The Best Place To Shop? The Answer May Surprise You.

Fashion Kuel Category Expert: Jodie Filogomo

I’m a firm believer that we should get the most use out of the clothing items we have. Yet what I find with many women is that we get into ruts with how we combine what we have resulting in wearing the same things over and over.

The term “shop your closet” (some believe it’s the best place to shop) has become mainstream lately, but what does it really mean. Sure, you choose the things you already have purchased and wear them, but how do you switch things up and create “new” outfits.

I have 3 easy ways to do this, which will make your closet seem bigger than ever. It takes a little experimenting and time to find the combinations that you will be happy wearing, but it’s worth it. Just think how much money you save doing this!!

Insider tip: If it’s too hard to come up with ideas on your own, ask a good friend or even your spouse. You’ll be surprised how other people can style your clothes, just like when the 3 of us played “stylist” for each other.

Color Combinations:

The easiest way to start to shop your closet (the best place to shop) is to try different color combinations. If you’re anything like me, you tend to always pair one color with another. And you like that combination. Yet my theory is that ANY two colors go together.

Insider tip: Not sure that 2 colors go together. Sometimes adding in a 3rd color or neutral can pull it all together. The best way to do this is to add a scarf that has the two colors in it to tie them together. Charlotte is doing that in the photo below. Her bright pink pants and blue work fabulously with a scarf that also has those colors in it.

You can get inspiration about color combinations from a bevy of things. For example any artwork you love can give you ideas. The print of fabric that you like is another thought. Or you can play it simple by just taking one item and holding it up to all the other pieces in your closet.

I’ve discussed my color recipe on the blog before, and it’s an easy way to get you thinking outside your box.

Stop Categorizing Your Clothing:

Another way to make sure you wear your clothing pieces more is to stop thinking of them in only one way. What do I mean by this?? For most of us we categorize clothes by casual or dressy. Some of us will classify a piece as for work or for play. By doing that you limit how an item can work. Even thinking of a piece for only summer or winter can curb the creative process, and we don’t want that.

Insider tip: Heck, even your workout wear or sometimes your sleep wear can do double duty. It all depends on how you wear it!!

When I first started blogging, the three of us models would take the exact same item and experiment by wearing it for dressy, casual and business appropriate. Sure, we didn’t always love all the options, but as I always say, you’ll never know unless you try.

Unconventional:

This is the most creative way to shop your own closet – the best place to shop. It requires a bit of thinking differently about pieces or how to combine them, but it’s quite fun. If you have trouble thinking this way, this is exactly why you should follow my blog.

What do I mean by unconventional styling? Here are 3 ways with detail below

Layer both under or over your piece no matter what it is
Turn it backwards or inside out
Think outside the box and make it a totally different “item”.

Layering:

Most of us think to layer over a top with a cardigan. Or a cardigan over a dress. But so many times you can even style it the opposite.

How about a cardigan or blouse under a sleeveless dress? Or a jacket under a vest?

This doesn’t just apply to the top half of our body. I’ve learned that I can layer skirts over a dress (and it’s not just for thin people—try it). Here’s the blog post with the whys and how along with examples.

Insider tip: When I’m trying to come up with ideas for layering, I remind myself to think over AND under for all my pieces.

The Wrong Way:

When you buy a piece, you know the front, back, inside and outside, yes?? Of course we do, but really we should remember that it’s only a suggestion, haha!! Not every item can be worn the “wrong” way, but I bet you can find a few that work.

For example, Charlotte loves to turn a top backwards if she wants more coverage from it (the back is usually higher than the front). The three of us wore our cardigans backwards on the photo below.

Insider tip: If a label is evident when you turn it backwards, think of ways to fix it. Either carefully cut out the label (you can always sew it in a side seam if you need it), cover the label with a scarf or a brooch.

Recently on Instagram, I showcased one of skirts styled inside out because the lining was so beautiful. Make sure to click through all the photos in the post to see how I hid the label, and how it looks right side out.

Outside the Box:

Now this is a fun way to change up your pieces. What this entails is thinking about your clothing item in a whole different light.

I know it sounds crazy but not all skirts have to be worn as skirts. Don’t believe me? I once posted about 5 Ways to Wear a Skirt, and Only 1 Way is as a Skirt!!

Below Lesley took a skirt and wore it as a dress.

This can work with all kinds of clothing pieces. Just think about the construction of it and that might open up new worlds of how it can be worn. We showed Lesley’s dress along with other ideas in this blog post.

Other ideas:

A button up dress as a duster
A top as a scarf
Scarf as a kimono
A belt as a scarf
Clip on earrings as shoe clips
A long cardigan as a dress
A scarf as a hair band
Coat as a dress
Scarf as a skirt

I hope this opens up the possibilities of how to wear the clothes you already have in your closet in different ways. This makes the idea of shopping your closet fun and creative.

[gap height=”30px”]

About the Author:

Jodie Filogomo is a retired cosmetic dentist who wishes shopping were an Olympic sport. She enjoys an online presence at Jodie’s Touch of Style and on Instagram at @Jtouchofstyle where she works to show “It’s never too late to look great.” Her Arizona journey incorporates her mother who is in her 80’s and good friend who is soon to be 70. In fact, many of the older posts include her stepmom when they were living in Denver.

After joining the Forever Fierce Revolution on Facebook, Jodie has learned how midlife is the best age to be. Our experiences and story is something that we can be proud of, and embracing birthdays start with us!

Kuel Life

See all author post