Despite the fact that a lot of us are obsessed with meeting the new standard for fashionable every year, the truth is that it costs quite a lot. Clothes are expensive. Like really fucking expensive.
Also, fast fashion is only adding to this problem. Clothes are made quickly and cheaply to be worn for a season and the thrown out. This results in a ton of other issues that I don’t have time to cover right now, but you can find out more here.
So instead of throwing out an entire wardrobe every year, what do you do? I’m going to tell you, duh. And to show you that I’m right, I’m gonna style some outfits just for you, using the items that I discuss in this post.
1. Thrifting
This one’s obvious. Thrift stores are one of my favorite places to find clothes that are inexpensive. Since all of the clothes are used, this means that they’re heading to your closet instead of the landfill. And when you’re done with them, you can donate them again. It’s the circle of life.
Obviously, some stuff that gets donated is trash. But if you know what to look for, you can find brand new items, great deals, and one-of-a-kind pieces. You just have to be smart and patient.
I’m also going to count yard sales as being under this umbrella. Cheap, worn clothes are still cheap, worn clothes no matter where you get them from.
You can even thrift shop online now, so there’s no excuse. Just going online while I was typing this paragraph, I found some really interesting items. Unfortunately, the images listed are almost always low-quality, but that really can’t be helped.
From shop goodwill:
Embroidered JOVANI Evening Dress
This black formal dress with a floral pattern across the bodice immediately caught my eye. I really love how the sparkly black fabric contrasts with the embroidery. The hemline is reminiscent of the lettuce edged shirts and dresses that were popular in 2019. It’s one of the most expensive items that I looked at (it cost around $66), but this is likely due to the brand name and is still far below what it would have cost brand new. (Also, I’d hem it to be shorter. There’s nothing flattering about a dress that hits you mid-ankle, as it looks like this dress might).
From thredUP:
Comfy Red Sweater
This chenille sweater looks so soft I want to die. Do I need to say anything else? $8.38
Ruffles (Not the Chips)
Ok, so this blouse could definitely end up looking very dated if worn wrong- think mid 2000’s office wear. Personally, I would replace the buttons to something a little less rhinestone-y (maybe something in a muted, worn-looking pewter). It would need to be worn with something less busy on the bottom to balance out all of the ruffles. All that aside, I think the color is what makes this a good find. With a few changes here and there, it definitely could be cute.
Dusty Rose Blazer
Am I crazy, or are blazers cool again? Oh, just me…Well I still think this one looks nice, and it’s only $15.99. There’s something slightly masculine about a blazer that I love, the silhouette is perfect. And even if I’m crazy, I’d much rather wear a structured blazer over a formal dress if I need to, rather than a shapeless cardigan.
2. Antiques
Similar to thrift shopping, you can find a lot of stuff at antique stores. This is less the place to go for clothes and more the place to go for accessories, since fabric tends to age and it isn’t likely that there’s gonna be a ton of stuff in your exact size.
This option is also more expensive, since instead of being full of junk that no one wanted, antique stores are often full of valuables.
That being said, I get a lot of my jewelry at antique stores. I like how they look and I’ve managed to find some things that weren’t bank-breaking. Here are a few of the accessories that I purchased while antiquing.
Oops, kinda blurry 
Leather fanny pack? Fuck yeah!
And just like with thrifting, you can now shop for antiques online. Here are some examples.
From Go Antiques:
Vintage Clutch
This is a really cool vintage purse with a golden chain handle. Maybe I’m just a bitch for floral embroidery, but I think this looks amazing. It could pair well with a casual look or a more formal one. $35.
Sparkly Shoes
Sparkles can be overdone (obviously), but here it’s done right. These shoes are pretty fucking cool, with tiny gems accenting just a small part of the black satin. I don’t know about you, but I would wear the shit out of these with jeans for a first date.
3. Repurpose Old Stuff
I know it’s tempting to throw out your old clothes. They aren’t exciting anymore, you’ve worn them too much, etc. And sure, if you absolutely have to you could send them to a thrift store. But then you’d have to get more stuff, and that’s a hassle.
First, make sure you have clothes in your wardrobe that go with anything. I’m talking solid color shirts, jeans, LBD, black heels, etc. These don’t have to be boring necessarily, but they shouldn’t be too out there. Anything that looks too specific will be dated in a few years. Wardrobe staples will be timeless, and you can wear them until they literally fall apart.
Second, learn some practical skills. I personally grew up being obsessed with Little House on the Prairie. A consequence of this is that I can hand sew really well. Another consequence is that through middle school I was a huge nerd. I’m talking teeny-tiny little stitches that would make your great-grandmother proud. I can machine sew as well, but I’m pretty mediocre at that. These skills come in really handy for fixing torn clothing, modifying clothing to be more current, and making my own clothing.
I’m not saying you have to be an expert. But learning just the basics will make it so that you don’t waste clothing as much. Some basic stitches that I think are pretty easy to learn are:
- The running stitch (what you think of when you hear sewing)
- The backstitch
- The slip stitch
- The whip stitch
You can learn more about hand sewing here. I also watch Bernadette Banner on YouTube, and I think she demonstrates hand sewing really well.
4. Stop Giving a Shit
Finally, the ultimate way that you can keep from buying a new wardrobe every year is to stop giving a shit. Stop being concerned about what others think about your wardrobe. Fashion is changing at such a rapid rate that keeping up is impossible anyways.
So just say fuck it. Wear clothes you’ve had since 2011. Wear jeans and t-shirts every day for an entire semester (or what I like to call, my depression look). Wear the same outfit 1,000 different times.
We live in a consumer culture, but that doesn’t mean you always have to be consuming. (Thank you for coming to my TedTalk).
And after that little rant…
…Here are the outfits that I styled using the above items. Sorry it took so long to get here, but thanks for sticking with me.
In the hypothetical scenario where I replaced the awful buttons on our blue blouse, I paired it with a darker blue skirt, red boots, and the vintage clutch. The use of primary colors makes the look pop, and everything worn ties back to the color palette of the clutch, which is the focal point of the outfit.
I took our first JOVANI dress and decided to dress it down. It was a little too formal for my tastes, and it ended up pairing perfectly with the rosy blazer that we looked at. Paired with tall nude heels and a black choker, this outfit is a fresh, modern business casual look. Since the embroidery and the pink colors could have made this look lean too girly, the height given by the shoes and the choker add just enough edge. Take off the blazer, and you have an evening look.
For my final outfit. I paired the red sweater with dark jeans and the sparkly heels from the antique store. However, after approximately 37 billion tries drawing those stupid shoes, I couldn’t get it right. So I gave up, sorry.
Cheers,
Evelyn
Hazel Eyes Fashion 