had the bright little idea to do a whole series on stretching your closet. But since I probably had 7 followers at the time, lol, I'm going to repost it, because it is still one of the main ways I come up with outfits I'd never usually think of. So if you were one of my 7 followers last year, you can skip this post (though a refresher lesson can't hurt), but if not, read on and find one of the easiest and most cost effective ways I've found to get the most out of what you have hanging in your closet...

Don’t do laundry. Yep, you read that right. Do not under any circumstances do laundry for at least a few weeks (except the circumstance of your delicates. Please wash those.) I know this might sound crazy, but it works! Three times in the past week, I’ve gone to my closet, thought, what in the world am I going to wear, and then walked out with a “new” outfit that I never would have thought to put together before. Here is my theory: when I go to a full closet with all of my favorite staples, I know exactly what works together. This cardigan with this flowy tank, with these layered necklaces. It’s a sure thing, I know it works, I know it looks good, so I wear it, no hesitation. Even if I try to take risks, having my staples and safe outfits keeps me from taking the plunge. (Sorry for the dramatic word choice. You’d think I’m talking about serious life decisions here.) But when I go to my closet and my staples aren’t there, I’m pushed outside my comfort zone, and I have to make something work. I mean, I can’t go to work naked (well I could, but I’m pretty sure I’d get fired) so I stretch my fashion self, pair things together that I’m not entirely sure of, then tweak it with accessories when I’m done. Sometimes it doesn’t work so well, and I have try several more times to get it right, but sometimes it works really well, and I’m standing at the mirror thinking, “Why didn’t I ever think of this?!”

Here is an example from last Friday. It was freezing here in Texas and I really wanted to wear boots. My black riding boots were in the trunk of my car (I have a terrible habit of living out of my car) and my Uggs weren’t appropriate for work, so those two were out, which left with my black, tall, scrunchy, heeled boots that I bought a few years ago in Austin and L.O.V.E. So I decided on the boots. Now to choose the bottoms. My skinny jeans are too tight at the moment (dang winter weight) and my favorite black pencil skirt was wadded up on my floor. Hmm, ok, what about a dress? I went to my closet, knowing I wanted black, and looked through several cocktail type dresses that were way too dressy for what I wanted. But then I was distracted to my grouping of black jersey dresses that I practically live in during the summer. Hmm, would this work, I don’t know, the top is way to summery, but maybe with a jacket? Though I still wasn’t sure, I tried it, and after about ten minutes I had an ensemble I was so pleased with, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before then. Black tights, black tall boots, black jersey dress, tan Gap bomber jacket, a big black scarf, big gold earrings, and 3 cocktail rings. Pretty rad if I do say so myself! I think I would have been pretty pleased leaving it at that, but that day, I got lots of compliments on my outfit, which reinforced my risk taking. My risk taking that was forced on me by a full laundry hamper and an almost bare closet.

The moral of the story? If you want to stretch your closet, save your bank account some grief, and still indulge a season induced shopping itch, find a way to temporarily put some of your go-to pieces off limits. If you’ve got a lot of willpower, then just telling yourself those pieces are off limits may work, but if you’re anything like me, you need to make those pieces unavailable. You’ll be surprised at what you come up with and just how creative your fashion brain can be when you’ve got fewer choices.

So start the laundry pile up and let the closet stretching begin!

How to Stretch Your Closet: Invest in Staples

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Thanks so much for all your fun feedback and comments on the first “How to Stretch Your Closet” series post last week.  It seems like a lot of us are trying to do that these days.  I’m posting the second installment of the series, and today, it is all about the staples!

When I first started  attempting to cook (attempting being the key word), one of the first things I read via Sandra Lee is the importance of having your pantry and fridge stocked with the essentials, the basic building blocks for recipes.  How can you cook up a last minute meal if you don’t have the staples already on hand?  The same is true for your wardrobe.  You will get more use out of your wardrobe and quicker successful outfits if you keep your closet stocked with staples.

