What to Wear: Paring Down Your Wardrobe

How are you? Are you enjoying your summer so far? I hope you're finding some great ways to stay cool because it is definitely a hot one this year! Finding outfits that allow you to stay cool definitely helps and for me dresses are on the top of my list. One thing is for sure, the votes are coming in loud and clear for the little poll I posted in the sidebar a couple weeks ago. Since you all wanted to read more posts about classy fashion and how to dress classy, I thought it was about time to write another post for our 'What to Wear'. If you haven't voted yet for your favorite types of posts on this blog and want to, it's still available and I would absolutely love to hear from you! :) It looks like this in my sidebar to the right of this post....

I thought we could discuss the topic of paring down. This might sound scary or daunting to some but I find that simplicity in many areas of our life actually helps to reduce stress and clear the mind of unnecessary clutter. Yesterday I came across a lovely new blog called 'Greater than Rubies' and discovered a little challenge that the blog writer Caitlin put together. She has decided not to purchase any new clothing for **gasp** one.full.year. She began on Jan.1st, so she's more than half way though the challenge now. Below is a look at the main outfits she created from just a few key wardrobe staples-it's really amazing to see it all laid out in one image board.

{Click link below named 'this link' to see enlarged individual outfits}

While reading a few pages of her blog I found this great compilation of images that Caitlin created for a separate challenge called the 30-Day Challenge which she posted to Pinterest. All of the tiny images you see here are all shown individually however much larger on the site, use this link to see them all in greater detail. She used 11 pieces to create 35 outfits from Day 1 to Day 30! With just eleven clothing pieces and a few accessories to rotate through you could get by for a whole month with only those pieces just like she did! We can all live on less and I think this just proves it. I don't know about you but I'm pretty darn impressed! Thanks Caitlin for the inspiration! :)

She has also decided to do something that costs her nothing to update her wardrobe now and then-clothing swaps. I've attended a few of these and they are always so much fun. Essentially everyone brings clothing, shoes and accessories they no longer want and would consider just donating to the swap and each person gets a chance to select a few new items. Not only is it free, but it's a great way to bring girlfriends together and become a bit more creative with your wardrobe and go home with some great new pieces!

Here are some tips on Maximizing Your Wardrobe that I wrote last year which include a short video from Project Runway's Tim Gunn.

For the classy woman, the key to building a solid wardrobe is to keep only those pieces which flatter, that fit properly, are in good repair and stand the test of time. Classic pieces will never let you down, they can be mixed with more trendy garments to create great outfits and if you care for them properly and establish a wardrobe built upon them, getting dressed will be so much easier. We'll be talking more about what these pieces consist of in the weeks to come in greater detail. In the mean time, you can read about essential classic wardrobe pieces in this previous post I wrote called, How to Dress Classy on a Budget.

This summer wardrobe image above is a great example of how you can wear the same two clothing pieces two different ways. It's the color in the accessories that changes the overall look! Sometimes we get into a rut with our clothing, always wearing the same pieces with the same shoes and accessories. You'll note that the shoes, handbag and sunglasses are the same, but changing those up will add greater variety. Is this getting your creative juices flowing yet?

Each season it's a good idea to donate anything that you haven't worn in the previous 12 months, don't like how you look or feel in, clothing that is beyond repair or stained and any pieces that you no longer love. There isn't any sense in filling what limited closet space and drawer space you have with things you truly never wear. There is nothing wrong with having a smaller wardrobe, in fact French women very much live by the notion of less is more when it comes to their closets. They'll invest in great trench coats, pencil skirts, dresses and black dress pants that they've saved up for and invested in and can literally wear for 5-10 years. They enjoy quality over quantity and I think this is a great lesson we could glean from them.

Have any of your tried paring down your wardrobe or challenging yourself in this way for others areas in your life? Maybe you've participated in a clothing swap? What did you learn most during the process?

Wishing you all a Fabulous Weekend!

XO




*Photo Credits: (1), (2), (3)

Living Well: Maximizing Your Wardrobe

In celebration of Earth Week, I'll be covering practical and easy ways to live well by becoming more green and saving money in the process. Classy women care about their environment and are mindful of their budget. So, today's post is all about re-discovering and shopping your existing wardrobe to keep both money in your wallet and needless garments out of landfills. It also solves the problem that most women proclaim which is, "I have nothing to wear!".

A couple weeks ago I wrote a post on getting organized and the importance of keeping an organized closet, which is essential to ensuring your don't end up buying duplicate items and reminds you of clothing and accessories that you may have forgotten about.  Karen of Strictly Simple Style commented that she had heard about a great tip which is shopping your own wardrobe and after mixing things up, taking photos of the new outfits you've created which makes getting dressed a cinch. I actually snap photos on the camera I'll be traveling with to maximize what's in my suitcase so I can travel lighter and get more mileage out of each article of clothing. Somehow though I hadn't used this photo trick for day-to-day dressing. Thanks Karen for the tip!

Mr. Polished and put together himself, Tim Gunn, has teamed up with Tide to create this fun 3-minute video where he shares easy tips on how to maximize what you have and look great while doing it!

Favorite Ways to Maximize My Wardrobe:

1. Multi-purpose items-A tunic or a casual dress can double as a bathing suit cover up in a pinch and can also be worn with  leggings.

2. Belts- They instantly change or update a dress or outfit. Keep a couple skinny belts and a couple chunky belts on hand (brown, black and gold are the best colors to invest in).

3. Go Short- If jeans shrink and become too short, wear them with flats only or if they are past that point, have them taken up to become capris or roll them up and cuff them yourself.

4. The Casual Cuff-Cuff the sleeves on a blazer for a more casual and relaxed look with jeans.

5. Layers create Length-If a favorite long-sleeved or short-sleeved shirt becomes too short to wear, layer up. Use a longer, pretty tank top with lace detailing along the bottom to be worn underneath in either the identical color for an elongated look or a contrast color to mix it up.

6. Refresh with Accessories-One of the fastest ways to change the overall look of an outfit is with accessories. Whether it be a set of pretty bangles, a different pair of shoes or a scarf to jazz up a simple tee or a statement necklace, there are many ways of creating a whole new look with what you already own.

What are your favorite ways of maximizing your existing wardrobe?

*image (1)