It’s true what they say, the way that you think and what you value changes after you turn 30. One thing that I desired at 30 was a new “look”, however, my 30th birthday was met with a pandemic as I turned 30 in 2020. So my wardrobe dreams shifted from chic and “put together” to cozy and comfortable. As time passed I began to choose more and more comfortable clothes over pieces that I know I really wanted. On top of that, I began to gain the dreaded “Covid 15” and my weight began to fluctuate. When I looked up in late 2021 felt like I had no clothes that defined my current style. I began to pick up new pieces here and there in an attempt to address this but I still didn’t feel like I had a cohesive wardrobe.
A few weeks ago, I decided that I was going to go for it and make an investment in my wardrobe. I began shopping online and in stores to find pieces that would make me feel and look my best. While I am still in the process of shopping and finalizing my purchases, I wanted to share a few ways that I am approaching this wardrobe upgrade.
Shopping My Current Wardrobe
I started the process off by “Marie Kondoing” my closet. I sifted through all my pieces and tossed out what I did not love, what was ill-fitting, and items that were too worn. I made piles of stuff that I wanted to sell, donate and throw away. I kept pieces that I love, key staple pieces, and items that I am not quite ready to part with. This purge also included trimming down accessories, undergarments and shoes. I plan to sell my nicer things online via Poshmark, Facebook and Ebay. For super fine items, I usually take them to my local consignment store. If I don’t think something is sellable but still nice, I donate it to Fabrik boutique stores which will use them with their non-profit that supports women that are in need.
Choosing the Best Pieces For My Body Type and Complexion
I think we have all been guilty of buying things that were cute but not all the way flattering on us. With this wardrobe upgrade, I decided that I wanted to be intentional about what would look the most flattering on me based on my shape, curvature, style, etc. I got many tips in this area by looking up my type and researching the items that looked best on me. I discovered that I have an inverted triangle shape. This type has broader shoulders with more narrow hips so the goal is to balance out the upper and lower body. Pieces that look best on me are cut-out tops, wrap tops, wide-leg pants, skirts cut from the bias etc.
In addition to dressing for my body type, I’ve been experimenting with dressing for my “color season”. Everyone has colors that look best on them based on complexion, skin tone, undertones, eye color, etc. I took a short quiz on a few sites and did some online research and determined that I am considered Deep/Dark Autumn. This “color season” tends to look best in warm, deep, muted and rich shades. Think deep browns, muted greens, aubergine and navy. It’s honestly helped me break out of buying way too much black and white which were my safe colors. I’ve been experimenting with adding color to my closet and it’s been really fun. If you want to learn more and take your color quiz, check out ColorWise.Me or Cladwell.com.
Only Keeping What I Absolutely Love
In the past, I’ve been very guilty of buying things because they were on sale or would work for me in a pinch. Eventually, I would start to no longer wear the item and it would slowly move to the back of my closet. This time around, I’ve decided that I am not keeping anything that I don’t love. That could mean the item itself, the color, the fit, etc. Whatever I purchase must look exactly how I want it to look and must meet my fit standards. Sometimes it takes me a few days to determine if I really want to keep something and that’s okay. I don’t mind returning something to the store that I know I will not wear confidently.
Bonus: Cash Back On My Purchases
I’ve talked about it before in my post about Making Money While Shopping. My goal with anything I buy is to get some type of additional perk out of the purchase. I always activate Rakuten or Capital One Shopping when I can to ensure that I will get cash back on my purchases. This cashback adds up over time and can turn out to be another future shopping treat for me. *Double win*
Stay tuned for more, I plan on sharing more about the process in the months to come!
It’s definitely time for me to do a purge and start over. I’m excited to try some of these tips.
Can’t wait to see what you pick out!