Here is what I think every girl absolutely needs in her closet: 

• a pair of skinny jeans
• a black pencil skirt
• a black blazer
• a black dress
• a pair of black round toe heels
• a comfortable and chic metallic flat
• a classic belt
• a cream or white long flowy tank
• a semi-structured black bag
• a rockin pair of black boots. 

These are things that can jazz up, change, transform, and carry pieces throughout the seasons.  These ten staples will help you get more out of things you already own.  I promise.

For me, there are three main ways I determine whether something is considered a staple piece.  1) Can I wear it, in some capacity, year round?  2) Will it help me transition other closet pieces from day to night, office to weekend, and summer to fall?  And 3) Is it something that if I wore it once or twice a week, no one would notice the repeating pattern?

The last one might sound a little weird, but here’s the deal.  I can wear a black pencil skirt two or three times a week, and when I mix it with other pieces no one can tell its the same skirt.  I can throw on my black blazer with almost anything, without people asking, “Umm, didn’t you wear that earlier this week.”  The same can’t be said for a patterned pencil skirt or the mustard colored one I’ve been eyeing lately.  The staples are basics, which means quite simply, they’re translatable in almost every city, season, and situation.

If you’re in need of some of these things, here is my best shopping time.  Invest.  Not necessarily money, but invest your time and patience into finding the perfect staple pieces.  Don’t settle, because these are your staples so you need to LOVE them.  If the blazers isn’t fitted enough for you, don’t get it.  If you think the skinnies are too tight in the thigh, let them go.  If it has a weird detail on the sleeve, but you love everything else, put it back.  No matter how good the deal, if you don’t love it, you won’t wear it.  Keep a list of what staples you need and stay on the lookout.  I’ve been looking for a structured black bag for months now, but just haven’t found the right one.  Its on my list though, so I’m investing a lot of time and patience looking for just the right one.

Ok, so to prove my theory, I did a little experiment.  I thought about one of my favorite staples, the black blazer, and thought about all the places, outings, and occasions in the past few months where I’ve worn it.  I don’t have pictures for each one, but I scrounged up a few pics that I did have to show just how versatile this closet staple is…

Back in April, for one of my birthday dinners this past year, I wore my black blazer over a loose fitting floral top, boyfriend jeans, heels, and as usual for me, several layered necklaces.

Here is what I wore to a shift at the store last week.  I honestly felt like wearing sweatpants, but since that isn’t an option, I voted for a maxi dress.  And to make it look more fall (and store) appropriate, I added my trusty black blazer, and a few pieces of bling.  Voila, instant outfit!

This is at my friend Natalia’s birthday dinner in May, when I paired my blazer with a pair of skinny jeans and a strapless striped top.  I usually wear dresses to birthday dinners, but I was in a hurry, so I leaned on my trusty blazer.

I always wear my black blazer when I travel.  The first reason is because I always pack a blazer, because it helps me transition the few things I can jam into my suitcase for various occasions, settings, climates changes I encounter on my trip.  (That was one of my criteria above remember?)  The second reason is that if I wear it on the plane, I don’t have to worry about it getting smashed in my suitcase, and the third is that is helps with the unpredictable temperature changes of an airplane.  Here, its thrown over a simple gray v-neck tshirt, boyfriend jeans, and heels.

Its not uncommon for me to wear my black blazer with dress either.  It helps me dress it down a bit, and also helps me make dresses work in different seasons (or hide my pasty white arms when I didn’t have time to get some color on me.)  After having this blue dress for two years,  I wasn’t super crazy about it anymore, but for a dinner with some of our New York wedding friends, I paired with with my blazer, giant earrings, and giant heels, and suddenly, I liked it again!

So for me, staple pieces come with endless possibilities.  They make every piece in your closet ten times more wearable.  They are the perfect way to get the most out of what you have in your closet, while looking chic, fresh, put together.  You’ve read about my stance on staple pieces, but what about you?  Do you lean on staples to stretch your closet?  If so, which ones?  Leave a comment, I’m dying to hear your stance on staples!

