Feeling bored with your clothes? Try these styling tips for a wardrobe refresh…
Hey friends!
Have you ever had days where you feel a bit bored with your clothes? You just can’t figure out what to wear? Or, it feels like you’re in a style rut? I definitely have those moments, and so today I’m sharing some things I like to do do “refresh” my outfits. These tips help me get good “mileage” (ie: cost-per-wear) from my pieces by helping me style them together in new ways. When I apply these strategies, I often get inspiration for more looks than I was expecting, and my wardrobe feels like new again! So, if you want to know what I do to refresh my outfits, keep on reading…
Explore new colour combos
A great way to get excited about your clothes again is by trying colour combinations that you haven’t tried or even considered before. What I like to do is pick one piece, like a top, and just pair it against all my trousers, skirts, and shorts. If it’s a button-up blouse, I’ll also try pairing it with dresses or leggings as an over shirt to see what I can come up with. When I do this, I don’t think about what colours “match” - that gets thrown out the window. I just keep an open mind and see what ends up working well. More often than not, I find that a piece that I was just wearing with certain colours or items, can actually be matched with even more pieces than I thought. This also helps me step outside my style “safe zone” and switch things up with my looks.
Bonus: I often get inspiration for colour combinations from fashion articles on seasonal trends, as there is often a colour (or a few colours) that are highlighted for the season. For example, 2021’s spring/summer colour trends included tangerine orange, butter yellow, lavender purple, and green. I’ll look in my wardrobe to see if I have something similar to a “trending” colour, and work to highlight it for the season in my outfits. This way, I can take part in a trend, but still focus on shopping my closet and using what I already own.
**This article features links to awesome pins from the Saved & Savvy Pinterest page, so be sure to follow the page for even more style inspiration!
Pattern-Mixing
Did you know you could mix prints and patterns?
Yes, you can! And I’m sharing some ways I’ve learned to pair different prints for a instantly interesting, mixed-print look:
Pick patterns that hold at least 1 colour in common to tie the pieces together. For example, a pair of red gingham-print pants with a red-dominant floral top.
Pick one “neutral” pattern as the base for a vibrant, more colourful print. For example, black-and-white houndstooth or checkerboard print paired with a vibrant floral print.
Coordinate patterns whose base colours compliment each other. For example, a green-patterned top with a blue or red patterned skirt or trousers. It also works best if the colour saturations or tones are similar, like coordinating pastels together, or high-saturation colours.
Mix prints with accessories: Pattern-mixing doesn’t need to be only with clothing, but you can also use patterned accessories for a mixed-print look, too.
Bring out the fancy clothes
If you’re like me, then you probably have clothes for work and church that are more “dressy”, and then clothes that are more of the casual, kick-back kind. To change things up with my casual looks, I like to mix in my “dressier” items. For example, pairing a satin blouse with a pair of slouchy mom jeans and sandals; or a satin skirt with an oversized t-shirt or sweatshirt. This brings an interesting aspect of dressy-meets-causal to an outfit, for an effortlessly chic-cool look. It’s kind of like you tried, but then didn’t try too hard.
So, try incorporating some of your dressier items in your everyday outfits. Going shopping? Pair your sneakers with a pencil skirt; or try pairing a shacket with some satin trousers. You can even try this with accessories by incorporating your nice jewellery with a casual pieces, like a classic t-shirt.
Recreate your favourite looks
Last- but not least- there is always the option to recreate looks styled by other people using items in your wardrobe. Sometimes, we just need to see how others have styled pieces, and with social media, inspiration is easy to find. For me, Pinterest a key place I go to find outfit inspo (like my outfit in the middle below), and the Saved and Savvy blog has a Pinterest page with tons of great outlifts for inspiration. I will also see what outfit ideas some of my favourite fashion Instagram accounts have posted (shout out to Twice Blessed), or I’ll look back on outfits I’ve worn and repeat some of my faves.
If you need a refresher for your outfits, try getting inspired again. Create a Pinterest board to keep a catalogue of outfits you love, or look back on some of your own favourite fashion moments and be your own inspiration.
Happy Styling!
If you apply any of these tips, let me know how it went and leave a comment below!
Also, be sure to check out my IG for more fashion and style content: @claireteee
Peace and blessings,