It all begins with a harmless spark of inspiration…

Maybe you met your most stylish friend for lunch…

Perhaps you spent all morning saving chic outfits on Pinterest….

It’s possible you’re ready for a career switch, so you decide to “dress the part” before actually applying for that job….

No matter what started it, you often end up in the same place: the wardrobe revamp.

Surely, a total overhaul of your closet will be the magical solution to whatever current identity crisis you’re experiencing….right? Wrong.

Despite what the “glow up” gurus tell you, the truth is this: a total wardrobe revamp is never the answer.

In fact, while the allure of a big, bold overhaul might trick you into feeling empowered for a little bit — it’s not going to solve your problems (and it might just make them worse!).

So before you start cleaning out your closet or impulse buying that cart full of new clothes, check out my top tips for overcoming the urge to revamp your wardrobe.

Avoid Using Clothes as a Quick Fix

Being inspired is an extremely important part of uncovering your own personal style! It’s what keeps your wardrobe fresh, cohesive, and relevant to your current lifestyle.

But, sometimes it’s hard to differentiate between helpful inspiration and a much-needed reality check…

A French-inspired capsule wardrobe won’t suddenly make you want to wake up early and drink hot lemon water. There is no closet full of fun, bright outfits that can fast track your dreams of becoming a full-time artist.

If you find yourself imagining that a wardrobe makeover will be a (way more fun) shortcut to working on yourself, then it’s time to press pause. Because while it’s true that looking and feeling good CAN be an excellent motivator, great clothes won’t solve all your problems. By digging deeper and figuring out exactly what you might need in your life right now, you’ll be better equipped to thoughtfully curate a look that (realistically) complements and helps you achieve your goals.

Stay Authentic to Yourself

Are you confident that you aren’t trying to use new clothes as a band-aid solution for something that actually needs a bit more work? Great!

But before you starting piling your current clothes into the donation bin, stop and consider whether the “new look” you’re making room for is actually true to YOU.

It sounds simple, but it’s harder than you think...

Naturally, our identities are constantly shifting - every day we’ll have new thoughts and experiences that change who we are in tiny, sometimes imperceptible, ways. This is a REALLY GOOD THING. Because it means you’re a real, live human who is growing as you go through life, instead of just clinging to old habits out of comfort.

This can, of course, change how you want to look and present yourself to the world, too.

But when you go through these life changes, the excitement and wonder at these new parts of yourself is often accompanied by confusion. It takes time and experience – and most importantly, self-assurance – to navigate the unfamiliarity and find your groove. And, let’s be honest, sometimes it’s way easier to just replicate what someone else is doing or what society expects instead of carving out your own, unique path.

When it comes to your wardrobe, that sometimes means jumping to or settling on clothes that should fit with your new realities, but simply don’t jive with your personal taste or preferences.

If you find yourself shopping with the mindset of “what a mom should wear” or “what a boss would wear,” it’s time to take a step back and consider whether those societally-perceived shoulds match up with your authentic self. Otherwise, you’ll end up rashly revamping your wardrobe only to realize all of these new clothes really don’t feel like you at all!

You won’t be happy with ‘mom-friendly athleisure outfits’ promoted by that cute, bubbly influencer if you usually prefer more structured, heavy fabrics. Likewise, you won’t feel confident in a crisp navy pantsuit if you’re usually more of a flowy dress and fun patterns type of girl.

I believe there is ALWAYS a way to meld your personal style with your lifestyle. The hardest part is resisting fast fashion trends and social media influences that you tell you there is only one good way to be stylish.

Take Stock of What You Have

A few weeks ago, I saw an influencer’s OOTD featuring a chocolate brown vest I fell in love with. I clicked the referral link, added it to my cart, and then I thought about pulling the trigger on that purchase for weeks while I imagined all the outfits I could wear it with.

Then, one day I looked at myself in the mirror and realized: I was wearing a beautiful camel-colored vest. Was it exactly the same as that other vest I’d been pining for? No. But is it close enough that I can save my $80 and still put together those same fun outfits I’d been dreaming up? You betcha!

How often have you bought a new or slightly trendier version of something perfectly good that you already have? (I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve bought a black cardigan, then decided black cardigans aren’t my style and donated it — only to be back shopping for a black cardigan a year later again!).

An impulsive wardrobe overhaul can often lead to these types of wasteful and frustrating buying cycles. When you’re feeling the itch to make a change to your wardrobe, try this exercise first:

Collect some inspo photos of the style you’re feeling inspired by.
Go back through the photos and make a list of a few recurring “themes” from the outfits - maybe it’s the combination of jeans and a jacket, or a certain color palette, or a specific accessorizing technique.
With that list in hand, take a look at your closet with fresh eyes. Find the pieces that already align with these themes that spoke to you. Sure, maybe you don’t have a brown leather jacket, but do you have a black one? Often, you’ll find you have more good options than you realized!
Using what you have, try to re-create similar outfits or looks to your inspo photos. This is a great way to experiment with a new style without spending a dime!

Take Stock of What You Need

Now that you remember you already have some really great clothes to work with (yay!), you can be smarter about spending your precious time and money on adding in any new pieces you may still need.

Usually, when it feels like you have NOTHING to wear, it really means the clothes you have are not matching up with what you need to dress for.

This is a foundational element of a functional wardrobe, and what I call the “Style to Street Standard” in the Distinct Style Club Style Discovery Process:

Most of your wardrobe should be wearable most of the time.

Luckily, it’s pretty easy to implement this rule of thumb into your own closet once you know what to plan for. I break this down into two key pillars – the Lifestyle Analysis and Style Statements & Staples:

Lifestyle Analysis

The Lifestyle Analysis is all about making sure your clothes are functional for how you spend your time.

The balance of your wardrobe must harmonize with the most common activities and occasions in your life.

Do you spend 5% of your time at the gym? Then it makes sense that 5% of your dresser drawer space is stocked with workout clothes. Do you spend 60% of your time in a corporate office? Then at least 60% of your clothes should be able to be worn there. Of course, there can be (and usually is) some overlap between the categories thanks to those all-star versatile clothing pieces that you can wear for many occasions.

Style Statement & Staples

A pantry isn’t made up of meals, it’s made of ingredients. The same is true for your wardrobe: your closet isn’t made up of outfits, it’s made up of clothing pieces.

And each of those articles of clothing, pairs of shoes, and accessories must be able to combine into different types of outfits you need for your lifestyle. You can’t make spaghetti with a can of beans and sugar. You know what I mean?

Therefore, you also need to find balance in your wardrobe pieces:

(1) the staple, or key, pieces that you can build outfits around

(2) the basics that provide the blank canvas; and

(3) the statement, or fun, pieces that spice up your wardrobe

After taking some time to figure out what pieces you need for your lifestyle and what pieces you need to create outfits, you can compare this to your inventory of what you already own.

The “gaps” in your closet should become clear pretty quickly – and most of the time, you’ll realize that filling those gaps strategically will solve your ‘nothing to wear’ problem wayyyyy better than simply loading up a shopping cart with new options!