BUILDING A WARDROBE YOU LOVE PART 3~ MAKE A LIST

We're on the home stretch of Building a Wardrobe You Love! We've cleaned our closets, we're Pin-spired...so now it's time to go shopping!!! Woo Hooo! For the record- I used to HATE shopping. Hate it. I can't pinpoint exactly why--i think partly because I found it more fun to shop for kid's clothes...partly because post-3 babies I didn't feel great about my body....and partly because I just didn't know what to BUY!!

Although I can't help you so much with the first two....I am going to try to guide you in the right direction with the "not knowing what to buy" part.

I think most of us go shopping, see things we like and buy them without really thinking in terms of building a wardrobe...or how the pieces we buy fit in with the other items in our closets. In the past year, if I find a piece of clothing I love, I ask myself, "Can I make at least 3-5 outfits with this item?" If the answer is no, I rarely make the purchase. Now that I'm getting older, I really feel "less is more." I want a smaller amount of items, but I want all of those things to be items I LOVE and that are versatile pieces in my closet.

 Now, before I give out the "shopping list," it comes with some caveats:

~ DO NOT get hung up on the EXACT items I post pictures of. This "list" is all about Building a Wardrobe you Love. Make it your own! I am purposely not putting links to items because you don't need these exact items!! I am just trying to give you a ROUGH idea of what "printed pants" or "sneakers" might look like. If you really want to know where a particular item is from, just leave a comment or email me!

~ Switch it up! Look at this list as I rough outline of things needed to build a wardrobe.  The goal is the build a wardrobe of clothes that are practical for your lifestyle and that you can mix and match with each other. If you don't like a particular item, no worries! But just note, that even if you've never owned or thought about owning a certain item, think about trying it out or getting Pinspired. Change happens when you can go outside your comfort zone :)

~ The items I list are targeted toward an on-the-go-mom/gal--casual and comfy.  Some items are also appropriate for a business casual environment and other more dressy events such as date night. Feel free to just use the list as a building block, adding in more casual or dressy items that fit your lifestyle.

~ These items are skewed for a Spring wardrobe, but many of them can also be worn all 4 seasons. I will post updated lists by season when the time comes :)

~ Building a wardrobe takes TIME. Don't expect to run out and find everything all at once. Hold out to find items that fit well and that you truly LOVE. And the good news is, you probably have many of these items already in your closet!

~ In upcoming posts, I will show you how to mix and match these items to make a TON of outfits! You discover that you definitely don't need "a lot" to make a great wardrobe. 

JEANS & PANTS

• Dark Wash Jeans ~ A great pair of good fitting dark wash jeans will serve you throughout the year. They can easily be dressed up or down and are a wardrobe staple in my opinion. Skinny, straight leg, boot cut...whatever flatters your figure and makes you feel great!

• Other Jeans ~ These can be any other pair of jeans that you love, that you can see yourself wearing a lot. There are a zillion styles to choose from--boot cut, straight leg, skinny, distressed, cropped....sky's the limit. Find a pair that fits well and that are super comfy. 

• Colored jeans or pants ~ Colored jeans and pants had their hey day a couple of years ago, but you can still pull them off now and still be totally on trend. Having a pair of non-neutral pants in your closet really opens up so many more outfit possibilities! If this is your first pair of colored pants, choose a pair that is more of a muted color, such as the "red" ones below. If colored pants still scare you, opt for more neutral tones such as sage green, grey and my personal fave, white! (is white a color? can't remember what the research says about that one!)

• Printed jeans or pants ~ Printed pants scare you more than colored pants, don't they?? Don't worry, they scared me too. Although you aren't going to fill your closet with printed pants, having a pair around can really add some spice and interest to your wardrobe. Did you see how many ways you can wear camo pants in last week's post?? The black dot ones on the left would be great for an office or business casual setting. If you don't believe me, use your Pin-spired skills from last week and start searching for camo pants or printed pants outfits!

• Black pants/jeans ~ Wardrobe staple, no? The key to this is finding the right pair to fit your lifestyle. If you need more work appropriate pants, opt for a dressier pair that are not denim. If you just plan to wear them as "everyday" pants, choose a "chino" or denim material. Again, fit is everything. Find a pair you LOVE--you will wear them again and again.

