It’s a new season which means we are all taking a look of our wardrobe and seeing what needs to be updated, added or replaced and I am all about doing this but with a plan. Here is everything I ask myself and do before deciding what to purchase next in my wardrobe.
- How Much Are You Wanting to Update?– This is the biggest question you should start with after you have had a hard look at your closet. Have you hit a point in your life where you realize that a good amount of your wardrobe no longer matches the person you are? Do you just need to update a few key pieces? Invest in key items so you no longer are repurchasing them over and over again? If you can come up with a percentage of how much you are wanting to update this is a good place to start.
- What Do You Currently Own?– If you don’t rotate your closet every season I highly encourage you to begin to do so as it obligates you to take a look at every single piece you own when you are putting it away or placing it in your closet for the new season. Take a look at what you currently have and stay with what you know you will wear vs what you think you will wear. I tell you what, after being locked up at home for so long I am only keeping the items I look forward to wearing when we can begin to go out again.
- Can What You Own Now Be Repurposed?- While you are looking at your clothes think of ways you can repurpose some of the items you are thinking of getting rid of. Can you get it tailored to fit you perfectly? Can you die it, cut it, sew it to become something new? Can you use it for other things like t-shirts as cleaning rags or reusable produce bags? The options of what you can do to your clothes are endless with the internet. Not to mention you can always give your clothes/items to a family member or friend, I love seeing my pieces get another life with people I know.
- What Is Your Budget?– The biggest thing when we start to think of all the pieces we want when adding to our wardrobe is how much am I willing to spend to make this happen? Of course creating a Pinterest board of everything you want is great but have you ever stopped and listed out every single item and the estimated cost per item and seen that grand total? I tell you what, I did this and my list of all the things I thought I wanted went down to more than half when I realized how much I would have to spend to achieve the “perfect wardrobe”. So I highly encourage you to look at that Pinterest board and line by line on an excel sheet jot down each item and the max price you are willing to spend, then research that item to see what the average cost of it really is. This really helps put things in perspective.
- How Do You Plan to Save for Your Budget?– Just like everyone out there, I love a good deal and you best believe I find all the deals when updating my wardrobe. But I am a firm believer in never breaking the bank in order to do so and I have found a few ways to make sure that everything I buy I either have already made extra money to pay it off or have a plan to. One of my ultimate goals when updating wardrobe pieces to make sure it never comes fully from my salary. So what does this mean? It means that not only put a little aside to my upcoming purchases but I look at my expenses and cut back where I can to have a little extra and I have other ways to bring in extra money. One of the things that I encourage everyone to do is to sell what you do not need or want that is in good condition. I do this myself and whatever I make from this goes to pay for any items I may be purchasing for my wardrobe. Pre covid, I also would babysit and that also helped me in saving for my new wardrobe expenses. Honestly, there are so many ways to make a little extra cash now that this is one I think everyone can do if time is permitting.
- Make a Priority List– It is easy to want all the newest and greatest but what can you actually wait for and what would you prefer to get sooner rather than later? I like to create a list of all the things I want to update, purchase or add to my wardrobe but as time goes on I check back on my list and some items tend to come off because I realize that maybe I don’t actually want that item anymore and the ones I truly want stay on. I also divide my list into season and list in order which ones are my priority along with how much I am willing to spend on them. This way I know on average how much I need to save to reach each key item or all if I wanted that as well.
- What Is Your Timeline?– I know we can all fall into wanting to update everything right now for this season because we are seeing so many people shop and show what they are finding but it is important to remember what you can and can’t do, basically know what lane you need to stay in. I know that some items I want I can wait for to go on sale because it is not at the top of my list or there are some items that I know I need to get soon because my size in the style I want may sell out (like my camel coat I recently got). Realistically if you are wanting to update everything as soon as possible and you have a long list it is going to cost you a pretty penny but if you don’t “have” to buy them all at once and some items stay on your list you may be able to find them on sale in the future and use them at a further date.
- Where Do You Plan To Shop?– I’m sure you already have your favorite stores that you know you exact sizes in but are you ok with purchasing that brand used? If you know that some items you may need to get new vs what you are ok buying used this can help when you look to shop. Are you ok with buying second had from local thrift stores or online ones like Poshmark or Thredup? Can you narrow the stores/brands you want to shop to 5 or 10? Having a game plan of this and knowing the quality of brands will help you when deciding where to shop and who knows you may discover a brand or 2 you love along the way too.
- Can Someone Help You?- We all have that friend or family member that finds the best deals and just has the eye or luck when it come to finding things in general. Ask that person for help or to keep x item in mind that you are on the hunt for because they might have more luck or time in finding it before you do. Also, don’t forget about those friends that you can share a closet with! Don’t have any shame in asking if they are ever getting rid of an x item in their closet to keep you in mind because I myself have gotten clothes from friends and have gifted my clothes to friends and family.
I really help this post can help you when considering updating even if it is just a few pieces in your wardrobe as I myself have become more cautious of what all I own.
Snapshots by Le’Annie
As always, thank you for reading. Como siempre, gracias por leer.
