In Spades

Style... in abundance

30-day Shop Your Closet Challenge

Pink bell sleeved topWearing a top I haven’t worn in years, paired with my go-to jeans and sneakers.

I’ve always been a fan of “shopping your closet.”  It’s a great way to breathe new life into pieces you may have forgotten about.  As we come out of the year of sweat pants and loungewear, this is a great exercise for redefining your personal style.

If you’re doing some spring cleaning or want a refreshed wardrobe at no cost, follow these tips:

  1. Choose 6-10 items from your closet you haven’t worn in 6 months+. These pieces will be your capsule wardrobe for the month.
    1. Make sure they’re seasonally appropriate and aim for roughly 2 bottoms, 2 tops and 2 dresses or jackets.
  2. Hang them front and center in your closet or on a rolling rack/other location where they are “on display.”
  3. Each day when you get dressed, choose 1 item from your capsule collection.
    1. Challenge yourself to build different looks around that 1 item.  How many can you come up with?
  4. At the end of the month, assess how each piece in your capsule made you feel.
    1. Did everything fit appropriately?  Was it all comfortable/appropriate for your lifestyle?
    2. Does anything need a slight alteration or repair to be a “hero piece” again?
    3. Which ones were the winners?  Losers?

At the end of the 30-day challenge, you’ll know which pieces to sell/donate and the wardrobe categories where you might have a void to fill or an abundance to be mindful of.

Shop the Post

My 2 Best Fashion Investments Going into Fall

Photos by Astray Photography

Shop the Post

Late in the summer I picked up two pieces that have been great investments for their comfort and versatility.  This pink bell sleeved top (currently 40% off!) is the perfect transitional piece because it’s lined, making it ideal for the cooler months, and also made of 100% cotton so you can wash it.  Most of my statement tops are dry clean only, so it’s refreshing to have something I can easily throw on that still looks polished and doesn’t require a long wait until the next wear.  Thankfully bell sleeves are here to stay – they were all over the S/S18 runways – so I’ll still have a stylish option come 2018.  For those interested in more neutral colors, this top also comes in black and white, which I’ve linked above.

The second wise investment I made this summer was these black studded sandals.  A riff off of these Isabel Marant stunners, they are a fraction of the price and super comfortable.  With a padded insole, soft suede straps and a reasonable heel, they look great with jeans or dresses.  I’m finding that more and more of my shoes and accessories have gold hardware and accents, so the silver studs are especially appealing when I want a cooler palette to work from.

And while stilettos will always be in fashion, block and kitten heels are becoming more mainstream every day.  Personally, I’m thrilled.  You can’t beat the comfort of a block or low kitten heel and I think they are so much more fashion forward.  Take a look at the gold standard for shoe and accessory trends – Celine.  Their current lineup features kitten, triangular and block heels almost exclusively.

What have been your best clothing and accessory investments this season?