FashBlog.com

By Brandi Rhoades

You have made a major change in your life. Maybe you just finished college. Maybe you went through a painful divorce. Maybe you finally lost that baby weight. Still, when you head to your closet, you find that you are not happy with anything you see there. Yuck!

There is nothing that speaks to the new you. Here are a few simple steps that will get you on the track to a new wardrobe that you can afford.

The first step is to go through everything that is there. Be honest with yourself. If you cannot remember the last time you wore something, or if you do remember that time two years ago, then toss it. Clothing that has not been worn for a year or longer is in the back of your closet for a reason. It does not fit your style, so do not keep it. Throw out anything that no longer fits, especially if you have lost weight. When you set aside these clothes, put them in two piles: charity and trash.

With the remaining clothes, you will have some decisions to make. Since you are looking to speak to the new you, let us take a closer look at those clothes. Maybe you have plenty of clothes that scream "mommy" from the days when you had toddlers. If you have outgrown that moment in your life, get rid of those clothes. Put them in the same piles as the ones you no longer wear.

Once you have a good set of remaining clothes, which may be whittled down to very few, then you will need to go back to them. If there are any pieces with missing buttons or zippers or that were always a tad bit too long, take those clothes out and fix them! Do not put it off. Sit down today and fix them, or if you are not handy with the sewing machine, put them in the car to take to be fixed. If you continue to put it off, then you will keep letting those clothes take up space.

Now, look at what is left. Take an inventory of what you have. It may indeed seem bleak, particularly if you have changed significantly. There is hope, though, to get a nice wardrobe soon. Compare what you have to what you want your wardrobe to be. Are you looking for something trendier, more chic, more bohemian? Define your new style right now. Then, head out for some shopping.

When you are getting started, you do not want to ignore second-hand boutiques. You can try true thrift stores, such as your local parish's shop, or you can visit consignment shops where you can often find name-brand clothes for little money. Start at these places if you are concerned about your budget because you can get more clothes for your buck here.

The best option when you are starting out is to pick out a few "classic" pieces, or at least classic for your style. If you are going for bohemian, you can pick up a tan broom skirt. If it is the professional look, you may want a pair of black slacks. If you are headed for trendy, try a denim skirt. Pick up some classic tops as well. You should get three or four outfits with these classic pieces.

Now that you have those outfits, get two or three not-so-classic pieces. Go ahead. You know you have had your eye on that ruffled tank top. Pick it up now.

Whew! That part's done. It is time to dress up those classic outfits so that you have a wider variety. The first step is to think about shoes. Let's say you picked up an above the knee black skirt with a plain, white blouse. You can add an orange scarf as a belt or add dangling earrings or add sexy red sandals. So you get the idea. Think accessories. Use hats, belts, earrings, necklaces, and other hot items to make these outfits stand out. You can even get other pieces of clothing to complement this classic wear. People will remember the cute bolero jacket you wore, but they will not recognize the black tank top that was under it.

Once you have dressed up these items, you should be able to stretch the three or four classic items to ten or more outfits that people will not recognize as the same clothing. Do not be afraid to mix and match within the classic pieces as well. If you bought a pair of white pants with thin black pinstripes, for example, they will look different with a black top versus a white top. Keep those changes in mind.

So, you have a new wardrobe now without spending the big bucks. Be happy. Now you can head out in clothes that flaunt the new you instead of reminding you of the old one.