TOPS

Sky's the limit with tops. It's nice to have a wide variety of tops in your closet that will pair well with the bottoms you choose (above). When shopping for tops, it's really important to ask, "Can I pair this top with at least 3 bottoms in my closet?"

1. Striped Top:A striped top (or ten, in my case) is a wardrobe staple. It can turn a simple "jeans and tee" outfit into something a little bit more special. Striped tops are essential!

2. Solid tees: Great fitting, solid color tees are the perfect building block. You can jazz them up with great accessories such as a necklace or scarf. Never underestimate a perfect fitting tee. They are my go-to's for sure! (remember, I'm a jeans and tee kinda gal)

3. Printed blouse: A printed blouse is a great piece because you can pair it with colored bottoms, jeans or black pants. A nice blouse paired with jeans is a perfect for a night out with the gals or a casual date night. If your lifestyle is super casual like mine is, look for blouses with no collar for a more relaxed, casual look.

4. Solid blouse: Ditto of above. I recommend a nice black or ivory that can be dressed up or down.

5. Printed tops/tees: Go crazy here! Choose tops and tees that fit well and insert your own personal style! I happen to love graphic tees! Printed tops/tees are easy to pair with colored bottoms or shorts.

6. Button downs: I'm not the biggest button down fan, but I am coming around! They are great on their own, or as a layering piece. My personal faves are chambray and gingham (gingham is HUGE this spring!), but you can also find a cute printed one or even a plain white one. If the traditional "button-down" look bugs you, look for a "popover" style shirts or shirts without a collar.

SHOES

Girls, we can never have enough shoes. However, I absolutely love my shoe collection because I wear almost every single pair...often!!! I love having an arsenal of comfy, neutral shoes.

1. Neutral Flats: Comfy flats can turn a frumpy outfit into a classy outfit. Jeans, tee and tennis shoes=major frump. Jeans, a tee and flats....pulled together and comfy! I LOVE my nude flats and wear them all the time! Leopard is also a neutral (FYI) and are the most worn shoes in my closet!

2. Cognac/Tan Flat Sandals: My faves for spring and summer! Find ones that are comfy and easy to put on....ain't nobody got time to sit and deal with buckling straps! These are the perfect, classy alternative to your flip flops!

3. Cute Flip Flops: Speaking of flip flops, I can't diss them because flip flops are literally my best friend in the summer! If you can find slightly dressy, "blingy" ones, it will just take your whole outfit up a (small) notch.

4. Sneakers: I cannot tell you how much I am LOOOVING the sneaker trend! They are the absolute perfect shoe for busy gals who also want to look slightly "on trend" yet comfy. I will profess my Converse love until the day I die, but Toms or slip on sneakers also have my heart :) Don't worry...if you are barfing right now at the thought of sneakers, I TOTALLY hear you! That was me, too! Try some on...they'll grow on you...to the point you'll want to be buried in them...trust me :)

5. Wedges (optional): A pair of neutral wedges are great to add to your shoe collection for more "dressy" occasions. I LOVE my Toms wedges because they are slightly dressy, but comfy and functional.

FINISHING OR LAYERING PIECES

Whatever you want to call them, the purpose of these pieces is two-fold-- they can add warmth and that extra layer you need on cooler spring mornings. And also, they can add a little interest and depth to your outfit.

1. Plain cardis: To me, a cardigan can pull an entire outfit together. There is just something about a good-fitting cardigan that just says, "Yep, I'm classy, yet casual and I got this under control." (maybe I'm the only one who hears their cardigans talking to them...i should probably get that checked out...)

2.  Jean Jacket: Gotta have it. Find a lightweight, great fitting one and it will take you to the moon and back! You can pair it with your colored jeans, printed pants, maxi skirts and dresses, shorts, you name it! My distressed jean jacket might be the most worn item in my closet.

3. Lightweight vest (optional): I love my military-style vest. I wear it with everything from jeans to shorts. Peruse Pinterest if you are on the fence about a vest. It can definitely add some spice and interest to your wardrobe.

4.  Casual Blazer or Cropped Jacket (optional): Again, if you are having trouble picturing yourself wearing this, consult Pinterest. Shop for a jersey-knit blazer for a casual "throw-on-with jeans"-type feel. It will definitely take jeans up a few notches. With blazers, fit is KEY! Look for one that hits right at your waist and that isn't too long...otherwise it's frump-central.

