I am typing this post on a gorgeous Spring day after weeks of brutal cold. Don’t feel sorry for me-I was in Australia for almost the entire winter! That said, I got to see a preview of Spring/Summer fashion for 2015 and I think it’s time to share this information to save you time and money shopping for things that you may already have in your closet.
The Shop My Closet Philosophy
When I started my blog I was trying to encourage others and myself to use what we already have and then to creatively and inexpensively tweak our closets/pantries/etc. so that we can look great, eat well, travel, and live our best lives possible by being creative and frugal each time we make a money addition.
But fashion is tricky…
Because our bodies change, our tastes change, and fashion seems to change from year to year. If you have a fairly classic wardrobe I would argue that your fashion expenses should be pretty low and that you should really focus on the “tweaking” part of working your wardrobe from season to season. But, if you like to experiment with color, the cut of your clothing, and change your look then fashion can be challenging.
After my year of not shopping I discovered that NO ONE REMEMBERS WHAT YOU WEAR. I wore the same clothing for a year and people who knew I was doing a no shopping challenge would ask me if I bought something new. Nope. They just forgot that they’d seen what I was wearing several times before.
I would then argue that there really is no need to spend a lot of money refreshing your wardrobe for each season. So, here are some ideas to shop your closet with my Spring/Summer 2015 fashion look book and save some money in the process. You may have one or more of these items already in your home. Don’t spend money when you don’t have to!
**All photos are sourced off of Google Images.
I have included a link for you to follow if you would like to find the original image**
LACE TOPS:
I actually have this exact top in pink. I got it from Magical Goodwill and I love it! I usually pair it with a cute jacket and an infinity scarf during warmer months. Be careful when rocking lace as it’s easy to slide into sleezy. So, just think classy 🙂
OLIVE GREEN or Military Inspired Styles
I have a pair of olive green pants in my clothing drawer from my college days. When I got fat I couldn’t wear them but now I’ve lost weight and I can wear them again! I would normally argue that you should not hold onto clothing that you haven’t worn in days/months/years but I just couldn’t get rid of those pants so now I will rock them this summer.
BOHO CHIC
Nicole Ritchie is the Queen of Hollywood Boho Chic. There is a serious chic hippie vibe going on and if Sydney is anything to go by, the U.S. will be going down the same memory lane this summer. I love the current manifestation of Boho Chic that I’ve seen so far in the past couple of years.
Cuffed and Cute Cotton Shorts
I once mentioned a couple of years ago in a blog post that I hadn’t worn shorts for at least 6 years. I had gained weight and my self-esteem was pretty low. I just couldn’t imagine exposing my legs because they didn’t look like they used to. Then, I went to New Orleans and decided that there was no way in hell that I was going to continue to sweat to death and that I had to get over my self-esteem issues. There will always be someone bigger or smaller than me and I need to get over whatever myself. I’m glad I did. I rocked shorts for the past two months in Australia and Hawaii and my legs thanked me for it. Make sure that you pair these shorter shorts with flats or platform sandals (with an even platform) don’t look hoochie.
And please don’t wear short shorts to work btw. Period. You’re at work.
I like this outfit but don’t love the shoes.
TUNIC DRESSES!!
I absolutely love these. I picked up a stunning one from H & M in Hawaii for $24 dollars and got compliments the first day that I wore it. Again, wear them with flat shoes or flat platforms. Very simple look and easy to look great in it.
Hate the shoes!
MAXI DRESS
Most of us have at least one maxi dress floating around our closets. I love these because they are simple to dress up and you can also pair them with cute fashion tennis shoes (not running tennis shoes) for a more casual but pulled together look
I want this dress!!
The Classic White Collared Blouse
You can’t go wrong with a classic collared blouse in any color. At Express they carry a great range of collared tops that would be appropriate for work.
Express Womens Tops: Bright. Fun. Your fresh new fix.
BoyFriend Jeans
I love Boyfriend Jeans, but I think that if you have a pair with rips that the rips should be a small as possible. You shouldn’t be able to see your entire thigh through a rip in your jeans.
Platform Sandals
I was going to get rid of my two pairs of lovely platform sandals in a fit of minimalism. I am so glad that I didn’t!!! I’ve had these shoes for at least 7 years and they are still gorgeous. Well, they will pair nicely with my tunic dress or my maxi dress that I’ve shopped my closet and found this year!
I love, love, love these shoes!
Chunky Necklaces
There is nothing better than a fun statement piece of jewelry! You can get something nice from the thrift store or from H & M, Forever 21, or even Claire’s.
