I am going to let you in on a little secret:
I am not naturally stylish.
I have imported style.
You know those people who can walk into a store, pick three things off a rack, throw them together, and somehow look effortlessly chic?
That is not me.
I have had to copy other people more times than I am proud to admit. I’ve expended way too much effort figuring out what I like. I constantly try a million things to pull an outfit together—and, perhaps most importantly, rely on my husbands’ style instincts I get stuck.
This is probably why I love clothing rental so much. I get to borrow someone else’s good ideas, try different silhouettes and combinations, and figure out what I actually like without filling my closet with things that seemed like a good idea at the time.
But over the years I’ve also learned something else:
You probably have more outfits in your closet than you think you do.
Sometimes you just have to shop your own closet a little differently.
And trust me: if I can do this, anyone can.
Start by Forgetting What You Usually Wear
Most of us have a handful of outfits we wear on repeat.
We know they work. We know how they feel. We don’t have to think about them.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
But if you feel like you have “nothing to wear,” there’s a good chance you’re looking at your closet through the lens of the outfits you already know.
Instead, pick one piece you love and ask a different question:
What else could I wear this with?
Take the jeans you always wear with the same sweater.
Try them with a blazer.
Try them with a button-down.
Try them with the dressy shoes you usually save for going out.
Try a belt.
Try a different jacket.
You aren’t shopping for new clothes.
You’re shopping your own closet for combinations you haven’t tried yet.
Start With One Piece You Love
If staring at your entire closet feels overwhelming, don’t start there.
Start with one thing.
Maybe it’s a great pair of pants. A favorite skirt. A jacket you love. A dress that makes you feel good.
Take it out and build around it.
Pull out three or four things that could work with it—even if they aren’t things you’d normally put together.
This is where I think a lot of us get stuck. We mentally categorize our clothes:
That’s my work shirt.
That’s my weekend sweater.
That’s my date-night dress.
That’s my vacation top.
But clothes don’t actually know what category you’ve assigned to them.
Let them cross departments.
A blouse you usually wear to work might look completely different with jeans and sneakers. A dress you think of as “dressy” might become a great everyday outfit with a denim jacket and casual shoes.
Sometimes the new outfit is hiding in a category you created yourself.
Use Your Favorite Outfits as a Formula
Here’s one of the best tricks I’ve learned:
Don’t just copy an outfit. Identify the formula.
Maybe you notice that you always feel good when you’re wearing:
- Something fitted + something loose
- Jeans + a structured jacket
- A simple dress + great shoes
- Wide-leg pants + a fitted top
- Neutral basics + one interesting piece
Once you recognize a formula that works for you, look through your closet for other pieces that can recreate it.
You don’t need the exact same shirt.
You need the same idea.
This is especially helpful if, like me, you don’t have an innate ability to look at a pile of clothing and immediately see five fabulous outfits.
Steal from yourself.
When you find an outfit you love, figure out why it works and repeat the formula with different pieces.
Change One Thing
You don’t always need to create an entirely new outfit.
Sometimes you just need to change one thing.
Wear a different shoe.
Add a belt.
Swap a sweater for a jacket.
Change the bag.
Add a necklace.
Roll the sleeves.
Tuck the shirt differently.
Put a button-down over the top instead of underneath.
It’s amazing how much difference one small change can make.
And this is one of the easiest ways to shop your closet because you’re not starting from zero.
You’re taking an outfit you already know works and giving it a little twist.
Get Your “Good Stuff” Out of Hiding
This is a big one.
How many things in your closet are being saved for some imaginary future occasion?
The beautiful blouse.
The great shoes.
The dress you love.
The jacket that’s “too nice” for a regular Tuesday.
Wear them.
Obviously, I’m not suggesting you wear your most delicate clothing to clean the garage.
But if something makes you feel great, you don’t need a special occasion to deserve it.
One of the easiest ways to make your existing wardrobe feel new is to stop saving your favorite things for later.
Later is not a guarantee.
Wear the good stuff.
For the Fashion Uninitiated: Don’t Be Afraid to Use a Cheat Sheet
Then talk about three things you can literally look up when you’re stuck:
Color: Use a color wheel to understand complementary, analogous, and monochromatic combinations.
Texture: Look for texture contrast rather than a formal wheel. Think smooth + nubby, shiny + matte, soft + structured, fine + chunky. A silk blouse with a chunky knit cardigan, or a smooth leather shoe with a textured sweater. You’re looking for contrast, not necessarily matching.
Proportion: This might actually be the most useful cheat sheet of all. Look at outfit examples and notice the relationship between the pieces: fitted/loose, short/long, cropped/oversized, wide/narrow.
If you are like me and struggle with style, there is absolutely no shame in using the internet to teach yourself how clothes work.
Take a Picture
This may sound a little silly, but it works.
When you put together an outfit you really like, take a picture of it.
Your brain is remarkably good at remembering that you liked an outfit and remarkably bad at remembering exactly what you wore.
Create an album on your phone called “Outfits” and add the winners.
The next time you’re standing in your closet thinking I have nothing to wear, you have your own personal lookbook.
And if you really love an outfit, write down what made it work.
Over time, you’ll start seeing patterns.
Maybe you love monochromatic outfits.
Maybe you always feel best in structured pieces.
Maybe you like a little bit of contrast.
Maybe you discover that you own twelve tops but just a few of them work with pants you have.
That information is useful.
You’re learning your own style.
Shop Your Closet Before You Shop the Internet
This is perhaps my favorite part of the whole idea.
Before you buy something because you think it will solve your wardrobe problem, take a look at what you already own.
You might discover that you don’t actually need another black sweater.
You need a different way to wear the black sweater you already have.
Or maybe you discover that you have plenty of tops but you’re missing the one pair of pants that would make half your closet more useful.
That’s a much better shopping trip.
Instead of buying more and hoping it works, you’re buying strategically.
And if you aren’t sure whether you actually need something, try renting it first.
I’ve done this plenty of times, and it has saved me from more than a few purchases that seemed brilliant until I actually had to live with them.
Once You’ve Done the Work, Get Some Fresh Ideas
Sometimes you just need to see your clothes differently.
Once you’ve spent some time experimenting with your own closet, head to Pinterest and look for outfit inspiration.
But don’t search for outfits so you can recreate them piece-for-piece. Look for ideas.
Notice how someone styled wide-leg pants. How they layered a button-down. What shoes they paired with a particular silhouette. How they used color.
Then go back to your closet and ask: What do I already own that could create this same effect?
Pinterest becomes much more useful when you’re using it to inspire your wardrobe rather than dictate it.
A Bigger Wardrobe Doesn’t Magically Increase Style
It’s so easy to fall into the trap that thinking a bigger wardrobe will make you more stylish.
I think this is where shopping your closet gets interesting.
The goal is to get more value from what you already own.
To notice the possibilities.
To understand what you actually like.
To stop buying things just because you are bored with your clothes.
And maybe to discover that the problem isn’t that you have nothing to wear.
You may be leaving a lot of potential untapped in the closet you already have.
I’m still not going to pretend I’m a naturally stylish person.
My style remains, at least partially, imported.
But I’ve gotten much better at recognizing what works for me—and that’s something you can learn.
Nowadays, one need not be born with great style.
You can experiment your way into it.
And sometimes, the easiest place to start is right in your own closet.