SKIRTS & DRESSES

I recommend 1-2 of the following:

1. Maxi skirt (striped or solid)
2. Maxi dress
3. Short cotton dress (solid, stripe, etc)

These dresses/skirts are a nice alternative to your jeans and pants, yet don't sacrifice comfort in any way! One of my favorite outfits is a short jersey dress, jean jacket and sneakers!

ACCESSORIES

I didn't use to be a proponent of accessories at all! I thought my money was better spent buying items of clothing. Boy, was I wrong! I came to realize that accessories are a KEY component in making a simple outfit into something special. On any day when I look at my closet and think "I have nothing to wear," I almost ALWAYS turn to jeans, great fitting tee and a scarf. OR jeans, a great fitting tee and a long necklace. Simple to special. Or as I like to say, "drab to fab." :)

Go crazy with accessories! But if you don't know where to begin, here's the short list:

1. Solid and Printed Scarves: Simple, inexpensive way to amp up any outfit! Look for scarves that coordinate with other items in your closet. Again, the essential question of, "Does it go with at least 3 other items in my closet?"

2. Long Necklace: LOVE long necklaces! They elongate your torso (score!!) and add just the perfect "pulled together" touch without being fussy. Layer them under your scarves like in the 4th picture in this post.

3. Gold or silver dangly earrings: Jeans, tee, nice dangly earrings just says "I made an effort." I wear my gold or silver ones almost daily!

4. Watch: I didn't use to be a "watch" person (who wears a watch when they can just check the time on their phone??!). But I finally got one and now I can't live without it! It's functional (apparently it tells time) and beautiful (i got a blingy one). It's the perfect accessory. Mine is Fossil and great quality-- I got it for less than $50 at Nordstrom Rack. It will last forever.

5. Small, Dainty Necklace: Love these for layering and just that "feminine" look.

6. Statement Necklace: You get a lotta bling for your buck here! I love simple outfits and a statement necklace. Again, it can take jeans and a tee from "drab to fab." :)

Ok, girls..who's ready to shop 'til they drop??!!! Once you have these basic items in your closet, they make great building blocks for adding in more trendy pieces later on. If you buy good quality items and take care of them, they should last at least a few years...hopefully more!!

The last installment of the Building a Wardrobe You Love Series is next week! The topic is "Shopping Mistakes." My misfortune will be your gain because Lord knows I have made TONS of shopping mistakes!!

In case you missed the last two posts in the Building a Wardrobe You Love series, you can find them here:

Part One: The Two-Step Closet Purge

Part Two: Getting Pin-Spired!

Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook, HERE.

You can also follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE. 

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Linking up with a few of my favorite blogs: Get Your Pretty On,  The Pleated Poppy, Because Shanna Said So, Jo-Lynn Shane, A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love, Momfessionals, Tucker Up, Happiness at Midlife, More Pieces of Me , On The Daily Express, Fizz &Frosting,
Rhea Et Cetera & I Do deClaire, Style Elixir

BUILDING A WARDROBE YOU LOVE PART 2: GET PIN-SPIRED!

 Welcome to Part 2 of the Building a Wardrobe You Love series! Last week we cleaned out our closets using the Two-Step Closet Purge. This week, it's is all about Getting Inspired! Just a reminder, here is the list of upcoming posts:

 Soooo let's get inspired...or should I say, PIN-spired!!

I can't tell you how many times I've said, " I don't know what I did before Pinterest!" Any aspect of my life where I need some bright ideas, from teaching to Sunday School to recipes to crafts to how to unshrink clothes--all I have to do is type in my search on Pinterest and 99% of the time, I can find an amazing idea...or ten!

One of the main things I have been using Pinterest for in the past year has been outfit ideas. See, I am not a very creative person by nature. I need a little jump start and then I can "make something better." But I need some inspiration to get the creative juices flowing if you catch my drift. Pinterest comes in soooo handy for this!!!

 Here are some ways to get style and outfit inspiration from Pinterest:

1. One Piece: Take a piece of clothing in your closet that you love. For instance, a striped shirt. I'm using that example, because it IS one of my Classic Casual Wardrobe Staples! Type in "striped shirt" or "striped tee" into Pinterest. Bam--I bet you can Pin at least 10 different outfit ideas. Some of these ideas you may have never thought of, such as mixing stripes and florals!

Also, remember last week when I talked about that piece of clothing that you love, but have no idea how to wear it? This is the perfect opportunity to type that item into the Pinterest search bar and get inspired to wear the item again!

