💌 Style Mail: If you're not doing this in your closet, you're missing out

A style game-changer (that doesn't require any shopping!)

I feel like everyone is trying to shop less this year. Or at least shop with more intent - which usually results in shopping less, anyway. But for a lot of people, shopping (even for just a few new things) gives you that little burst of creative energy to enjoy getting dressed more. And it helps you come up with new ideas for how to use what’s already in your closet.

And especially at the beginning of spring, you typically might think about what you want to buy for the coming season. But now, if you’re looking to buy less, shop smarter & maybe even get nothing new for the next few months - can you have just as much fun in your closet?

My short answer is a resounding ‘yes!’ You can enjoy your style without buying anything new. I’ve written about this a lot - several years ago I shared 4 ways to revive your style without shopping. And more recently I wrote 5 small steps to upgrade your style without shopping. And as an ongoing resource, my Style Mail VIP subscription provides strategies to rethink what you have, approach your wardrobe with fresh eyes & it gives you tons of outfit inspiration (click here to upgrade to VIP).

But I had styling sessions with two clients recently, with the priority of creating new outfits with what they already had. And I used some specific strategies that I realized I hadn’t expressly shared before.

So, here are (mostly) new ideas that you can use to create outfits with what you already have - for work, hanging out with the family, date night & girls night (and for anything else). Or as I often refer to it - here’s how to play in your closet.

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✍️ Style Scoop

Have you heard people say, “instead of going shopping, shop your closet?” (You might have heard it from me!) But then you go into your closet & think, “now what?”

So here’s a quick reframe. Instead of ‘shopping your closet’, approach it like ‘playing in your closet.’ Because I think the notion of play allows for more creativity. It gives you permission to just try things out - some may work, some may not. And it focuses more on the feeling of enjoyment, rather than just the end goal of great outfits. (Not to confuse you - the goal is still great outfits. But you’ll be open to more new ideas if you stop thinking, “this has to be a great outfit” & start thinking, “let’s put these things together & see what happens.”)

ONE PAIR OF PANTS & 5 TOPS

One thing I did with both of these clients was have them put on a pair of pants - and then try on a succession of tops (and third pieces). One client wanted different outfits with a pair of olive trousers, the other wanted ideas for barrel leg jeans. So, I handed them different tops to put on with the bottoms - and then we added jackets & blazers to see what worked. And (of course) we didn’t hit the target every time - but we did discover outfits & ideas that they never would have tried before. And we also noted consistencies regarding silhouettes of tops, lengths of jackets, etc.

And you can do this with anything you want. Start with one pair of pants & five tops. Or one top & five pairs of pants. Or a skirt & top with five different jackets. (Check out 10 outfits I created with one pair of jeans & a white t.) You can focus on something you wear all the time (to get new ideas) or something that’s more difficult to outfit. It’s totally up to you.

One pair of barrel leg jeans, 4 different outfits (and we even created a few more!)

WORK A FORMULA

I knew that a pair of trousers, blazer & t-shirt would be a great formula for one of these clients (based on her wardrobe, lifestyle, goals, etc.) So, we made multiple combinations of these during her styling session. It’s an easy outfit formula that she hadn’t tried consistently - and it helped her to explore her wardrobe in a different way.

If you haven’t heard the term ‘outfit formula’ before, it simply means a combination of similar pieces that you can create with different items in your closet. So, maybe you’re a t-shirt, khakis & cardigan person. Or your go-to is jeans, a sweater & trench coat. Or you love wearing wide leg pants with a slim top & cropped jacket.

Take a formula that you use consistently, but put it together in different ways (especially if you find yourself wearing the same t-shirt with the same khakis & the same cardigan all the time).

4 options for her blazer/t-shirt/trouser formula that don’t look like repeat outfits

PRETEND LIKE SOMETHING IS NEW

You know the feeling when you buy something new - and you think you’ll create a ton of different outfits with it? But then two months go by & you’ve only worn it one way? (We’ve all done it.) Well, how about if you pretend like it’s something brand new that you’ve never worn?

It’s easy to get into a ‘style rut’ with something specific - even when it’s something you love. And then you suddenly realize that you’ve only worn your favorite dress with a black moto jacket & booties. But how about pretending that your dress is brand new - and trying it on with sneakers & a denim jacket? Or loafers & an oversized blazer? Or mules & a bomber jacket?

And in this case, you can use either of the previous methods to play in your closet - grab 5 different jackets, blazers or cardigans to try over the dress. Or try a dress, cropped jacket & flats formula a few different ways.

No matter which way you play in your closet - here are a few prompts to inspire some creativity.

Rethink what you wear it with: If it’s a bottom you always wear with a t-shirt - can you wear it with a blouse or a sweater or another top? (Conversely, if it’s a top you always wear with jeans - can you wear it with trousers or casual pants or a skirt?)

Rethink your shoes: For pants, skirts & dresses - can you wear them with flats or sneakers or loafers or boots?

Rethink color combos: If you always wear a certain item with black (or white), can you wear it with other neutrals? Does it work with other colors? (Check out how I did this in a recent Instagram reel.)

Rethink where you wear it: Do you have things that you only wear to the office? Think about how you can wear them when you’re not at the office. And do the same thing for weekend-only pieces, items that you only wear on nights out, etc.

Will you play in your closet using any of these methods? Or have you tried something like this already? Let me know in the comments!

If you’d like regular prompts to rethink what’s in your closet - plus 30+ outfit examples per month as inspiration, links to the items I recommend to my clients (and more!), upgrade to my paid VIP subscription. For less than 2 Starbucks drinks a month or 2 moderately priced tops (that you probably didn’t need) per year, you’ll get concrete ideas & strategies to use what you have & evolve your style.

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🕶️ Style Tip

If you’re one of the many who are trying to shop differently this year, you may be on the path to ‘shopping activism’. I actually had no idea this was an actual term - but I looked it up & the Google AI overview says:

"Shopping activism" refers to using consumer choices and purchasing power to advocate for social, political, or environmental change, often through boycotts or supporting specific brands or products aligned with certain values.

If you’re looking for more information - I recently shared the calendar of organized boycotts & economic blackouts (we’re currently in the middle of a Walmart boycott & there’s another economic blackout starting on 4/18). And I also created an Instagram post with 10 ways to be a shopping activist (which I think may deserve to be an article here on Substack?).

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💡 Client Spotlight

A few outfits I’ve created for Faith over the years…

I thought it would be fun to share details about one of the clients I talked about above - so here’s how ‘Faith’ & I got started. Faith reached out to me during the pandemic. She actually lives about 45 minutes away from me - but at that time I was only working with clients virtually & she didn’t want to wait.

Faith’s biggest challenge was her closet. In her words, “I have a (large) closet that is stuffed to brim & absolutely overflowing with clothes. I actually really love much of what's in there, but I can't live like this any longer. I simply must get rid of a big chunk of what's in there (omg it breaks my heart to say it) or else the situation is just untenable.”

So, I guided her virtually in going through her closet to figure out what did & didn’t deserve to be there - and also in identifying the habits that created an overwhelming wardrobe. She let go of things that no longer fit, items she was plain tired of & pieces that no longer fit her lifestyle (like an orange crop top).

Since then, we’ve done a focused virtual shopping session & follow up on her closet. And since finding things she likes isn’t her challenge (but she loves my ideas for creating outfits), I see her about twice a year for a styling session - to give her new ideas for specific pieces & an objective eye on what is & isn’t working.

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☝️ One more thing

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