5 Things I Learned from Shopping My Own Closet

I put on a solid 10 lbs over the past year. I don't say this to body shame myself, I say it because its true. It happened gradually, and because of stretchy clothing in general, I didn't really notice until (a) half my closet was too tight and I didn't fit into it, and (b) I looked at myself in a recent photo and found myself looking, well, round. 

Over the past two weeks, I've been doing a no-sugar, no-starch thing, and have lost about 10 lbs. I'm not going to talk a whole lot about it because lets face it - diets are so boring - but I bring it up because I've had the opportunity to rediscover my own clothes, and I wanted to share a few things I learned from shopping my own closet: 

Vintage dress from Whiskey Grade, styled with an Anthropologie grey faux leather jacket, brown booties, FOUNT Finley Clutch, J. Crew pearl necklace, and Bombay Taxi Boutique earrings. 

Vintage dress from Whiskey Grade, styled with an Anthropologie grey faux leather jacket, brown booties, FOUNT Finley Clutch, J. Crew pearl necklace, and Bombay Taxi Boutique earrings

1. When you see a great deal on a fancy dress, buy it. It doesn't matter if you don't have an occasion for it yet, you will find one. 

2. When you buy something you LOVE LOVE LOVE, keep it a little while longer even if it doesn't quite fit anymore. We're in this trend of minimalism and Marie Kondo'ing our lives, but there's something about holding on to some things you love, simply because you love them. 

3. Classics truly last forever and they're absolutely worth an investment - a great leather jacket, the perfect black dress, a silk blouse - they look beautiful every time you wear them and they're timeless.

 

Details Matter. 

The perfectly sparkly earrings - MANISHA by Bombay Taxi Boutique 

The perfectly sparkly earrings - MANISHA by Bombay Taxi Boutique 

4. Details matter.

The right accessories can be mixed and matched with abandon to create just the right look for your mood. The perfect clutch, an oversized pearl necklace, a fabulous pair of heels, your most sparkly earrings - these are all great basics that can completely elevate the look of even the most simple outfit. 

Dress: White House Black Market; Clutch: Whiskey Grade; Shoes: Nine West; Jacket: Zara; Earrings: Bombay Taxi Boutique 

Dress: White House Black Market; Clutch: Whiskey Grade; Shoes: Nine West; Jacket: Zara; Earrings: Bombay Taxi Boutique 

5. You don't always have to buy (or rent) something new for every event. I had originally ordered a dress from Rent The Runway for some weekend events, but the dress I ordered was too uncomfortable, which is why I ended up shopping my closet in the first place.

Sometimes I feel like we've reached this place where being photographed in the same outfit multiple times is a big no-no (umm, hi Instagram). However, an informal, highly unscientific poll suggests that 90% of my insta-friends believe that wearing the same outfit twice in the same weekend is completely acceptable.

So if its ok to wear the same outfit twice in one weekend, it is MORE THAN OK to wear the same dress to multiple parties, no matter how frequently, even if you're going to be photographed and all over social media! 

Close up of the details: Clutch - Whiskey Grade; Earrings - Bombay Taxi Boutique

Close up of the details: Clutch - Whiskey Grade; Earrings - Bombay Taxi Boutique

The moral of this story is that while its fun to go shopping, sometimes its equally fun to shop your own closet. With a little imagination, you can completely change an outfit and give it an entirely new look. Trends are great, but an 80-20 principle of 80% classics, 20% trend will go a long way to ensuring that you can create a lot of looks with less. So when you go shopping, make sure that you're buying pieces that are versatile, and that you absolutely LOVE!

I'd love to hear from you: what are some pieces that you've invested in that you come back to time and time again?