2. One Season: If I just want some fresh ideas, but don't really have any certain pieces of clothing or a style in mind, search by season to get outfit ideas by that season. I just type in "Fall Outfits" or "Spring Outfits" or "Casual fall outfits."

Here a two "fall" outfits I Pinned that I made my own:

3. Color Combinations: When you are browsing through outfits on Pinterest, look for color combinations or patterns that appeal to you, too. I have found several color combinations I liked on Pinterest that I never would have thought of on my own. My latest fave is black, brown and grey! That was all from Pinterest!

This black, brown and grey color combo...

 ... inspired this outfit. My outfit looks nothing like the Pinterest outfit, but I was just looking at the colors of black, brown and grey. Then I worked with the items I had in my closet.

I saw this Pinterest collage and learned that I LOVE burgundy and mustard (yellow)!

Again, this Pinterest outfit looks nothing like the one I created, but I just realized coral and leopard were awesome together!

4. Unexact: You don't have to follow the Pinterest picture exactly (please don't, you'll go broke buying clothes!). Just keep an eye out for "looks" you like and use similar items in your closet. I typically find an outfit that I really like, then make it my own by using whatever I have in my closet.

Here I liked the idea of polka dots, leopard and a vest--but I used the leopard in the scarf vs. in the shoes. Little changes like that--just make it your own!

Hope this helps you get Pin-spired to put together some new outfits! I think you'll discover you have a lot more in your closet than you think!

You can follow any of my boards on Pinterest, HERE.  You can also Pin any of the pictures on this page (or in any post)--just hover over the picture and click the "Pin It" icon in the middle of the photo.

Happy Pinning!!!

Next week is a big week!! I'll talk about making a shopping list of spring items and give you a basic "wardrobe building list." See ya back here soon!

In case you missed the first part of the Building a Wardrobe You Love series, you can find it HERE.

Don't forget to like A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook by clicking HERE


Linking up with some of my favorite blogs: Get Your Pretty On,  The Pleated Poppy
 and Because Shanna Said So, Jo-Lynn Shane, A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love Momfessionals,  Happiness at Midlife & Pinterest Told Me To

 

BUILDING A WARDROBE YOU LOVE PART 1 ~ THE TWO-STEP CLOSET PURGE

Don't worry, you're at the right place...in case you didn't notice, the blog got a much needed facelift! I'm continuing to work on little things, but for the most part, I'm hoping this cleaner format makes it easier to navigate. Although I kept my blogger URL of 7+ years (therooneyfamily.blogspot.com), I did change the overall name of the blog to A Little Bit of Cheer. You can read more about that on the updated About Me page! I hope you enjoy the new format!

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Welcome to Wardrobe Wednesday! I'm so excited to start this 4-part series on Building a Wardrobe You Love. I basically rebuilt my wardrobe after my third (and most likely LAST) kiddo. I realized I had lots of frumpy clothes and just few items that I liked that I wore over and over and over. As I've said before, my goal has always been just to be able to walk out the door looking "put together." Nothing fancy over here! So I worked on putting together a closet of clothes that did just that. Over the next 4 posts, I'll share with you what I learned and hopefully give you some ideas on how you can build a great closet of clothes that you love!

Here's the schedule of posts:

Let's get this party started!!!

BUILDING A WARDROBE PART 1: 

THE TWO-STEP CLOSET PURGE

Cleaning out your closet. That might give you goosebumps, but it's an ESSENTIAL step to building a wardrobe you love. You need to know what you have. Below is my two-step method for doing it. PLEASE make sure you have plenty of time to complete this task. It's not a 30 minute job. It will involve piles of clothes everywhere and lots of trying clothes on...so pick a couple of hours on a rainy day, crank up the tunes and go to town! It's actually pretty darn fun (not to mention liberating!!) once you get started!

STEP 1 ~ PILES OF CLOTHES

Begin by creating 5 piles:

• Keep 
• Donate/give away 
• Sell/Consign 
• Tailor 
• Out of season or "later"

Let's go over what each of these mean:

• Keep ~ These are items of clothing that you LOVE. They look good on you. They fit. They make you feel good. Hopefully you have a few of these!

