I think it’s so fitting that my first video of 2020 is a regular series on my channel about how to shop your closet and make your old clothes feel new again. This is one of my most popular videos types and with the global shift towards sustainable fashion and conscious consumerism, there is no better way to be a conscious consumer than by shopping your closet first.
Why is it Important to Shop Your Closet?
Learning how to shop your closet is the easiest way to rediscover your old clothes and create new outfits. When we become more creative and appreciative with what we already have, we lose the sense of urgency to go out and buy something new. While there are some incredible sustainable fashion brands doing great things, our rate of consumption puts a large strain on the planet and its resources. Shopping your closet and creating new outfits out of old clothes is not only fun, but great for the planet AND your wallet.
How Do You Shop Your Closet?
There are many ways to shop your closet, but one of my favourites is by using Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration and not envy. I love finding an outfit online and recreating using what I already have. It never comes out as exactly the same, or perfect, but that’s the beauty of shopping your closet. When you shop your closet, you put your own spin and personal signature on the look, rather than becoming another trend clone. (oh my that sounds scary, doesn’t it)
To recreate an outfit, I look at three key factors:
1 – the style genre (androgynous, glamorous, elevated, etc,)
2 – the silhouette and proportions
3 – styling hacks
Most of the time, recreating an outfit is about how items are worn and less about what items are worn.
Things to Think About When Shopping Your Closet
Because you’re putting your own spin on an inspiration look, there will be some style elements you will have to prioritize over others in order to create a look that makes sense to you, but is still on-point.
For example, in the video I chose the look below to recreate, but because I live in a colder climate, I’m going to have to tweak a few things. Namely – footwear and adding a layer.
I have a pair of vintage cap toe slingbacks, and a coat that would match this silhouette more – but the captoes won’t do well in -10 and snow, and the coat won’t keep me nearly warm enough.
There are two style elements I’m having to re-prioritize here:
1 – The silhouette of the coat: This coat is relaxed and doesn’t have a lot of structure, but I’ve chosen to forego the importance of silhouette for colour and comfort. My coat is the right colour (yay!) but because it is a heavy wool, it is more rigid and clean cut, so I lose a bit of the effortlessness of the look. I’m not sad or mad about it, I mean, there are worse things in life, no?
2 – The delicate and chic footwear: I’ve chosen to go with my heeled oxfords (still not a fabulous choice in -10 but they’ll get me from car to venue if necessary) and wearing a pair of tights underneath. I lose the lightness of the look, but i’ll be warmer and I still achieve an overall elegant look (if I do say so myself).
I’m pretty happy with my final look! I chose it because I like the idea of wearing lighter colours in the winter and sometimes have a hard time with it. For the full look and another example, watch the video above 😉 – both of the looks I recreate use classic basics which you can shop below if you need to fill that hole in your closet!
Pin this image below to save the video or outfit inspiration for later! As always, thanks so much for reading!
