Fishing for a new look?

Catch from your own closet!

by Chase Clough

In a world of fast everything–fashion, food, trends–it can feel like you never have enough, like you are never enough. There’s always a new perfect going-out top you need to buy, restaurants you need a reservation for that leave the zeitgeist a week later, or a part of yourself you’d never given the time of day until you were told by a stranger to be insecure about it.

How do you cancel out all of this noise? Stay afloat in this sea of content?

One way I navigate these tumultuous waters is by making my clothes feel like home. I’ve curated my closet to the point where I love the pieces in it and, more importantly, how I feel in them. I use them as a form of the truest selfexpression, an extension of myself.

You don’t need to hop on the latest trend when you own items you love. Not because they’re the hot new item, but because they truly speak to you.

“But Chase!” I hear you say, “I hate everything I own! And you just told me not to go out and buy more stuff!”

Worry not! This is where we get creative, some may even say scrappy.

Open up your trusted Pinterest account (ad blocker enabled) and search “fashion”. Start saving every outfit that you like. You’ll need a lot of pins for this to work, so keep at it until your fingers are cramped. Once you have about 50 pins and it feels like your fingers are going to fall off, it’s time to start analyzing.

Look for common themes, I focus on colors, silhouettes, patterns, and specific items. For example, I continually see plaid, pleated skirts in the outfits I pin paired with graphic tops, tights, and boots.

Now, think about what you already own and what you might be lacking. Can you mimic these outfits without actually buying the specific pieces shown in the photo?

Here are three outfits I pinned and how I recreated them with clothes from my closet.

When putting together these outfits, I thought of three main things:

What do I like about these outfits?

What do I already own?

What do I know I dislike wearing?

In the first outfit: I enjoyed the silhouette, I own a long denim skirt and boots, and I know I dislike wearing light colored tops. So, I switched out the white tank for a black halter.

In the second outfit: I liked the idea of elevating a basic outfit, I own the staple clothing items and alternative jewelry, and I know I dislike wearing high-waisted pants. So, I opted for midrise jeans instead of flare pants.

In the third outfit: I liked the silhouette, I own plenty of cut-off band shirts, and I dislike how few accessories she’s wearing. So, I added fishnets, layered belts, and opted for patterned micro shorts.

The point of our Pinterest audit was inspiration, not recreation. Knowing what you do and don’t like will be your saving grace when finding new pairings.

If you’re feeling stuck with your wardrobe, here are things I do to add excitement back to my clothes:

Modify your underworn clothes to fit your aesthetic goals. If I have a long skirt I haven’t worn in a while, I’ll take a safety pin and hike it up so there’s now a slit and flowy layers.

Pair two items you love together, even if they don’t “match”. As someone who usually doesn’t pattern mix, I wore a pinstripe button-down with a newspaper-patterned skirt.

Stagger your wardrobe changeovers at the start of a new season. Instead of taking out all of your clothes at once, do it in two parts. This way, you’ll feel like you’ve unlocked new outfits without having to buy anything else.

As the world continues to push out faster and faster trend cycles, the best way to not succumb to the pressure is to feel secure in yourself. Take time to understand what you enjoy, whether or not it’s the hot, new item. You can build a closet that is timeless to you as you continue to figure out new things about yourself and love who you’re becoming.