How to Save Money by Shopping from Your Own Closet

Before I show you the photos, here are a couple of tips:

Look for versatility in your clothing

When you do buy new things, make sure that the majority of what you purchase is versatile enough to be worn with several other items. It's okay to have a few "statement" pieces if you really love them, but if your entire wardrobe is made out of things like that, you will be severely limited in your outfit choices.

Know what looks good on you

I've always known that I look really good in black--which, lucky for me, is also a super versatile color. You may not look good in black, but you may look amazing in brown or grey, both of which look awful on me. Have items in your closet that you know look good with your coloring.

The same can be said for your body shape. If you don't look your best in a certain cut or style of clothing, don't purchase it just because it's on sale or because you can't find anything else. It's better to spend a little more on a flattering cut or wait until you can find something that is right for your body type.

If you need help knowing what looks good on you, the best thing you can do is grab a friend, a sister, or your mom and go shopping with them. Make them take a pledge of honesty, and have them tell you what looks good on you and why.

There are also some great online resources to help with this:

Dressing Your Truth This is a profiling system that does cost money. I bought it two years ago, and I feel it was absolutely worth it. I have never felt so good in my clothes as I do now that I understand my "truth." I am a Type 4 in this system, and when I first started, I had a lot of Type 3 and a few Type 2 clothes in my closet. I never felt good

in those clothes, and it was nice to understand why. Luckily, I also had a lot of Type 4 clothes in my closet, so I didn't have to start from scratch! You can start with the free energy profiling course to find out which type you are.

Color E-nalysis For me, the colors came up the same as they did in Dressing Your Truth. When we did it for Bria, the colors weren't the same as Dressing Your Truth. I don't know how accurate it is for all people, but you can at least get an idea.

Real Life Body Shapes I really like this blog when it comes to knowing how to dress for your body shape. I am an A shape, and I have learned a lot about why certain cuts of clothing look terrible on me, and why others look good.

Know Your Personal Style

Once you know which colors and cuts look best on you, start keeping a style inspiration journal or Pinterest board. As you do this, you'll start to notice the themes of your style. Do you like BoHo or are you uber dramatic? Do you like soft, flowy things or do you like things that are more tailored? Pay attention to that, and you'll figure out your personal style.

Here is my Fashion Pinterest Board, if you'd like to take a peek. (I mostly pin Type 4 stuff for DYT!)

Now, on to Bria's closet shopping. Bria is a Type 2 in Dressing Your Truth and she looks amazing in grey. I think she might be an H body shape, but I'm not sure yet. She has a more romantic style, but she is drawn to funky things as well. I'd say her closet reflects most of this pretty well, though she has a few things in there that she never wears but isn't quite willing to give up (don't we all?).

Outfit #1

Inspiration (Image Source):

Bria's Take (please ignore my weeds--I don't have grass, I have weeds, and The Maestro hasn't mown them lately):

She didn't have a floral scarf, but she had a nice grey one. Same goes for the boots--she doesn't have brown ones (yet--they are on her list!), but she has some grey ones. For the rest, she was able to find very similar pieces and pulled together a great outfit!

You can find a similar grey scarf here--it also comes in a variety of other colors if grey isn't your favorite color! Chambray shirts are fairly ubiquitous, but this one comes in three different wash choices.

Outfit #2:

Inspiration (Image Source):

Bria's Take:

Even though the tribal print was Bria's favorite part of this outfit, she made do with the striped one that was in her closet. She chose to wear a scarf instead of the chunky necklace because the chunky necklaces aren't comfortable to her. I have a very similar necklace, and when she put it on she didn't like it (good for her, being aware of her personal style!). The black boots are mine--isn't it crazy that the two of us can share shoes now? With our big size 10 feet, that is a good thing.

Outfit #3

Inspiration (could not find original source):

Bria's Take:

Bria had fun with this one. Really what she liked in the original photo was the layered sweater and button up. She decided that she didn't want to do boots this time, so she paired it with her Converse high tops which are, of course, grey.

Outfit #4

Inspiration (Image Source):

Bria's Take:

This was Bria's favorite result of all of them. She had a grey and white striped blouse (not sweater), so she paired it with her favorite jacket. She wore her grey boots again and borrowed one of my pearl necklaces to complete the look. And she's beautiful!

Doing this with Bria has inspired me to go look at my Fashion Pinterest Board again and do some of my own shopping in my closet. It's fun to put together new outfits with the clothes you already have, and the best part is that it is totally free!

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