How To Shop Your Wardrobe: Fashion Challenge

Last week I introduced the idea of ‘shopping your own wardrobe‘. This week we’re ready for the next instalment, which is all about having fun with your stuff (aka “fashion challenges”.) 

A fashion challenge is a fun and easy way to stretch your wardrobe to new levels. The “challenge” will force you (in a fun way) to re-imagine and re-style your existing items in brand new ways. You’ll be encouraged to rediscover old items in your wardrobe out of necessity to meet the terms of the challenge.

There are plenty of fashion challenges you can do, although these are my favourite:

1. Monochrome Mayhem

Note: Monochrome doesn’t just mean black and white, it means “all one colour!”

A great fashion challenge that’s geared to ‘shopping your wardrobe’ is this:  Go to your wardrobe and remove every item in one colour family.

Lay them ALL out and look at them as possible contenders for one outfit.

Try various pieces of the same colour together. ie how do those dark grey jeans go with that light grey jumper, and so forth? What about those khaki pants and forest green t-shirt?

Image: http://theglamandglitter.com/

Provided there is enough texture or contrast in proportion, you may find that this type of monochromatic dressing opens up a whole world of new options.

Mira Duma monochrome perfection! Image: http://www.collagevintage.com/

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You can of course, add back neutral shoes and other neutral accessories to avoid looking too much like a monochrome victim, but when executed well this type of monochromatic dressing is fun and sophisticated!

Margaret Zhang manages the monochrome challenge like we knew she would. Image: le21eme.com

2. Play “Wardrobe Work-Arounds”

If you’re truly dedicated to ‘shopping from your wardrobe’, then you’ll need to make a point of wearing your older items again.

In my case, I literally forget what I own (even pieces I love?!) the moment a few new items squeeze their way in. It’s like wardrobe amnesia, and these older things never see the light of day again – if I don’t take steps accordingly.

Julie Sarinana of ‘Sincerely Jules’ teams a classic denim shirt dress with a pre-loved Gucci cross-body bag. Image: www.justthedesign.com

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One of the things I do to make sure I am getting the most out of my wardrobe, is to challenge myself to wear one item per day / per outfit from several seasons ago (ie something “old”.) It can be anything at all. I generally go for shoes that I’ve barely worn and work my way back.

Starting with a fixed purpose forces you to think a lot more creatively when coming up with your outfit for the day.

Added bonus: when you start with something “old”, you’ll rarely wear the exact same outfit twice.

The world’s most inventive dresser, Leandra Medine, is always mixing old with new.
Image:http://www.huntinginheelsfashionblog, www.toovia.com

3. Challenge yourself to a “week without”

We all have wardrobe crutches that we keep going back to time and time again (almost blindly at times), to the exclusion of much else in our wardrobes.

One challenge that’s really great at making us look at our wardrobes with fresh eyes is banning one crutch for a whole week.

Olivia Palermo samples vintage for winter 2015. Image: tommyton.com

It might be black jeans (guilty as charged), or perhaps you’re a little too comfy in your gym gear (wearing it even when you have no intention of working out?) Or maybe you’ve taken to wearing one work suit despite the fact you own half a dozen.

Eliminate the repeat offender/s completely from your repertoire. Take them out of your wardrobe if you have to.  Not only will you be challenged to show your other garments some love, there will be a creative ripple effect that shakes you up and out of that rut in no time.

Do you have any fashion challenges of your own that you use to make the most of our own wardrobe (or to just stave off outfit boredom?) Let us know in the comments below!

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