MY OUTFIT

Earlier this year, I realized that I was spending more that I should on clothes and that many of said clothes didn’t pair together all too well! Fed up with feeling like I had nothing to wear despite regularly adding to my closet, I decided think more intentionally when adding new pieces to my wardrobe.

Here’s how I’ve started shopping (and dressing) more strategically for fall:

Set A Budget

My husband and I like to track our finances each month—we’ve got a general goal we’re working towards with regards to savings, but we also want to make sure we spend money on things that we love. That includes travel, eating out occasionally and (for me) clothes.

I looked at what I was typically spending each month and then tightened the belt a bit (so to speak). Now I’ve got a quarterly budget and I make sure to stick to it! I track all my purchases on a Google Sheet with a couple of simple formulas. It shows the running total of my expenditures, plus the amount remaining in the total budget each time I make a purchase.

I also use it to track potential purchases to see what kind of impact they’d have on the bottom line.

Each new quarter, I begin a new sheet. A couple other tricks to help me stay out of the red? I almost always wait for sales before making a big purchase (otherwise I’ll try to find a discount code) and I make sure to return items if they’ve arrived and I don’t absolutely love them—otherwise they have a tendency to sit in my closet, tags attached!

Create a MoodBoard

I’ll admit, I started to create a moodboard to get inspiration for autumn photoshoots. But it had a side effect of helping me to see a real cohesion of colors and styles that I love.

To create my moodboard, I uploaded images from my bookmarked Instagrams and Pinterest boards to Canva to create a collage. Straight away I noticed that I was gravitating towards a few colors—blush pink, greens and saffron yellow. I also saw that I was loving separates paired with neutral accessories.

This essentially became a blueprint for my fall shopping. Sticking to these shades and styles ensured that not only my blog would be cohesive, my closet would be too.

Look For Gaps

This has two meanings.

One is to look at the gap between how I currently dress and how I want to dress and see what needs to be changed. Looking at my my moodboard, there was a major difference in what was in my closet versus what I really wanted to be buying and wearing. What pieces, removed or added, would help me there?

It also means looking at my closet as a whole and seeing if there are any items that would turn lonely pieces into outfits. For instance, I’ve got a great skirt and the perfect accessories but the right top would complete it. Or maybe I’ve got a few dresses in a certain colorway, but haven’t worn them because I don’t have a bag that matches.

These are my gaps. When I identify them, I write them down in my spreadsheet. When I find pieces that’ll fit the bill, I’ll pin them and add their costs to see how they fit into the budget!

Identify The Big Purchases

And by big, I mean costly!

For instance, this season, I knew from identifying the gaps that I needed a new pair of ankle boots and that a black leather jacket would complete many of my looks. Each of these were a bit pricey (but I opted to go for quality that would last years). I also had been wanting to finally get a couple of Gal Meets Glam dresses.

Before even adding them to my shopping bag, I added the potential prices to my spreadsheet. I’d have loved to have bought more of the GMG dresses, but I knew if I did, I wouldn’t have much money to spend the rest of the quarter. Once happy with the totals, that’s when I allowed myself to hit the checkout button.

That all may sound a bit laborious, but I actually find it fun, plus it makes me happy to see that my money is going towards pieces that I truly love and get plenty of use!

What steps do you take to spend with a bit more strategy? I’m all for any additional tips!

Until next time,

—B