Let's say that you see an outfit in a magazine or store window
that instantly calls to you, "Buy me, buy me!"
What do you do? Do you:
1. Go online or into the store and buy it right then and there?
2. Give yourself a few days to think it over?
3. Look at the price tag, curse the stars that you weren't born
rich, and put it out of your mind?
4. Sew it yourself?
Or do you going shopping for it in your own closet?
If you said one of the first three options because you have no
idea what the fourth one is, I believe I can save you both money
and a few choice words to your forebears. For once you start
learning how to REALLY wear everything you own, not only will
you save money, you'll learn to make smarter choices when you
shop.
So how do you shop in your own closet?
By taking the picture of the outfit you like (whether it's from
a magazine or just a mental snapshot), and heading to your
closet to see if you can re-create the look from the pieces you
already have. You may not be able to replicate the exact
ensemble, but you may find that you can approximate the look by
using a blue jacket instead of black one, for example, or a pair
of ankle straps instead of a pair of sandals. Or you may find
that you need to buy one thing to pull it all together instead
of six things to start from scratch. Either way, you'll probably
find that you can evoke the new look without buying it all from
head-to-toe.
Now this presupposes, of course, that you actually KNOW and can
see the contents of your closet. Many women can't. In fact, they
can barely squeeze one more hanger onto the rack, let alone move
them around freely enough to flip through their inventory. So
they'll swear up and down that they don't have anything like
what they're looking at, buy it, bring it home, and are
completely shocked to find that they already have something
similar.
If you haven't cleaned your closet it a while, chances are very
good that you have some duplicates taking up space as well. Take
some time to cull through your belongings and organize your
wardrobe. Knowing what you have to work with is the first step
to putting together a wardrobe that works.
Next, take some time to flip through fashion magazines, stroll
through the mall, or click around online to get some ideas of
different ways to wear things. Rip out magazine pages, print off
web pages, or make a mental note of the outfits that strike your
fancy while you're window shopping. Then see if you can
replicate the look by shopping in your closet FIRST. You may be
surprised by what you already have or conversely, by how poorly
all that impulse shopping has served you over the years. Always
strive to fill your closet with pieces you can mix and match
easily for maximum wear.
Shopping your closet first is also a great way to put together
your holiday wardrobe as well. Since those velvets, velours, and
Santa sweaters are usually only pulled out this time of year,
take inventory of your existing holiday pieces before burdening
your seasonal budget further with unnecessary purchases.
Mix and match them in new ways, or use the picture pull
out/print off/mental snapshot approach to see how you can
transform your old favorites into current looks. A snazzy new
pair of hose and a stylish updo may be all you need to take that
five-year-old little black dress or red velour skirt from ho-hum
to va-va-va-voom! Try it and you'll see.
Remember: Filling your closet with impulse buys is like eating a
candy bar for dinner. It satisfies the instant craving, but
always leaves you hungry for something more substantial. It can
also blow your clothing budget as easily as a candy bar can blow
your diet. So don't do it.
Instead, force some reason into the scenario. If you find an
outfit "to die for", see if you can't recreate it (or parts of
it) by shopping in your own closet FIRST. Not only will you save
a bundle of money, you'll learn to get the most out of every
piece of clothing you buy.
Or, to quote German designer Jil Sander, "Buy less, think more."
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