Shopping Your Closet Is Fun
It’s fun to shop your closet because you probably have a couple of these items. I would say that you should spend no more than $100-$150 on freshening up your Spring/Summer Wardrobe. This year I’ve spent about $225 on clothing so far and the majority of what I purchased was from thrift stores. I really don’t need anything else so I will be using what’s already in my closet.
Some other things you should shop your closet for are:
- Fedoras
- Aviator Sunglasses
- Anything that is Gap or Banana Republic Inspired (classic looks)
You can also check out your local thrift store for additional items. This week I found infinity scarves at Magical Goodwill. Once the Spring Merchandise is put out at your local thrift store I would encourage you to go on half off day and also rock your Goodwill Blue card to get the best deals possible. You can also shop Express Online Only! Take 15% Off Your Entire Order with Code 9050! You can also go to The Limited and if you work in the field of education (are a teacher/professor) and have an i.d. identifying you as a part of a school you should get an additional 10-15% off purchases. Please ask the sales associate about how that works (policies change)
Check out my Pinterest Board: Let’s Look Good for more fashion ideas!
Have You Shopped Your Closet Before?
Did It Save You Money?
- Image Source: White Lace Top
- Image Source: Olive Green Pants
- Image Source: White Collared Blouse
- Image Source: Boho Chic
- Image Source: Cute Shorts and Shirt
- Image Source: Maxi Dress
- Image Source: Boyfriend Jeans
- Image Source: Zoe Saldana
- Image Source: Chunky Necklace
- Image Source: Platform Sandals
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I love this idea, and the advice! I can’t get the image source to load for the platform sandals, but I love them. Who are they from? I’m always looking for sandals that I can walk all day in, but also give me a little more height.
Thanks! Oh oh on the platform sandals. I hope I can figure it out. I love those shoes!!
Ah! I am in love with that lace top!
It’s so cute, I can’t believe I found it in pink and white at Magical Goodwill! I should of bought both, but I only purchased the pink one.
I love the military/cargo pants. We call them Ziva pants (because Ziva in NCIS always wore them). I’m always on the look out for ones that *aren’t* olive green – really not my colour.
I have a box of clothes I love that no longer fit that I couldn’t bare the idea of getting rid of and I call it my ‘Limbo Box’ and if I can’t fit into those clothes within 12 months, I have to get rid of them. So, they’ve gone from being clutter to motivation. I hope! 🙂
I can’t wait to shop from my Limbo Box!
Olive green can be tricky but Americans love military inspired clothing I joke…maybe LOL! I have really paired down my clothes so I have very few limbo items but I was really happy that I held onto those pants!
I love your picks! I think I have 80% of these things in my closet and they get a lot of use. I tend to wear mostly classic cuts/colors and like to mix it up with fun accessories. Every now and then I’ll try something different in the form of a fun print. I don’t do this so much now since I live in LA, but when I lived in Kentucky I would always pull out my clothes when the seasons changed and figure out new ways to work old items. Now I tend to wear a lot of my clothes year round and I’m constantly shopping my closet to figure out new combinations. I like to search for an item on Pinterest to see how others are styling it for new inspiration as well. Great post!
Thanks Jessica! I had a lot of fun shopping other people’s looks and looking at magazines. It’s funny in Colorado because people don’t really dress up. So, I tend to be more dressed up than most people. The good thing about this is I don’t have to shop too much and I can change up things and it looks fresh and fun. Pinterest is super for getting ideas for summer.
I’m just about to do a massive goodwill dump out of my closet and I’m so glad I found this post first! I love the concept of shopping your closet, but it’s something I struggle with actually putting into practice. Thanks for the reminder because it’s true–nobody remembers what you wear but you!
I wore the same clothes for a year. I switched things out as the seasons changed and people would forget that I was doing a No Shopping Challenge and would ask me about my “new” clothes. Because of this experience, I’m even more dedicated to the thrift store lifestyle LOL! I still buy new things…but, not as often anymore.
Great picks! That lace top is so cute! I I love finding fashionable treasures at Goodwill and other thrip shops. Maxi dresses are my favorite, but I try to wear comfortable wedges with them since I’m already pretty short and their style kind of knocks on my height even more.
The weird thing about that lace top is that I found the exact one in white and pink at magical Goodwill. I also have a huge obsession with maxi dresses.
I need to start poking around thrift stores again. But I have plenty of warm-weather clothes. I just have to get over self-esteem issues. Well, “plenty” in that I work from home, so I mainly wear scrubby clothes.
I love thrift stores! But, just rock what you have. I’m still in the habit of dressing up even though I’m working from home. It makes me feel good 🙂