One of my best friends mentioned to me this last week that she was tired of her wardrobe and needed a refresh. This is huge considering she’s a tomboy, ha! Anyway, when she said that, I gave it some thought myself. For a girl who used to dress up a lot, my style has been less than stellar. For the last couple of years, my looks have been mostly casual (even on weekends) and I lost my zest for personal style. 

It’s one reason why I re-started this blog, to find my personal style and passion for dressing up once again.

If you’re feeling uninspired with your closet, I hope I can help you today so instead of an outfit post this week, I’m giving you 5 tips on how to build a wardrobe you’ll love and actually wear! 

1. Begin with a capsule wardrobe mindset.

   To get the most use out of your closet, start with basic pieces that will anchor your wardrobe. If you don’t know where to start, I personally LOVE Caroline’s wardrobe planner. I’ve used it once and will use it again here in the next few weeks. With her planner, you can find out everything from your color palette to what works/doesn’t work for you. I’ll be posting ideas over on my Pinterest board and also update you on the progress of my capsule in the coming months!

2. Take inventory of what you have. 

   Once you figure out what your capsule pieces are, add on pieces to layer your wardrobe by making a list of what you need. Caroline‘s FREE printable wardrobe planner will help with this too. After you finish adding what you need to your closet is when you can start purchasing fun extras! I keep a running list on my phone and it helps me know what I’m missing when I’m out shopping.

3. Quality over quantity.

   When adding to your closet, think quality over quantity. This is something I’ve been working on myself. When shopping, choose high-quality pieces made of cotton, silk, linen, wool and the like. This is a great and informative garment guide I’ve came across about garments. Keep the points of this short article about quality of clothing in mind when you’re searching for your pieces. It’s hard to say no to cute clothes, but think about cost divided by times per wear. If you’re only getting a few wears out of a low-quality piece you like, wouldn’t you say it’s worth it to invest in something you love that will last through washes and wears? 

   For sustainable fashion, here’s a list of ethical clothing brands you may not have heard of and if you’re an online shopper like me, check links at the bottom of retailers’ websites to find out if they are. For example, Asos‘ is clear about their mission and corporate responsibility and Revolve talks about their fair labor practices committment to preventing slavery and human trafficking. You’ll feel better knowing that love started from the company to the end consumer: you! 

4. Check out consignment shops if you’re on a budget.

   It may take a while to save for pieces you’ll love. If you’re impatient, take a shortcut and shop at consignment stores. You can still purchase pre-loved, high quality pieces in great condition! I got a similar pair of these skinny jeans (seen in this outfit) for a fraction of the price at a consignment shop. No shame in shopping for pre-loved clothes!

   For online shops, What Goes Around Comes Around, The Real Real and Vestiaire Collective are great for pre-loved clothes and accessories. 

5. 1-for-1 Rule

   This is a rule I made up for myself years ago. To keep your closet fresh, set this rule for yourself. On top of that, to keep your closet from overflowing, follow my 1-to-1 rule. For example, if you’re bringing home a blouse, give away or sell a blouse you no longer “feel the love” with.

When it comes to building a wardrobe, make sure your pieces are versatile, high quality and are a “10” because if you don’t love them, you won’t wear them. Since I’m in a fashion rut, I’ll be taking my own advice in the next few weeks myself. In a future blog post series, I’ll show you what my own wardrobe planner looks like, what foundational pieces I have and my wardrobe progress!

I hope I’ve shown you how to build a wardrobe you’ll love and wear! Let me know in the comments if this has helped you!

Tell me, how do you keep your wardrobe from being boring?