Combat Outfit Envy By Shopping Your Closet
One of my favourite ways to make my old clothes feel new again is by shopping my closet for outfits that I find inspiring on Instagram or Pinterest. Instead of using these platforms as a breeding ground for outfit envy (oh yes, this is a thing) and impulse purchases, turn them into tools for learning to make the most out of the clothes already in your closet.
This sounds great in theory, but putting it into practice can be frustrating if you don’t know where to start. For a more detailed approach, watch my video (yes – it’s a shameless plug and a mini-series on my Youtube Channel once a month) or keep on reading for a quick recap of the steps I take to break down an outfit so that you can recreate ANY look you fall in love with on the internet (or on the street!) WITHOUT shopping.
How to Recreate ANY Look You Love WITHOUT Shopping
Take this week’s example of Katie Sturino (do you follow her? She’s one of my favourites for fun style!) rocking a chic beige suit with some awesome prints. Although my suit is similar in colour, any matching separates can make this look work. Here’s the breakdown I use every time I want to copy an outfit without mindlessly shopping.
1 – What’s the style vibe of the outfit?
Look for adjectives that describe the outfit you love, which take away the focus from the pieces you DON’T have, and bring your attention to the overarching aspects of the look. Above, Katie’s look is playful but polished, timeless and relaxed.
2 – What are the silhouettes and proportions in this outfit?
By breaking down the look into a general silhouette and identifying the varying (or harmonious, in this case) proportions in the look, it will help identify similar elements in your own closet. In the look above, the silhouette is straight and clean cut and the proportions are balanced – both arms and legs are covered full length, and there are no dramatic long or short hemlines.
3 – What are the styling hacks in this outfit?
Styling hacks are where the outfit magic really happens in my opinion. Styling hacks include anything from cuffing a sleeve to playing with textures and mixing prints. They are all the little tweaks that are often overlooked and have more to do with how clothes are being worn instead of what clothes are being worn. In Katie’s look above, it’s a pretty simple look but the styling hacks that I can identify and easily recreate are: coordinated separates, mixing prints (the striped top and the animal print shoes), leaving the blazer open (gives it a more relaxed look), and tucking the striped shirt all the way in. Of course, makeup and hair play into styling hacks as well.
And there you have it! Literally as easy as 1-2-3! I go through a second outfit in the video, so give it a watch if you fancy. The more you exercise your creativity muscle with your closet, the easier it is to make old clothes feel new again and recreate ANY outfit you fall in love with on Pinterest or Instagram.
As always, thanks for reading and watching! xx
