When I go shopping, one of the factors I look for in all the clothes I buy is whether they can be dressed up or casual. As a (somewhat) shopaholic who has a tendency to make impulse purchases there are so many ways to know if the outfit is something you’ll actually wear or just another fad sitting in the back of your closet. So, as someone who typically regrets purchases post-shopping haze, please take this advice and don’t suffer from buyer’s remorse.
Styling it three ways
One of the best and most foolproof ways to decide if an outfit is worth buying is to imagine three different ways to style the piece of clothing you’re looking at. I tend to think of a way to style it in different types of weather, a formal occasion, and casually for school. If I can’t think of a way to style it with all three, then I leave it on the rack. I also use this method to clean out my closet when I’m wondering what to get rid of.
Versatile pieces
Across social media, the basic idea and inspiration always given for starting a collection of clothes you love are versatile pieces, otherwise known as a capsule closet. A capsule closet is a collection of clothes that typically consists of around 15 pieces of clothing that can be easily matched. The goal of this closet is to turn the 15 pieces of clothing into at least 50 unique outfits. When I keep this in mind during shopping, I find it so much easier to see how something new would fit into my preset of clothes and then figure out how often I would actually wear it. A few items I find are pretty versatile are jeans (obviously), jean skirts, and a basic cardigan that can match pretty much anything and make the perfect light layer. While most capsule closets contain neutrals primarily because they’re easier to mix and match, I think adding bright colors is so much more fun and makes for a more versatile and interesting wardrobe.
If you’ve been on the internet recently or at all in the past two years, you’ve likely seen the rise of influencers and various celebrities getting their “colors checked.” If—like me—you don’t know what this means, the general basis of it is a professional “color salon” where they match different palettes of colors to your skin tone and features depending on your undertone and the undertones of the colors. They then give you a color palette that is more suited to your skin tone, specific colors that make you pop, and ones that aren’t as flattering. The color palettes are spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and I have to admit that while I originally thought this was a pretty bogus way to make money off of people, I have seen some pretty noticeable changes between the color palettes and how they can flatter and accentuate natural beauty. So, while I don’t recommend going to a professional and paying a hundred dollars for someone to hold up fabric next to your face, I think it’s definitely worthwhile to try and figure out which colors look best on you and really make you stand out.
Dressing it up and down
I think one of the most important factors to keep in mind when shopping for and styling outfits is how to dress something up or wear it casually. One of my favorite examples of this is halter tops. Halter tops, pretty much no matter the pattern, are the perfect top to have in your wardrobe; when worn in the summer with shorts or a casual skirt, they’re the picturesque summer Pinterest outfit, and you can wear the same top out to dinner with dress pants, a maxi skirt, or even jeans if that’s what you consider fancy, and it becomes a completely different outfit. Especially when packing for trips and keeping in mind the multiple locations you’re probably traveling to every day, it’s so much easier to transition through activities when you have an outfit that also easily transitions to fit the vibe of the hour. When I went to Paris over spring break, I was pretty nervous about competing with upscale Parisian fashion, but I think in most places a good jacket, a cute pair of jeans, a neutral top, and a skirt are all you need.
So don’t leave the store regretting what you’ve purchased, and don’t buy something just because it looks cute on the mannequin because, at the end of the day, that’s how you end up complaining about having nothing to wear, even with a closet full of clothes.
