Four Rules to Wardrobe Shopping

There are four rules that are tried and true when it comes to capsule wardrobe shopping. Sure shopping is nearly every woman’s favorite pastime, but to some it can be dreadful task. To help eliminate some of the anxiety that builds from constructing your perfect wardrobe, we’ve compiled a list of rules. These rules ensure that you get the best experience and most importantly create a timeless wardrobe. These four rules should be built into your lifestyle.

Shopping with No Closet Room

My confession: Until quite recently, I literally had a Chester drawer and a closet full of clothes; but I never had anything to wear. I felt as though I was constantly buying new pieces each season. I basically out-grew my wardrobe. It wasn’t due to weight loss or gain, it was just I didn’t see myself wearing those pieces anymore. They were no longer trendy nor fashionable. How was it possible for me to have a full wardrobe, well basically two, and still not have anything to wear? If you have any of the same complexities as I had, please keep reading.

Basically, what catapulted me into this “new” way of thinking, was a component of my life-style change. Two year post par-tum, I had finally decided to change my eating and exercising habits, and I lost about 15 pounds. I was back to my pre-baby body, and feeling better than ever. However; I had a wonky wardrobe that either didn’t fit, or as I describe above, were just pieces that sat in the back of my closet or drawer. I decided to purge them. I either donated or co-signed items that I no longer wore, thus creating my capsule wardrobe.

Capsule Wardrobe

A capsule wardrobe is basically the bones of your closet. According to Susie Faux, ” a capsule wardrobe is a collection of a few essential items of clothing that don’t go out of fashion, such as skirts, trousers, and coats, which can then be augmented with seasonal pieces. “- Wikipedia.

After purging all of the items that I couldn’t pair with three other pieces in my closet, I was basically down to a pair of black pants, a black pencil skirt, a black dress, a couple pair of skinny jeans, a blazer, two sweaters, and a chambray button down. After, having a couple of pieces tailored, I was off to a great start.

But it was time to do some shopping. I need to build upon this wardrobe to represent my currently lifestyle as a career woman, mother, wife, and blogger. Here are the 4 rules to wardrobe shopping that I used.

Four Shopping Rules

Be prepared to shop & shop without impulse.
Always shop with your current wardrobe in mind.
Know your style.
Keep up your commitment.

The first rule to shopping is being prepared to shop. Basically it means, knowing what you are looking for before you shop. No, I don’t mean that you go in tunneled vision in a store, of course not. I’ve found a couple of great pieces that I didn’t go in looking for; they ended up being great additions to my wardrobe. However; you must go shopping with a plan. You should go to the store looking for pieces to accentuate your wardrobe, or either replace items in your wardrobe. Accessories are great, but don’t over do it with pieces that won’t help the wardrobe.

It’s really easy to go to the mall and peruse the stores and to come out spending hundreds of dollars on pieces that you’ll end up wearing once or twice. But if you go in looking for staple pieces, you will only be doing yourself and your bank account a favor in the future. I would suggest perusing the websites first. Create a wardrobe board in Pinterest, or even follow ours. :-). Then go shopping. Leave your friends at home, they often influence your fashion and poor buying habits.

The second rule, which goes hand in hand with the first rule, is to shop with your current wardrobe in mind. This is really a no brainer; however, I must admit, I didn’t always do this when shopping. The method of not building upon your current wardrobe, has left me with piles of clothes that didn’t produce any outfits. Keeping a constant reminder of what you currently own should help you stay on track with the second rule.

Shop My Capsule Wardrobe

We should all keep an up to date inventory of our closets. In the beginning stages of starting our blog, we downloaded the Stylebook app. This app allowed me to make a virtual closet. I am able to pull out my phone to make sure that the piece(s) that I’m buying goes with the pieces that I have at home. After all, It’s not always about the number of pieces that you have in your closet, but the different looks that you can achieve. See how I styled my closet below:

Thirdly, you must always keep your personal style at the forefront. So not only do I find pieces that I can wear with at least 3 other pieces, and items that are timeless and fashionable, I look for pieces within my personal style. Creating and maintaining a capsule wardrobe is a personal experience. You want a look that is where you are currently; but simultaneously where you will be in the future.

Five Pieces Endless Options

When creating content for the blog, we look for timeless pieces that are classy, yet fashionable. I would strongly suggest doing the same. Obviously, I’m a curvy petite female. My style is causal. So I look for pieces that accentuate my curves and elongates my legs. For work, I look for business casual pieces; because, I super busy, I also look for pieces that are easy to transition from work to night. Know your style, it never really changes.

Last, but not least, you should strive for consistency. Be consistent with your new four rules to wardrobe shopping. Your wardrobe is essential to your lifestyle, shouldn’t it be treated as one?

Please comment below if you found this helpful.

Til next time ladies! 💋