I think we all go through this issue from time to time in our lives (every month?) – you’re standing in front of your closet, trying to get ready for the day, and cannot find one thing to wear. There’s no inspiration at all. You might even mutter to yourself, ‘I hate my clothes.’  Can you relate? I know I can.

There can be several reasons for this.

Your closet is too crowded. There’s so much jammed in there that you can’t really see anything clearly, so nothing looks good.
Solution: You know what I’m going to say. Clear out some of the deadwood so that your non-dead clothes can have some room to breathe. Every closet need purging from time to time. First, to get rid of items that are too big, too small, too damaged for repair, are not your style any more, or you just don’t know why you ever bought them in the first place. Second, when you actually go through and take stock of what you own, and keep only those things that you could possibly wear, then you’ll be able to see what you’ve got more clearly. When you can see it, you’re more likely to wear it.

Your style/life/body has changed and you don’t know what to do about it.
Solution: You need a fresh perspective. Go to Pinterest and scroll through outfits. Search by key words that you think might interest you now. Is it “Dramatic/chic”? Or maybe “Bohemian/feminine”? Pick a couple of words that interest you and see what turns up. Keep doing this until you find a couple of outfits that you admire.

Now, let’s deconstruct those outfits and see what it is about them that appeals to you. Here’s one in that ‘dramatic/edgy’ category:

So if you’re drawn to this look, we need to now consider what, specifically, is it you might like about this outfit? It could be…

-the monochromatic look
-the leather pants
-the bold bag, but minimal other accessories
-the interesting jacket
-the red lips (pop of color)
-the sleek haircut

Ok – so we’ve now got some specifics. Now take a look in your closet to see how you might recreate this look: what pants and top do you have in your closet in the same color family that can serve as the basis for the monochromatic look? It might be a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans and dark tee shirt, because…well… most of us have that or a version of that in our closets these days. Or it might be a pair of slim fit pants and top in ‘your’ basic color – is it navy? Camel? Whatever it is, start with that.

Now – revisit your jackets and pick one to serve as the accent piece to your monochromatic base. Try to pick one that has a bit of detail to make it stand out from the solid underneath.

Add a large tote handbag to go with (or if you don’t have one, select a bag that you do have that goes with the monochrome.) Or maybe it’s not the handbag, but the shoes you want to stand out.

Do your version of a sleek hairstyle. If you can’t quite pull it off at the moment but like the idea, maybe you should make an appointment with your stylist, so she can guide you into somethings that will work for you.

Final touch – the pop of color lips! If red isn’t your thing, try the brightest color you’ve got in your stash (we know you’ve got one!) Is it bright pink? Or maybe it’s orange? Go ahead and try it! There are as many ways to do this as there are people.

The point is – you’re playing around with what specifically it is that you like about a particular look – using the parts that work for you, and rejecting the parts that don’t.

Whether it’s Pinterest, or a magazine that you subscribe to, or whatever you want to use as your inspiration, do it! You will look at your closet with a new eye and find that you might be inspired a bit more in the morning when it’s time to get dressed for the day.

Thanks for reading – stay stylish!
Adena