What Do You REALLY Need In Your Wardrobe?

What clothes do you really need in your wardrobe? It seems like a reasonable question. After all, we are inundated with “expert’s” tips personal shoppers, Pinterest graphics, and various sales, With all the advice out there, it can be hard to sort out. Here are some tips I rounded up as I have gone through the process of assessing my own life and wardrobe based on what is going on right now. Mind you, you don’t have to dump all the clothes you aren’t wearing-for example, if you are going into the office less, you may not be wearing suits or dresses, but you may need them going forward. I always keep a few going to meeting type outfits on hand even though it has definitely been a minute since I’ve had an in person meeting. I also keep formal clothing on hand–every once in a while I get a nice surprise.

I cleaned out my closet recently, and have begun rebuilding my wardrobe over the past few weeks, I’ve been doing lots of shopping, and thinking,  so I figured I’d share some thoughts on how I am re-evaluating my wardrobe right now. I am looking forward not just to the current season, but into the next year, say six to nine months ahead.

The first question I ask myself, as I consider my wardrobe is, What I am actually wearing the most right now?  Since I have been spending so much time at home, I am still in the market for great stay at home looks.  I tend to wear leggings, yoga pants and joggers around the house, especially as we head into the cooler months, so the next question is,  Am I happy with the outfits I can make with the clothes I have?  Even though I’m home, I still want to look nice and feel good, not grungy.  I am trying to make a point of adding in some outfits with my faux leather pants from Spanx as well outfits with comfortable jeans and sweaters so I feel a little elevated by the clothing I am wearing day to day. Plus, if I get the wild hair, I can run a casual errand and don’t have to change clothes to be presentable.

Lifestyle Questions…

What am I wearing Most?

1. Stay at home outfits
2. Workout Wear
3. Casual Outfits

Each week, Roger and I make a point of getting out of the house—to go shopping, get lunch or  do some activity.  For those outings, I want to wear something with a little more polish—a sundress in the summer, a cute pair of jeans and pretty sweater for fall, and add a cute jacket and boots as the weather gets cooler.  

We walk outdoors four or more days a week and are going to the gym the other three days—so I am taking an inventory of my athletic wear as well.  I like to wear leggings and a tank at the gym but also like to make sure I have tops and jackets to put on afterwards, since we often get a bite to eat or run an errand while we are out.   I am not one to go into public with just leggings and a sports bra.  I know others do it, and that’s fine, but I like a little more coverage.

As we head into a new season, I also like to consider any travel that might be on the horizon—but once again, we’ve trimmed back our travel plans. But we might go for an in-state weekend get away in the coming months, and take a run to visit Brooke, but alas, our bigger road trip has been placed on hold—so I guess I’m saving money again this year, since we’ve only been taking small road trips which don’t require a lot of extra outfits.

I take a look at my basics—t-shirts, tank tops, leggings—the stuff I am wearing all the time—and make sure they are all in great shape.  If I need to freshen these items, they go on my list of things to look for as I shop sales.

I also look at the prior season’s wardrobe—in this case summer—and what I needed more of.  This year, I needed more dressy summer tops to wear with jeans, skirts, shorts, and maybe a sun dress or two.  I love having a few new pieces to start the next season with-its so much fun to open my summer boxes and know that I have a few gems waiting for me.  Plus knowing that I got them on sale is always nice as well.  

Once I’ve worked through these questions, I am ready to shop.  First stop—all the sales going on right now.    After I’ve worked my way through the sales, I take a gander at the new season’s offerings.  Because I have an idea of what I already need, I don’t end up with as many impulse purchases, or buy duplicates of things I don’t need. (Do you ever do that?)

I’ve perused the internet for all sorts of great pieces—all on sale, from great leggings and joggers, to some fun jeans outfits and a few dresses for the coming months.  It’s always great to stock up on great clothes while they are on sale—I always say.

What do I Really Need?

After working my way through the questions, I am able to put together a list and start looking for sales.

If I need basics, I make a b-line for retailers I know sell great quality basics, and if I am looking for a little fun, one of my favorite things to do is go to online retailers I know I’ve “hearted” some splurge items and see if they are on sale.

By the way, if you are interested in grabbing a download of my shopping questions, click the button below.

Grab Your Own Fashion Questions Worksheet

So, now that you have your questions answered, take a look at the great sales I found.

Luminous Silk oil free foundation https://rstyle.me/+c7fln211TFJf6hfPmFpeBw

Estee Lauder Double Wear https://rstyle.me/+9uLVN0ZzmP3qACAVqlBuHA

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer https://rstyle.me/+KPjTdfpCeGq0zKu4YOr28Q

Armani Travel Size Lip Colors https://rstyle.me/+U5ykXTaq7nsVn4dbd6hArA

GloPro Skin Care Set https://rstyle.me/+V41Cp4_0RWd5ezpcVRe8xw

Solid Color Maxi (black) https://rstyle.me/+zTx040ZDxFN2wGYqVLmyzw

Leopard Crew neck Cardigan https://rstyle.me/+SWhNWkXxRQIGkGvx1kFtTw

Striped cotton and cashmere sweater https://rstyle.me/+z7vPHVzCj_6b_vcN4JYFAQ

Zella Organic cotton joggers https://rstyle.me/+uhhxvrNGuoyfqeI53Cq9fA (Below)

NYDJ Straight leg jeans https://rstyle.me/+aYidwydT1r3eg3OpYbwiNg (Below)

Sherling Knee High Boots https://rstyle.me/+To3BnUv2pzFPiRllzMC6Og

Aubrie Sneaker https://rstyle.me/+GzwvEzAFk8eyLaCfwBAPCQ

Rosette Mule https://rstyle.me/+GzwvEzAFk8eyLaCfwBAPCQ

Moore Platform Slide https://rstyle.me/+I5Faw4iDLheL0cUasUz5Ew