When is the Last Time I Wore This? 5 Strategies to Make the Best Use of Your Existing Pieces
And here I am wearing it again when I happened to message Poplin subscribers about our new exciting offerings for 2024. Fun Fact: I’m only wearing lipstick. I save makeup for days that I feel like I want to elevate my look and I don’t do filters.
Here I am wearing my hot pink sheer blouse for my interview with Suzanne Weller on the Courage Effect in April.
As a personal stylist for women based in Seattle, I have had a hybrid work situation for over a decade. Some days, I’m out and about meeting with partners and colleagues, other days I’m with a client at her home and still other days, I’m at home with or without Zoom meetings throughout the day.
Now that a much larger percentage of the population is in a similar situation, I find that my learnings from years of choosing what to wear while walking this tightrope are more relevant than ever.
Part of living with intentionality, especially when it comes to harnessing your authentic personal style, is about knowing how to leverage what you’ve got. After all, everyone has a budget, some larger than others. There are so many suggestions on this topic. If you haven’t worn it in X amount of time, get rid of it. (Not necessarily. It might be the one item you should be wearing!) Or, if it’s a classic, keep it. (Again, maybe. Is it boring to you? Did you sacrifice your style to get something practical? Or do you love it and find it super useful?) When it’s time to buy, consider cost per wear, and so on. (I like this one but be sure not to sacrifice for something that may only be worn once. Any regrets about looking breathtaking in your wedding dress? I rest my case.) I have my own mantras (as you likely know).
One of them is to look at your collection before heading out for something new. This also happens to be a great way to get dressed while feeling less guilt about climate change. You just might have some gems in there. And with that, how about I give you some tips on maximizing those gems?
5 Strategies to Leverage the Pieces You Already Own
Lean into pieces that inspire you.
Grab a tasty beverage and shop your closet. I like to start with one piece. Just grab one item from your closet, this includes a handbag, jewelry, shoes, a coat or a piece of clothing. Let that be your guide. You’ll find that simply starting with an inspirational piece, you’ll create an outfit that you are seeing for the first time.
At the Koa Club Event at the Universal Standard Showroom (now, sadly gone) wearing one of my very favorite Mara Hoffman dresses.
At a photo shoot at my place a few years later. Same dress just different editing from two different photographers.
Revisit flattering photos of yourself.
Even if your someone who tries to avoid the camera, there are undoubtedly zillions of photos of you out there. The most critical among us can find at least one that we like. (Here’s to hoping you can find a lot more. And if you can’t, it might be time for a professional photo shoot to remind you how beautiful you are.) Now, what are you wearing in this photo? Do you still own a portion of that outfit? Can you use it again- either in the same outfit (if it’s not dated) or with a fresh piece that makes it feel current and authentic to you?
Speaking of Mara Hoffman, the brand has a Full Circle section on the website that allows you to buy and sell second hand pieces from the label. This dress, one of my favorites, is available used right now and is pinned on the Ethical Fashion Pinterest Board.
Find some external inspiration
Diving into Pinterest or viewing photos of a favorite style icon can help remind you of how you WANT to be dressing. Sure, loungewear is so easily accessible, but seeing someone in a look that feels casual enough for your lifestyle and still elevated might be all you need to dive into a new look. The Poplin Pinterest Boards are designed to be a helpful tool here. Once you have a few outfit ideas, take a long hard look at your wardrobe and accessories. Do you have anything that resembles items that comprise this outfit? Often there’s a top shoved in the back of a drawer or a dress hanging in a garment bag you never open. See what you can create using what you have inspired by the photo. Sure, you may opt to buy something new to complete the look. But, this gives new life to an old piece at the same time.
Revisit your clothing in storage
Remember, your closet should feel like a boutique curated just for you. That means that every single item in your wardrobe should fit you right now, communicate your authentic personal style, flatter your body shape, communicate your values when possible AND be a color that you adore in your color palette. What about everything else? Clothes for vacations, hiking, skiing, working out and the off season (heavy winter pieces or full on summer items) should all be placed somewhere less accessible. Clothes that fit all your criteria but are too small go in another part of the house and those that are too large, go in a separate location. As your weight (or potentially your style) fluctuates, you’ll go find those items. Now, is that time. Dive into your categorized sections and see if there’s anything hiding in there is that is both new and familiar to you. Haven’t seen that dress in a few years because if fit your criteria but you just weren’t feeling it? Maybe now you are.
Let a friend shop your closet
You know this one well, if you’ve been with me for a while. Few things will make you love your existing pieces more than when a friend comes over to borrow something. If you find it hard to part with, that’s a very good sign that you might want to create a new outfit using that choice.
And there you have it! Sustainability doesn’t have to be painful or limiting. Start with what you have and see if and how it can be maximized. If it can’t, get something new! There’s no shame here. If you are able to find something that can be reworn, that might even provide a larger budget for a fresh piece. You have options, my dear and you are in total control here. Lead with intention. It feels good.
A sample “endless “ outfit photo from real client Isa.
A sample collaborative outfit photo from a real Poplin client.
For Poplin clients- Revisit your outfit photos
We create an online gallery of outfit photos for each Poplin client using her new and existing items. If you are a client, you’ve got those photos! Maybe you haven’t used them in a while. Or perhaps you keep going to the same photos and have skipped some others. If you started in warm weather and now it’s colder, you may have images in your gallery that you simply forgot about. Use fresh eyes to view your gallery on the hunt for new outfits using existing pieces. If you aren’t a client yet, take a look at real life Poplin Client Outfit photos for inspiration or feel free to make your own!
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