Before you can build something great, you have to make way for it. You must sort through and clear away the old, hold onto the gems, and move forward with focus and intention.

Hat | Tote Bag | White Sneakers | Mary Jane Shoes ( I sized down 1/2 size) | Cheetah Print Mules | Sweatshirt | Cream Sweater (gifted, tts) | Light Jeans (I sized down one size) | Medium Wash Jeans (I sized down one size) | White Jeans (tts)| Black Washed Jeans (I sized down one size) | White Button Down Shirt (old from Grayson – similar) | Black Long Sleeved Top | Denim Jacket (old – my new one) | Black Leather Jacket (tts) | Plaid Blazer (old – similar, similar) | Green Jacket (tts) | Black Washed Denim Jacket | Tan Sweater Blazer (old – new version)

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Do you plan your wardrobe wishlist before you buy or do you shop on a whim? Do you have a lot of clothes but struggle to come up with a variety of outfits that you love? Are you someone who reduces clutter often or are you prone to hanging on to garments even if you don’t wear them? If you haven’t intentionally built your wardrobe, you may find that sometimes you are frustrated when getting dressed— I know I used to before I built my wardrobe layer by layer.

I am creative by nature. I’m not a fan of strict rules or exact plans because when things feel too restrictive I feel like my creativity will be restricted as well. However, I’m learning that there can still be a lot of creativity within flexible guidelines and strategies, and that with focus and intention my creativity actually blooms more.

I have watched this happen in my wardrobe. In the past I would just buy things I liked or needed as they came up — never looking at my wardrobe as a whole or having any sort of seasonal plan. Now, after implementing a strategy to build my wardrobe layer by layer, I have come out with a more well-rounded selection of garments, which allows me to to make a lot of really great outfits. This brings ease to getting dressed each day, makes me feel good and more confident in what I’m wearing, and makes getting dressed a fun, creative process for me.

Preparing to Build Your Fall Wardrobe:

1.) Clean Out Your Closet

To begin the process of building your fall wardrobe, the first step is to take your fall and transitional clothing out of your closet, dresser, and storage, and try on every single item.

As you try things on, make three piles and sort each item into a pile:

• Keep pile: The items in this pile should only be things that fit you perfectly, fit your lifestyle, and things you love (or need — i.e. work uniform). 
• Maybe pile: The items that go here are things you are unsure about and need more time to decide if you want to keep them.
• Donate/Sell pile: The items here are things that it is time to let go of — things you never wear because you do not like or need anymore, they don’t fit well, or they are worn out.

Once you have these three piles, it’s time to set the donate and sell items to the side. You will re-visit them one last time, in step three, to take note of the reason each item is in this pile. After that, assuming the pieces are in good shape, I check with my family and friends to see if they want any of these items and then I donate the rest. If you prefer to sell your clothes, to re-invest into new items in your wardrobe, that is a smart option as well.

If you are like me and you don’t let go of things easily (I call it nostalgia + seeing the potential), then the maybe pile might be a challenge for you. It is okay to need time to decide. You can just store, or make a separate section in your closet for the items in your maybe pile and revisit them next season. If you still haven’t reached for an item when it comes time to sort again, then add it to the donate pile. Whenever I have a special item (ie. vintage pieces from a family member, premium denim, leather boots, nostalgic t-shirt from an event of season in life) but I am not currently wearing it, I keep it stored.

Now you should be left with only your keep pile.

2.) Organize Clothing by Category

The second step in preparing to build your fall wardrobe is to organize your keep pile by category of clothing. Group the garments together and write down what you have organized by category.

How to Categorize:

• Top layers (jackets, cardigans, blazers)
• Tops
• Pants
• Dresses
• Jumpsuits
• Skirts
• Shoes
• Accessories (belts, handbags, hats, jewelry (if you want to include it), etc.)

3.) Identify the Challenges & What is Working

The third step in preparing to build your fall wardrobe is looking over each category to see what challenges exist and what is working.

Look over what you have from your keep pile and think about why you like these items and what makes them work for you. What draws you to each piece, why do you like it? Is it the flattering neckline, detailing on the sleeve that you love, the color, the length of the garment? Your go-to items do not have to be the same as what someone else would choose. This is your closet!

Check back over your donate/sell pile and think about why these items do not work for you and what you dislike about each piece. Is the fabric itchy, is it too see through, is the shape too boxy on you, are the sleeves too short? Recognizing what makes you not want to wear each garment is helpful to understand so that going forward you do not buy garments with these same characteristics.

Common Challenges:

Pieces that do not fit perfectly anymore.  As time goes by, things that used to fit you perfectly, might not anymore — that is normal and totally okay.  There are a variety of reasons this could be the case, but regardless of the reason, you’ve gotten the ill-fitting clothing out of your closet. Now, you might be left with some holes to fill in your wardrobe — but don’t let that scare you off.

Outdated pieces that no longer fit your taste or lifestyle.  You got these out of your closet — the things that you were no longer reaching for — because you did not like or need them anymore.  It might have been a color or print that you used to love that no longer appeals to you. Maybe it was an item that was a gift or it was expensive, and you feel guilty letting it go. It could have been something you don’t wear but look at and think, “but I might wear it again someday.” Or, maybe your life circumstances changed, and you started a new career with a different dress code or you moved to a new place with different weather. Whatever the reason, by getting rid of the things in your closet that were just taking up space you have removed visual clutter and given the pieces more life in the hands of someone else who will wear them — a win win.

Too much of one thing. I have been guilty of this one!  Do you ever go to get dressed and realize you’re staring at a closet full of similar versions of the same thing? Or the same two colors over and over again? If you peek into my closet you will find a lot of jeans, shoes (many of them a shade of tan), quite a few sweaters, and tees – these things are my favorite things to wear and my favorites to buy.  Having favorites is okay, but it’s not ideal to have a lot of duplicates while lacking variety and categories in your wardrobe, which leads me to the next challenge.

