Stop Threatening To Burn Everything in Your Closet. (5 Tips for Updating Your Wardrobe on the Cheap)

This entry was posted on April 23, 2012, in Blog Posts. and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 58 Comments

We’ve all had that feeling. That feeling you get in the pit of your stomach, when you walk into your closet and realize you have nothing to wear. That immense sense of dread you get knowing that you’ll have to wear the same blue top you always wear, because it’s the only thing in your closet that you still think looks good. Up until recently, I would freak out about the lack of clothes in my wardrobe at least once a month(well to me it felt like once a month, but I’m sure my Boyfriend would beg to differ). Unfortunately, do to my lack of  finances, I’ve had to become pretty creative when it comes to updating my wardrobe, and I’ve got to say, I’m really falling in love with my closet! Here are 5 Tips that I’ve found truly help update your wardrobe inexpensively:

1. Clean It Up- You need to clean out your closet. I’m not talking about making sure all your clothes are in there and not all over your room, I mean a good old deep closet cleaning! I cannot begin to tell you how many pieces of clothing I found when I did this! My favorite leather jacket that I thought I lost in the move from NYC? I found it tucked in a Forever 21 bag, IN A SUITCASE, in my closet. I cannot stress the importance of this!

2. Mix and Match– Put pieces together that you wouldn’t normally think to. For example, I have a pair of combat boots that I’m super in love with. Now that I’m back in Florida, I wear them all the time with shorts. It beats the old Target flip-flops any day. Don’t over think it, we’re not re-inventing the wheel here. lol. Just try pairing some of your favorites together and see what you come up with.

3. Don’t Underestimate the Power of Jewelry– I am completely obsessed with jewelry. When I was living in NYC I worked for a couture jewelry company called COOMI. It was there that my love of jewelry turned into a full blown passion! The great thing about jewelry is that you can get it relatively cheap and that it updates ANY outfit. I can’t live without costume jewelry! I search for great costume jewelry where ever I go. Some of my favorite pieces I’ve gotten from my grandmom’s jewelry box. Very few pieces are funkier than vintage. I also love to check thrift stores for costume jewelry. Just the other day I picked up these clip-on earrings for $3 at a local thrift shop.

4. Have a Clothing Swap with Your Lady Friends– I know for a fact almost all of my girlfriends hate more than half of the clothes they own. Why not host a Clothing Exchange party at your house? Have them bring all of the clothes they hate clean and folded, open up a couple of bottles of wine, and start swapping! Remember “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”!

5. DIY- This tip is the hardest for me to follow, but I know it would make my life so much easier in the long run. Do. IT. Yourself. Summer’s coming and you need some shorts? Cut your old pair of jeans into a pair of shorts. I had a friend who would redye all of her black clothing whenever it would start to fade. Get creative. Nothing’s hotter than wearing something you yourself created.

Hopefully these tips will help you fall in love with your closet! Does anyone have any tips they’d like to add?

Happy Monday!

58 thoughts on “Stop Threatening To Burn Everything in Your Closet. (5 Tips for Updating Your Wardrobe on the Cheap)”

  7. I have enjoyed immensely reading your blog. As a writer I know you will understand if I am absent from making comments for a couple of months. I have two books I’m writing and the push is on to get them finished…so with only 24 hours in the day, I am going to continue to read and like, but my comments will be limited to replies for those who comment on my blog…thanks for the grace.

    Be encouraged!

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  9. Thanks so much for the tips! As another financially challenged (yet constantly pursuing retail therapy), this is a lot of help to me lol. However, I’ve been trying to purchase a couple cheaper goods (plain shirts, tanks, etc. to layer with) and seeing what I can mix and match with what I already have. I could definitely use an upgrade in the jewlery department… I cleaned out everything I had and ended up getting rid of so much 😦

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    • I love layering things. Mixing old with new is always good! As far as the jewelry goes, a great place to start is a thrift store, or Forever 21. They have tons of fun jewelry for cheap!

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  10. Love it! It’s amazing what you can find in a thrift store and mom’s jewelry box! I love the clothing swap idea 😉

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    • Aww thanks Sarah! Be sure to tell me what awesome things you get on your next thrift store excursion. I love shopping at those places because its like a treasure hunt. There’s a ton of trash, but every now and then you come across a piece of treasure!

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  13. Great tips! I don’t know that I’ll find a leather jacket tucked away in my closet, but I love the idea of pairing items you might not normally pair. Also, you’re rocking that haircut and those earrings. : )

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  15. Really great ideas! My friends and I were just talking about a clothing swap because some of us have out grown things, tired of them or don’t have room for them any more so we figured we’d pass them around. Heck it’s no different than going to a consignment shop. 🙂

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  17. Clothing swaps are GREAT. I had a friend that just hosted one and she walked away with all sorts of great stuff. Free! Just for cleaning out her closet. I’m thinking about hosting one soon too. What better way to get some great new summer duds?

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  20. Accessories do wonders to any old closet of clothes. I hate standing in front of my closet with no clue of what I should wear. This sounds really dorky, but I try on potential outfits on the weekends so I know what I should wear Monday-Friday to work. I make a list so I don’t forget and it saves me a ton of frustration early on my weekday mornings.

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    • Thanks for coming to my site:) and that’s not dorky at all, that is brilliant! I hate being up early so anything I can do to make picking out an outfit easier, I’ll totally do it!

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  25. Love love love!! What great ideas! I feel a little bit cautious of doing the clothes swap but so many people have suggested it – so shall try it! I’m in the middle of turning a dress into a skirt which I guess is similar to the jeans into shorts idea 🙂

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  26. If you really want to get creative, learn a hobby, like crocheting, and then.. well there are a million free patterns online, and yarn can be incredibly cheap. I think a good crochet hook is maybe 2 dollars. There are a lot of places to get information for free, like the internet or libraries, some libraries even often free classes for people.

    If you don’t want to do that, you can often take your clothes in to a consignment shop, or anyplace that takes clothes in for money, and they will usually give you at least store credit. I picked up some great clothes for giving them the things I didn’t want anymore.

    I have a couple of long skirts that I wear in the winter as skirts, they have a layered look to them, so no one looks askance when I wear them as strapless sundresses with a belt cinched around my waist.

    I have to say, accessories are a must. It doesn’t have to be jewelry, could be a scarf, could be a bauble, a pair of hair clips, anything that you like. I re-purpose lots of things, from buttons that fall off of my shirts to make my own hair clips (if they are interesting) to bits of yarn that I have crocheted into balls and strung together. You can even use paper to make beads, all you need is a little paper-mache or even just glue. The possibilities are endless!

    Thanks for writing this post, btw. I like it a lot, and you have a bunch of great ideas to share around.

    Reply

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