Have you ever wished that you could open up your closet and find your “ideal” wardrobe?
For the most part, we tend to buy things as we go. We buy a dress here and a coat here. But that doesn’t really serve to create a “cohesive” look that we desire. It’s just… stuff.
If you want a real “wardrobe” that depicts your personality, you actually need to plan it out. You might not need to buy everything at once. But you do need to plan ahead.
And it’s not that hard.
- Ideation and “Daydreaming”
Start with the looks that you love. Go through Pinterest, fashion magazines, and fashion blogs and pull out things that you like. Go to the clothing stores you enjoy and take photos of the pieces that you really love, but maybe just can’t afford right now. Don’t buy anything just yet; remember, you’re going for something ideal and cohesive.
There may be things at this stage that you think are frivolous, that wouldn’t fit in; it doesn’t matter. This is the daydreaming stage.
- Practicality and Focus
Now, think about what you actually need. How much work attire do you need vs. casual attire? What do you need for different seasons? If you live in a place without winter, you probably don’t need eighteen coats. If you live in a place without summer, those short-shorts might be cute, but they aren’t going to get a lot of use.
Now is when you actually think about what you need. You need both daydreaming and focus to get the job done. And you also need a budget.
It can be great to do a wardrobe “refresh” every year or every season. Often, it’s better to spend your “clothing” budget all at once for things that really fit together, rather than trying to buy things one at a time throughout the year. That’s why so many of those makeover shows are popular. It’s not that you couldn’t have put that wardrobe together eventually. It’s that you wouldn’t have thought about it because you were doing things one by one.
- Making a List
Make a list of the outfits that you need. It could look like:
- Five “separates” for work (business casual)
- Four dresses
- Five “separates” for casual days/days off
- Two swimsuits
- Two coats
- One formal outfit
And so forth. These are the essentials that you actually need. Obviously, this won’t be your entire wardrobe. This is going to be the foundation of your wardrobe. Try your best to match these with the items on your board; the things that you dreamed out. It will form the core of your wardrobe and the core of your style.
At the same time, you should be thinking about your budget. How much of this can you get and remain in your budget? Your core wardrobe should fall under your budgetary amount; you can get extras later.
- Filling in the Blanks
Now is the time when you start bringing in the extras. Think about what you would wear tomorrow for work and compose an outfit. Are there things missing? Do you need accessories to make the outfit whole? Would you be scrambling to find something to wear by Friday?
Creating an ideal wardrobe is important. And remember: You don’t absolutely have to buy everything at once. People seldom have the budget to do so. But if you have a list of what would comprise your “best wardrobe,” you can buy things one by one and still make a cohesive statement. Contact our educators at London Image Institute to become a top level image consultant that can plan ideal wardrobes in no time!
