How to Shop Your Closet

Last Updated: June 3, 2021 References

It's easy to get bored of your wardrobe, but replacing old favorites can be expensive. Fortunately, there's no need to spend a fortune on brand new threads to spice up your wardrobe! These tips and tricks will have you excited to wear the pieces you already own.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:
Getting Organized

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Make time to organize your closet. Organizing your closet in an important step to make shopping your closet possible. You will need at least a few hours to rearrange your closet, so set aside a block of time when you can work on your closet continuously. ^{[1]
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Organize your closet. Remove all of your clothing and shoes from your closet. Lay them out on your bed and take stock of everything you own as you put these items back into your closet in an orderly fashion. Arrange your clothing by color or type (short sleeved tops, sweater, skirts, etc.). Neatly place your shoes in a row. ^{[2]
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3
Get inspired. Flip through fashion magazines and dog-ear looks that you would like to recreate. Take notes on your favorite looks to help you as you shop your closet for items that you will need to recreate these looks. ^{[3]
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Try on different looks. Open up your closet and consult your notes and the looks that you dog-eared. Try on lots of different outfits and decide what you like and don’t like. Don’t be afraid to experiment as well. Try out color combinations that you wouldn’t normally wear, combine items that you have never worn together before, and have fun! You may stumble upon a really cool look just by experimenting. ^{[4]
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Keep track of your looks. Take pictures of yourself wearing your favorite looks that you have put together. After you finish trying on all of the different combinations, you will be able to go back through these pictures and decide what looks work for you and what ones don't work.^{[5]
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Arrange favorite outfits on hangers. Make wearing the new favorite looks you have found effortless by combining the items that make up the look on a sturdy hanger. Move these outfits and other items that you want to wear in the near future to the front of your closet. ^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:
Repairing Old Favorites

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Learn to mend minor imperfections. If you don’t know how to fix small tears or replace missing buttons, it is well worth learning. You will save money by not having to replace these items or pay someone else to fix them and you will regain the use of these pieces of clothing as well. ^{[7]
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Take ill-fitting and flawed items to a tailor. Instead of giving up on items that don’t fit right or need minor repairs, take them to a tailor or seamstress. Having your clothing professionally mended or altered will cost you a bit of money, but it’s a better option than replacing your old favorites with new ones. ^{[8]
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Polish your shoes. Shoes get dirty and scuffed as you wear them, but a good cleaning and a coat of shoe polish can have them looking good as new. You can also take them to a cobbler for minor repairs, like replacing a worn heel. ^{[9]
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Clean your purses. Use leather cleaning wipes to refresh old leather purses. Check the cleaning instructions on other types of purses and follow instructions to refresh those as well. ^{[10]
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Replace buttons on coats and jackets. Some fancy new buttons can reinvent a plain old coat. Look for interesting shaped buttons or colorful buttons to breathe new life into an old coat or jacket. Replace them yourself if you know how or have new buttons put on your old coat by a tailor. ^{[11]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:
Revamping Old Favorites

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Wear jewelry that you haven’t worn in a while. Go beyond your favorite earrings and reach for a more daring piece of jewelry now and then. Try one of your seldom worn pieces of jewelry with a favorite outfit to give your look a new flavor. ^{[12]
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Wear patterned pantyhose with a plain dress or skirt. Pairing patterned or colorful pantyhose with a favorite outfit can make it seem like new. Experiment with different textures and colors to amplify your look. ^{[13]
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Wear scarves creatively. Scarves instantly spice up an outfit, but your can also experiment with different ways to tie your scarves for even more variety. ^{[14]
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Research source} There are many ways that you can wear a scarf around your neck, but you can also wear a scarf as a head wrap, as a shirt, as a cape, or as a belt. Try different ways of tying and wearing your scarves for an instant outfit boost.
4
Experiment with belts. A belt is an easy way to make an outfit look totally different and belts are not just for pants. Try wearing a belt over an oversized top or fitted dress. Play around with different colors, widths, and positions to see what works for you. ^{[15]
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Tie a flannel shirt around your waist. Instead of wearing a flannel shirt on your upper body, you can tie it around your waist and button the last 4 or 5 buttons so that it looks like a skirt. Wear leggings or opaque tights underneath and pair with a simple monochromatic top to complete the look.
6
Mix and match. Don’t be afraid to mix and match items in your closet that you wouldn’t normally wear together. Take apart suits and wear pieces individually with other items from your closet, pair night and day items, or wear two different patterned pieces together. ^{[16]
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Community Q&A
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Question

How can I make the most of my existing wardrobe?

Natalie Kay Smith
Sustainable Fashion Writer
Natalie Kay Smith is a sustainable fashion writer and the owner of Sustainably Chic, a sustainability-focused blog. Natalie has over 5 years of sustainable fashion and green living writing and has worked with over 400 conscious brands all over the world to show readers fashion can exist responsibly and sustainably.

Natalie Kay Smith

Sustainable Fashion Writer

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

When you’re shopping, make a decision right in the beginning to buy something of quality that you won’t have to repair a year later. If you do need to repair something, use the opportunity to add something new to spruce up the garment! Add on a vintage button to replace a lost one or repair a hole. You can also patch things up with patterned fabric underneath, or cover a stain with a fun patch.