The “How to Stretch Your Closet” Series

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We’re almost all the way through August, which means it is officially time for the fall fashion itch.  Between the new falls lines, the September issues, and the cooling temperatures, every little bone in my fashion loving body is in serious love.  Chunky knits, leopard prints, textured tights, boots, belts, scarves, studded bags…every part of me is screaming, “I need it, I need it, I need it!”  Unfortunately, my bank account is screaming, “you can't afford it, you can’t afford  it, you can’t afford it!”  Damn bank accounts and their sensible ways. 

So what’s a girl to do?  Well a sensible girl would just not buy anything.  But since I’m not sensible, that doesn’t apply to me :) But I’m not entirely reckless either, so I’ve learned to find a balance, a few key things here and there, and a splurge when I really love something.  But for the most part, I try to stretch what I have and use what is already hanging in my closet.

Last week at work, one of my coworkers stopped me in the backroom and said, “Oh my goodness, I love that dress, so pretty!”  “Oh thanks,” I replied, “I’ve had this dress for years, and I love it so much I wear it all the time!”  Her response, “I swear I’ve never seen you in it; you never wear the same thing twice.”  Though I was flattered that she didn’t seem to notice I am a fashion repeater, the truth is, I am.  I have to be.  I’m a real girl, with a real budget, and well, that means repeatedly rewearing the stuff in my closet.

But her comment got me thinking.  How do I manage to disguise my rewearing habits?  How do I get the most out of what I have?  So, I decided to spend a few days thinking about it, and I came up with several solid and thoughtful ways that I stretch my closet.  I sat down to type them all out, and after 916 paragraphs, I realized I couldn’t fit all my stretching techniques into one post.  So today, I’m starting a series.  I’ve never done a blog series before, but I thought I’d give it a try.

So, today, I’m giving you the first installment of How to Stretch Your Closet.  And though my first tip isn’t the most earth shattering, it is the most accurate and the most true for me.  I think it really is the number one way I stretch what I have to work for multiple seasons, settings, and occasions. 

{j.crew}

The number one trick I have for stretching my closet is really quite simple.  Start a cardigan collection.  I know, I know, not exactly groundbreaking.  And I sound like a broken record, I know.  But I seriously cannot believe how much cardigans can transform your wardrobe.  They make a silk halter top office appropriate, a summery floral dress fall ready, and a strapless night-out dress dinner prepared.  Cardigans are the number one way I get so many uses out of my dresses; I swear by them!  And for proof, just open my closet.  I’ve got a bazillion hanging there, with 1 in every color and shade, and 3 or 4 in the versatile colors (black, grey, cream, camel…)  The coworker comment from above actually came from a cardigan/dress combo.  I’ve worn that dress more times than I can count this summer.  Honestly, I’ve worn it almost every other week since we got to Chicago.  I even wore it to my interview at “the store.”  The trick has been pairing it with different cardigans.  Different colors, different cuts, with belts, without belts.  I even wore it in a pinch last winter with black tights, booties, a wide belt, and surprise, a black cardigan.  Same dress, different cardigans; no one notices, and I’m sold.

Now if you hear cardigan and think “grandma schoolteacher” you’re mistaken.  Cardigans aren’t what they used to be.  Tissue cardigans are my favorite, because they add another layer without too much weight.  My favorite places to find these versatile little guys are Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, J.Crew, and the Gap.  I rarely pay full price for them since they’re always around.  In fact, several retailers are putting their “summer” cardigans on sale.  But it doesn’t say “summer” across the chest, so if they’re the right color and cut for me, I’m there.  Stalk the sale racks, and watch for promos, they’re there, just be patient :)

In fact, scrolling through my outfit of the day posts, 70% of my outfits include a cardigan of some sort. 

The cardigan dress combo is probably my favorite, and is one of the main ways I get so much wear out of my dresses.  This dress is actually strapless, and I bought it to wear to a friend’s summer wedding.  But with a cardigan, its more casual and appropriate for work or running around the city.

This was the dress that sparked the comment from my coworker.  Paired here with a pink cardigan, though I’ve done with blue, orange, camel, gray, and black cardigans.  All just this summer.

So, that’s my first tip for getting the most out of what you already have hanging in your closet!  Anyone else a cardigan collector?  Anyone else trying to stretch your closet this fall?