• Donate/give away ~ These are the clothes that no longer fit, they are outdated or maybe just make you feel blah. Find a good charity, church organization or friend and pass them along! One girl's trash can be another's treasure :)

• Sell/Consign ~ These are clothes that are name brand, still in style, but just don't work for you. Check out the website Twice--they send you a giant bag, you put your stuff in it, mail it back and they send you an offer within a week or so. They don't pay much but it's so easy and a few extra bucks will help you buy some new accessories or a cute scarf or something :) If you don't want to bother with selling, you can donate these items also.

• Tailor ~ This is huge!! Many people don't think about taking their ill-fitting clothes to get a little nip-tuck from the local dry cleaner lady! You take your ill-fitting items in and a few days later you have a perfectly tailored item. Maybe you have some pants that are too long or that have a gap in the back or sag in the butt--that can be easily taken care of at the tailor for about $12. I have even had sweaters tailored so they fit me perfectly! These are items that you LOVE and are still in good shape, but something about the fit is off. Most of the time, getting items tailored is a lot cheaper than replacing the item.

• Out of Season or "Later" ~ I store all of my seasonal clothes out of sight. This way, I'm not looking at cable knit sweaters in July and jean shorts in January. "Later" simply means you love the item but maybe you're trying to lose that extra 10 lbs so they'll fit. No worries. Just put them away until the time comes to bring them back out! I really like looking at my closet and just seeing clothes that I can work with. No need for those "skinny girl" jeans to be staring at me when I can't wear them. I store my out of season or "later" clothes in one of those big plastic tubs on my top closet shelf.

STEP 2 ~ HANG EVERYTHING & ORGANIZE

Stand back and admire your hard work....Now that you have your pile of clothes that fit and make you feel great ("keep" pile), it's time to hang them all up. I hang pretty much all of my clothes with the exception of shorts and lounge/workout clothes. One of the keys of being able to work with your wardrobe and create outfits, is being able to SEE everything available to you. If you want to invest in those cute "huggable" hangers and be super cute about it, more power to you! I haven't gotten that far yet.

However you want to organize is up to you! I tried organizing by color like some people suggest and that was just straight-up annoying! Now I just pair like items together--long sleeved shirts, tee shirts, pants, outwear, etc. Nothing fancy.

Now, let me go over a few closet-cleaning pitfalls that we all fall into when deciding which items to keep vs. give away/sell/donate...

Pitfall #1: "I paid good money for that!" Just because you paid a lot of money for an item of clothing years ago doesn't mean it fits or makes you feel good NOW. Also, just because something is expensive doesn't mean you'll wear it. Some of the least expensive items in my closet, I wear over and over again! Remember The Striped Dress...and The Green Shirt??! Hellllloooo! If the item doesn't fit and make you feel good when you wear it, get rid of it. That's the bottom line. #letitgo

Pitfall #2: "I've had that {insert item here} forever!!" Again, just because you've had something "forever" doesn't mean it looks good on you. Old, ripped denim capri pants come to mind as I think about my old closet! Notice I said RIPPED, not "distressed"--"distressing" is cool, "ripped" just means I wore them so much they are now torn up and gross! Yes, I may have sentimental value for those size 00 capris, but I had to get over it. Again, #letitgo

Pitfall #3: "That was the {insert item here} I wore when we got engaged or {insert other sentimental event here}!" I'm not trying to trash all of your sentimental items and ask you to let go of these special pieces, even if they don't fit. Some people have items from a deceased family member or items they wore at special events that they want to remember. I get it. For items like this, I would put them in the "later" or "out of season" pile or add them to your keepsake collection. They shouldn't be hanging in your closet.

Pitfall #4: Getting rid of too much. I'm a huge proponent of purging items but once in awhile you will have an item that you haven't worn in awhile, but it looks great on you and fits well. Maybe you just don't know how to wear it. KEEP IT! We'll talk about these items next week when you "Get Inspired!" In 6 months, if you still haven't worn the item, you can decide whether or not to toss it.

Guess what?? Once you are done with this massive closet cleaning, the hard part is over. Really. Now comes the FUN!! The most fun is "Getting Inspired!" Stayed tuned next week for that!!!

Will you be purging you closet anytime soon?? What are your tips and tricks for cleaning out your closet??

Linking up with a few of my favorite blogs: Get Your Pretty On,  The Pleated Poppy
 and Because Shanna Said So, Jo-Lynn Shane, A Little Bit of Everything, Grace and Love Momfessionals & Happiness at Midlife