— Edna Woolman Chase
No money to buy the latest fashions? Trying to look trendy but can’t afford to? Just look in your closet — the style you want you might already possess.
With the economy forcing us to decide between needs and wants, now is the perfect time to get creative and organized by “shopping your own closet.”
There could be a great floral skirt lurking in there, waiting to be paired with a gray camisole and black cardigan that you never thought to put together, or a pair of wide-leg pants that would look fabulous with those leopard-print ballet flats you thought didn’t match anything.
According to http://style.com, the online home of Vogue magazine, shopping your closet means “diving deep into your closet, storage space or perhaps parent’s basement to uncover your own fabulous clothing from seasons past — so long past, in fact, that they somehow feel new.”
To Emily Bruce, of Coatesville, shopping her closet, she said, “means taking a new look at articles of clothing I already own and trying to find new ways to combine them into different outfits I didn’t think of before.”
Bruce said she owns a lot of bohemian/hippie-style tops that have stayed in style throughout the years.
In her book, “The Little Black Book of Style,” Nina Garcia, fashion director for Marie Claire magazine, says the key to updating what you own is adding jewelry. Unique costume jewelry can take simple, everyday clothes and elevate them to a fashionable level.
Wear a stack of gold bangles, or a long necklace for an updated ’70s-style image with your peasant tops and blouses.
Erica Eisenbise, of Narvon, agrees. “If you feel the need to buy something new but can’t really afford it, go and buy a few accessories that will accent a piece of clothing you already own,” she said. You will feel great knowing you didn’t spend a lot of money but are still “sporting a new look,” she added.
Eisenbise, 20, attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania for fashion merchandising. She likes to be creative with what she has. “Mix and match bright colors,” she said, noting that neon colors of the ’80s are, and will continue to be, a big trend. “You can also layer two shirts to create a whole different look.”
“There are many ways in which you can update an old look,” said Jackie Merrin, an Art Institute of Philadelphia fashion marketing graduate who currently lives in Drexel Hill.
“For example, I was going on a job interview while living in L.A. and I took an old cotton dress that I wore on the beach with flip-flops, and turned it into the amazing dress that landed me the position. The plain white cotton dress, that at one point just looked average, now looked unique.” How? Merrin added a rhinestone belt and wore silver heels; it changed the outfit’s entire vibe.
“Looking through old clothes can make you realize how creative you really are!” Merrin said.
Editing your closet is a good way to start rediscovering what you have. If you eliminate pieces that you never wear, it becomes easier to recognize the potential of items that remain.
Be honest and ruthless. Only keep things that fit, and that you wear. Put the clothes that are in good condition back in the closet; donate items you will never wear again; put pieces that need simple alterations in another pile. Allow yourself only one week to get them altered; if you don’t do it after that deadline, toss them.
Bruce said it’s a good idea to clean out your closet at the beginning of each season.
“Get rid of clothes that you don’t regularly wear. You can always sell them on eBay or at a consignment shop and use that money towards new purchases.” She has been shopping a lot less lately, because money is tighter, and said most of her clothes come from consignment shops.
“I think as long as you buy clothing that looks good on you and fits your body type instead of just buying stuff because it’s trendy, then you will be able to shop your closet for years,” Bruce added.
Back in a pre-recession world, shopping for something new was thought to be less of an effort than opening the closet and digging out something already there.
Now it seems wise to take the time to sort through overstuffed closets, before heading out shopping for even more.
“I think the economy has a lot to do with the way we shop now,” Merrin said. She finds herself buying more practical pieces like a “good pair of jeans or shoes,” that she can wear repeatedly. “I have definitely learned it’s about quality not quantity.”
Designer Michael Kors says on style.com that our fashion spending should now be limited to items that are “seasonless.” That could mean long cardigans, which can work from fall through spring, and denim jackets, which are always in style.
Throw one over a T-shirt and with jeans or leggings you already own, and you will look current no matter the season.
Shopping your closet will give you many new outfit options and “open up the door” to new style.
“It’s using what you already have to create a new look that fits today’s trends,” said Eisenbise, smiling in her neon sundress.n
So, are you ready to start?
Tips from Emily Bruce:
•Add jewelry, such as long necklaces, to your bohemian-style tops and blouses.
•Get rid of old clothes and make a few dollars by selling them through eBay or consignment shops.
•Buy clothing that fits your body, not just what’s trendy.
Tips from Erica Eisenbise:
•Mix and match different colors.
•Layer two shirts, one long and one short.
Tips from Jackie Merrin:
•Add a belt to an old dress.
•Wear different shoes with an outfit you already have.
•Buy practical pieces: Think quality not quantity!
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