Holes in your wardrobe. Do you own any dresses? What about jeans? Skirts? Pants that are not made of denim? Recognizing the categories in your closet that you lack, and intentionally filling them creates a more well-rounded wardrobe with more versatility. This does not mean you buy things just to fill a space (there could be categories that you don’t actually need/will never wear because they do not fit your lifestyle), but you will find if you take a step out of the center of your comfort zone and add some variety to what you have, it will multiply the number of outfits you can make with your wardrobe.

Not knowing what your style is. Can you describe your style? Do you know what you like? Do you know what you don’t like? I personally don’t like to box myself in too much, as I believe that my style is always evolving and changing.  However, having an understanding of what you like and why, helps guide you into making future purchases that align with who you are and what you will actually wear — i.e. shopping responsibly! 

Not knowing how to maximize a small wardrobe budget. You do not have to have a big wardrobe to be able to make a lot of outfits. Versatility is very key when you are working with a smaller amount of pieces. However, if you have a small wardrobe with a lot of gaps in it, you will need to pick up some pieces but don’t fear — there are plenty of ways you can build your wardrobe on a budget. The smaller the piece count, the more intentional you must be with what you have. Buying a variety of high-quality, versatile pieces second-hand is a great way to maximize a smaller wardrobe or smaller budget. You can also sell garments that no longer work for you and to reinvest in new things that will serve you better.

Considerations for What is Working:

• fit preferences: proportions, size, sleeve length, etc.
• fabric: quality, comfort, ease or washing, probability of wrinkling, stretchy or rigid
• aesthetic preferences: neutrals, color or a mix, prints, solids or a mix, versatility
• style preferences: high rise or low rise, cropped, ankle or full length, collars, ruffles, texture, etc.

3.) Create Problem-Solving Strategies

The third step in preparing to build your fall wardrobe is to come up with strategies that solve your current wardrobe challenges using your lifestyle factors and your unique personal style as key considerations.

Problem-solving Strategies:

Pick flattering, well-fitting garments.  Look for garments that you find visually appealing and you feel good/comfortable in. Aim for pieces with proportions that compliment your shape giving you the perfect fit. As a starting point, look over what you have that fits well. Consider what you are drawn to, what colors and fabrics you like.

Buy quality basics. When you are purchasing items that are classic cuts and neutral colors, consider buying higher-quality pieces that can last through many wears and washes and be staples in your wardrobe for years. Spending a little bit more makes sense if it means you do not have to re-buy these items yearly.

Consider your lifestyle needs.  Be thoughtful and honest with yourself about how you spend your time and what your life is filled with — the things you do and places you go.

Consider what the climate is like where you live. How many months are you wearing warm-weather clothes and how many months are you wearing cold-weather clothes? Do you live by the mountains? Do you live by the beach?

Consider how you spend your time. What does your job require you to wear? Are you required to be dressed up? Do you travel or have events you have to attend? Do you workout a lot? How do you spend your free time? Do you adventure and hike a lot? Are you more of a homebody? Analyzing your life and answering these questions gives you clarity and direction on which categories within your wardrobe may need to have more in them, and in which categories you can have less.

Make a plan & shop intentionality.  Think about filling the gaps in your wardrobe before buying more of your favorite items. As I mentioned, I tend to gravitate towards the same things. So without a plan and idea of the things I actually need, I overbuy on my favorite items (jeans, cardigans, tees, brown leather boots) and then lack other things (dresses, skirts, blouses). I will help you walk through this process, you will just need to follow the steps that I will lay out for you throughout this blog post series.

Find & embrace your personal style. Your aesthetic is unique to you! Clothing has a practical side, but it also has an expressive side. I love style but I never take it too seriously— it should be fun and you should feel free to experiment. I want to be intentional and thoughtful about what I fill my closet with, while still keeping it fresh and giving it space to evolve with what I feel good in. If it’s helpful you can write down a few words that describe what your style feels like. I would describe my style as casual/chic and juxtaposed, with a touch of whimsy.

Shop creatively to stay in your budget. You can only spend what you have to spend, so building your wardrobe will likely be a process that takes time and that is okay! If you need to save up and build it slowly, that is normal. You could also buy things second-hand from thrift stores or online on Poshmark or The RealReal to find specific pieces or brands that are normally out of your budget for a lower price. You can use the resources and pace that works for you to help stay within your budget.

4.) Find Inspiration & Make a Wishlist by Category

The last step in the process of preparing to build your fall wardrobe is to find style and outfit inspiration and then make a wardrobe wishlist by category.

If you don’t see common themes in your wardrobe or if you are still having trouble nailing down what you like, pick up a magazine or check Pinterest. You can find and save a bunch of inspirational outfit photos that you like, and see if you can pull any themes from them to guide you.

How to Categorize:

• Top layers (jackets, cardigans, blazers)
• Tops
• Pants
• Dresses
• Jumpsuits
• Skirts
• Shoes
• Accessories (belts, handbags, hats, jewelry (if you want to include it), etc.)

Once you have written everything down, you are ready to move on to the next step and begin building up your wardrobe, layer by layer! In the next post I will give an overview of all the layers in the buildable wardrobe strategy so can you see where we are going and begin to plan accordingly! 

I am super excited to be sharing this process with you and I hope that it helps lead you into easily making a variety of great outfits that you feel fantastic in — outfits that feel like the unique you that you are!

***This post was originally published on August 17, 2020 and has since been updated yearly. The latest version is from on September 3, 2021.***