Shopping in your own closet

Find new ways to wear old clothes

What great new looks have you put together this summer with old pieces from your closet?

another idea: new designs from recylcled clothes

Try Up-dating and freshening up this seasons look without buying a whole new wardrobe, instead find new ways to wear old clothes.
Save money and keep your style fresh by finding things you already own and creating new looks with them.

Try a new feminine blouse over an old pair of shorts and tank

The first step is to organize your closet.
If you can’t see what you have your never going to be inspired to create new looks! It may help to put like colors together in order of garment type or vice versa. Patterns should be put with group that represents the most dominant color. (Example: blacks; jackets, tops bottoms, -a black and grey striped pant would go here-. Brown: jackets, tops, -a brown, green and red paisley blouse may go here-bottoms. Blue; jackets-a blue and white seersucker may go here-tops, bottoms, ECT.)

(Make notes as you go; this is one place that it is helpful to have a second pair of hands)

Step two is to go through everything.
Separate the Items you wear all the time from the items you wear occasionally, from the items you never wear.
• For the first group, put one item on, ask yourself what you wear with it, and then find something different to work with that item. Try some different accessories as well. See if you can create one new outfit with every piece you always wear. It is great to pull from your other two groups during this part of the process.
• With the second group, go through the same steps. As you put on each piece you may start to see why you don’t wear these clothes as much. You may not actually love the way the garment looks and so you avoid wearing it until you have nothing else that serves its purpose. You may love the single garment, but do not have the items the garment needs to create a complete outfit. This is where you must start a list of items you think you need to complete the looks with what you already have.
• With the last group, the process begins the same way. You must put on every item and ask yourself why this item never gets worn. Many of the answers are the same as you had with the second group of clothes, though perhaps more drastic. Ask yourself what you need to do to make this item more wearable for you. It is in this final group that you may find some true gems in your closet, it is also the hardest step for most people and you also may find that you really need a second pair of educated and discerning eyes!

Step three is to go through your accessories.
Organize these again by like color and style. I.e. a silk scarf with a yellow floral pattern can be but with a yellow pattern shoe, or a green beaded necklace with a green croc belt and a green cocktail ring. A second opinion is helpful in this step because sometimes t can be hard to coordinate accessories that were not specifically made for each other. Remember that every accessory you own should complete at least one outfit in your closet. Don’t keep items that don’t serve a purpose. A great accessory can transform an outfit that otherwise was unremarkable into a head turning ensemble.

The final step is to create a shopping list.
You want to have a list of specific things you would need to complete outfits you already have a start on. Start with the most vital items, i.e. items that would complete the most amount of outfits, these are usually missing basics like a black pant, a white blouse or a brown flat.