5 Tips to Help You Better Curate Your Dream Closet
During my last pregnancy I found myself suddenly obsessed with curating my closet. Something about being in my late twenties with two children made me realize that I'm not in college anymore and I don't want to dress like I am.
I spent hours on all of the sites, saving outfits that I thought were "my style," which is honestly still very much in progress. A few months after he was born I started purchasing items to make my fashion Pinterest dreams come true and a weird thing happened.
These outfits that I had envisioned for myself that I now owned? I didn't wear them and found myself not wanting to wear them.
I have spent some time reflecting on the mistakes I made by trying to follow fashion bloggers and have a few tips for you to avoid those same errors and really make your Pinterest dreams come true.
1 | Pay attention to the body that is wearing the outfit, you think that you want.
This seems so obvious to me now, but when I was in the thick of it and saw an outfit I liked I just pinned it without much examination. Then when I actually owned the outfit, it didn't look right.
Turns out that some of the women who were inspiring my outfits are significantly smaller in weight and stature than myself. If I had taken the time to do some digging then I would have realized that.
The moral of the story is that what looks good on this blogger or instagramer may not look good on me because we may be two very different body types. Spend some time to find someone who is built more like you and you will be more likely to find shapes of clothing that will fit similarly.
2 | Figure out which colors you look good in!
Some people can really pull off neons and pastels. I like those colors, but I am not one of those people who looks great in any of the above.
One of the best things that I did was to sit down and figure out what colors I am attracted to and what "season" I think I might be. If you're interested in playing around with seasons then I really like this chart.
I'm fairly certain that I'm a Soft Autumn and a Soft Summer, (neutral skin tone ya'll!) but I still love me some black. I'm a firm believer that you should ultimately wear the colors that you feel the best in. Black makes me feel like a grown up so I'm not leaving it behind, however, knowing what colors flatter me influences the rest of my outfit. I try to work in those colors in my completer pieces (cardigans, jackets), accessories and shoes.
I'm fairly certain that I'm a Soft Autumn and a Soft Summer, (neutral skin tone ya'll!) but I still love me some black. I'm a firm believer that you should ultimately wear the colors that you feel the best in. Black makes me feel like a grown up so I'm not leaving it behind, however, knowing what colors flatter me influences the rest of my outfit. I try to work in those colors in my completer pieces (cardigans, jackets), accessories and shoes.
3 | Try out different sizes.
If you find something you like then try it out in your size and one size larger and smaller. I originally started doing this because I saw a picture a blogger somewhere posted showing the differences in each size. I wish I could find it! She was normally one size in shirts, but the fit of the smaller size looked so much more polished on her.
Sizing between brands and even within brands is not super consistent. You may just find that you prefer the look of the larger or smaller size. In the past I would have just written off the item as not for me, but maybe it could have worked!
Sizing between brands and even within brands is not super consistent. You may just find that you prefer the look of the larger or smaller size. In the past I would have just written off the item as not for me, but maybe it could have worked!
4 | Don't be afraid to think outside the box.
You do not have to buy the exact same pieces that someone else is wearing. When trying to recreate an outfit try to figure out what it is that you like about the outfit. That is what you should be trying to recreate.
For example this pin, this pin, and then this pin made me examine my closet and put together this outfit:
For example this pin, this pin, and then this pin made me examine my closet and put together this outfit:
What I liked about the first pin was that is felt kind of edgy and cool to me. What I liked about the second pin was the monochromatic color scheme with a random burst of color in the accessories. What I like about the last pin was the mixing of patterns. I took all of those things I liked in those three outfits and created an outfit I feel pretty awesome in. By the way, my shoes were green.
5 | Take pictures.
When you are wearing an outfit you love have someone take a picture of you. When you are wearing something that you don't quite feel right in, have someone take a picture.
When you do this you can start to actually see what it is that makes the outfit work and what can be done to improve it. You start to realize what colors and silhouettes make you look awesome.
On the flip-side when you are wearing something that doesn't feel quite right and you aren't quite sure why you can compare it with those outfits that make you feel like a boss. Many times you can quickly figure out what the issue is. For example:
There are so many issues with this outfit. The shoes are just the beginning! There is no structure to the top, cardigan combo. I should have at least done some sort of tucking with that top. I needed a longer necklace to make it interesting.
Some things you can't see that I have since realized about myself? I hate sweaters with buttons. This sweater is also super itchy, so I feel uncomfortable. That shirt was tight in the shoulders. Also, it turns out I prefer infinity scarves.
I still have this sweater, because I like the color, but as soon as I find a similarly hued cardigan it's out of here. All of this to say that you may feel silly taking pictures of yourself in clothes, but with time you will feel more sure of yourself and your style.
I like to think that in the long run doing all of these things will save me some serious time and money, but that's still just a theory that is yet to be officially proven at this point.
I like to think that in the long run doing all of these things will save me some serious time and money, but that's still just a theory that is yet to be officially proven at this point.
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