The 90% Gap in My Wardrobe

One of my biggest style lessons, recently learned the hard way, is that If you have a closet full of clothes and feel like you don’t have anything to wear, there is a gap between what you have in your closet and what actually works with your lifestyle.

I love to get dressed up and go places. If you look at my Pinterest boards you’ll see lots of pretty women wearing adorable dressed up outfits, very structured jeans with soft feminine sweaters, heeled boots, classy long coats and tons of skirt and tights. Sounds so nice and exciting for fall right?? All these beautiful outfits I would love to wear into the city to go shopping with my daughter or out to dinner on a Saturday night. And while I do have occasion to wear some of these dressier styles to my rotary meeting on Thursday or for an hour to church on Sunday, the reality is that my week requires a different kind of outfit. After a recent style look back and calendar assessment, I decided that 90% of my time is spent doing the following: working from home or in the super casual Alan’s Electric shop, cleaning my house, going to yoga, the coffee shop, the gym or the grocery store, walking the dogs, chilling out at home and sitting in a beach chair watching soccer games. So while I would absolutely love to buy a few more fancy pretty sweaters, sezane skirts and expensive boots for this fall, it’s just not helping me get dressed and look cuter for my everyday. My actual wardrobe for all of these comfy casual activities consists of 2 pairs of pretty worn out leggings, last year’s sneakers, two favorite sweatshirts and a somewhat ill fitting ratty old pair of sweatpants. For all my fashion advice, I seem to have missed the mark.

That’s why it’s so important to think about your lifestyle in a practical way when looking at your wardrobe. Having more fun getting dressed and looking more put together is about finding clothes that actually work for you and help you feel comfortable and beautiful 90% of the time, not the other way around. 

Since we’re in the prime closet-transition weeks between summer and fall, here are a few assessments I recommend before buying anything new:

1. Look back at summer and your laundry bin

Think about what worked for you this past summer, what were your go to’s everyday. Ask yourself, if you had to pull only 10 things out of your closet right now to take with you for the next three months in your current life, what would they be? You should be able to think of them quickly and not have to struggle too hard. What is in the laundry bin right now because it’s a definitely gets worn item every week? This is your starting point. Look at these 10 items…what is it you love about them or why are they getting worn so much? What do they have in common?

2. Audit your weekly activities

Next put some time into thinking about what you do every week. Do you have actual nice cute things to do those activities in or are you, like me, saving 90% of your wardrobe for 10% of your time.

3. Reassess the role jeans play in your life

Put some thought into your jeans. Do you have jeans you love? Do you even like wearing jeans and if so, which current pair or pair in the past has worked well for you and why? Would you be willing to spend more money to get a pair of jeans that you absolutely love? Are you methodical about trying on different cuts and sizes when shopping for them? In my opinion jeans should never be a spur of the moment purchase. As a particularly challenging wardrobe staple, they require some extra style love when thinking about how to fit them into your wardrobe.

4. Where’s the gap in your outfit formulas

Finally, think about the different categories in your wardrobe. Most outfit formulas are made up of a bottom (pair of pants, shorts or skirt) a top (t-shirt, fitted shirt, button down or flirty top), a topper (jacket, cardigan, button down or accessory) and a pair of shoes. Are you falling short in one of these three categories? For me it’s bottoms I struggle with, in large part because my inverted triangle shape and affinity toward low rise bottoms often make the fit difficult, and therefore I tend to avoid when shopping. If you have a gap in one of the big three here, that’s notable and worth thinking about as you prep your wardrobe for the upcoming fall season.

These are just a few questions to ask yourself before you head full on into your fall wardrobe. If you really want to start being intentional about the clothes you wear, there is so much advice out there for you. I’ll link some of my favorite resources below. It’s a lifelong style journey we’re on as we’re constantly uncovering our truest self and expressing that image to the world, so no small feet. But each little step forward helps you feel beautiful, confident and stylish at least 90% of the time with a wardrobe that matches your life.

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This post isn’t sponsored. I only share what I genuinely love and use or would use in my own life. Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Thanks so much for supporting Girl Gone Glam—I appreciate you!

In my Amazon cart right now for fall…

• Levi’s Women’s Superlow Jeans – I’ve already purchased these once and returned in the size 29, going to re-order in a the bigger size because I’m determined to find a pair of low rise wide leg jeans that will work for me.
• Trendy Queen Womens Oversized Summer T Shirts – I’ve recently been loving the plain t-shirt for an elevated but comfy look. This feels more elevated than the surfer or graphic t’s of my past. My favorite white t-shirt from he drop is sold out so I’m trying out this one.
• ODODOS Women’s Crossover Flared Yoga Pants Cloud Feeling Soft High Waist Bootcut Leggings – I really need some more comfy pant options so trying some bootcut leggings. 
• SUUKSESS Women Cashmere Oversized Long Sleeve Pullover Sweater Crew Neck Jumpers – You can’t deny me all sweaters for fall…and this one under $50 and it’s a cashmere blend!
• ZAFUL Womens Parachute Pants Y2K Wide Leg Cargo Sweatpants Drawstring Waist Jogger Pants with Pockets – I know parachute pants are a stretch but I’m following my own advice and trying lot of different bottoms…I really need to step up my pants game.

Audible Membership – I can’t say enough good things about having access to reading on the go. There are so many incredible books on Audible and if you are busy but committed to your self development, it can really help you take things to the next level.

My favorite style podcasts:

Her Style Podcast

The Everyday Style School

Two instagram style accounts to follow:

@bestyledco_ – Nashville Personal Sylsists | Blair Moore 

@Alisonlumbatis – founder of @outfitformulasofficial