dressed on a dime: work ’em.

Total Outfit Cost: $87


Tip #4: Get your clothes and work ’em.
Once you start building up your wardrobe a bit it’s time to start learning how to remix your clothes.  I’m sure most of you know what remixing is, but honestly, I didn’t a few years ago, so for kicks… remixing is basically wearing one piece of clothing lots of different ways.  So instead of getting one shirt and thinking, “oh it goes with that one pair of pants,” and then always only wearing that shirt with those pants, you wear that shirt with your favorite pencil skirt, and under another shirt, or as a scarf, or etc etc…  See what I mean?

Remixing can be tricky, and it requires a little more thought and creativity, but it will take your closet and multiply it infinitely.  Which is a great way to save money and still look fabulous.

I have a few suggestions with regard to remixing.  First, don’t be afraid to try something you never would have thought of before.  Just because it didn’t occur to you immediately, doesn’t mean it isn’t going to look fabulous.  But beware, remixing doesn’t just mean throwing a bunch of random stuff on together.  There should be an element of structure to every outfit.  Even if you’re going a little out there, make sure something keeps you anchored.
Second, make a date with your closet.  Schedule some time, (a good couple of hours) where you can get everything out and try it on.  Practice pairing stuff together, take note (or pictures) of what you did and how you paired stuff.  That way, when it’s Tuesday morning and you think you have nothing to wear you can look at them and go, “oh wait, no, I have that one thing and I was going to pair it with this, and oh yeah that makes me look hot.”
And now word of caution: be honest with yourself.  Don’t fall into the “fashion blogger” trap where you put on something that doesn’t really look good or work for you but you saw like a million people wear it so it must look good.  This happens a lot, especially with remixing, just layering all sorts of randomness.  Remember last week’s post, and be true to yourself, be aware of what works for your body type, and what you’re comfortable in.  Unless you’re someone without any kind of inhibitions, if you’re wearing something that doesn’t fit who you are, you’re going to be uncomfortable.
Next, get a second opinion.  I find when I’m trying new things with my wardrobe, my own perception can become a bit skewed.  This is where Mr. comes in very handy.  (he comes in handy in a lot of ways) Mr. is very good at telling me the truth about whether or not something looks good.  Isn’t that why we love men?  They’re honest.  And since my main objective in getting dolled up everyday is so that Mr. will think I’m hot, I like to get his opinion on the matter.
 Find someone you love and trust, who will be truly honest with you, and ask their opinion.
I know that Mr. is crazy about me, I know that he thinks I’m beautiful and I know he’ll tell me the truth, so if he says that something isn’t really working in an outfit, I trust him and change it.
It always leads me to something that looked better anyways.

And last, always consider how many different ways you can remix a piece before you purchase it.  If I’m contemplating buying something and I can’t think of at least 8 different ways I could wear it, right on the spot, I put it back.  Is it okay to splurge once in a while on a piece that can only be worked one or two ways?  Of course.  But in the beginning stages of a wardrobe re-vamp every single piece matters, and you’ve got to make sure that every piece you purchase can work over time for you.