Ultimate Guide To Creating A Versatile And Wearable Wardrobe

Today, we want to guide you through creating the perfect wardrobe (and no, not the piece of furniture but, you know, the stuff kept inside.) Without a doubt there will always be those I have nothing to wear days, but we hope that this guide will help minimise those moments just a little bit for you in the future!

Step One: Have A Clear Out 

Ever look at your wardrobe and feel completely uninspired? There can be multiple reasons for this, surprisingly the most common is that you have too many clothes and your wardrobe is simply unorganised! Spending a day clearing out the clutter and arranging your clothes so you know where everything is can be very refreshing. You can make note of the pieces you are missing from your wardrobe and find ways of getting rid of the clothes that you haven't worn in years. Drop them round a charity shop, donate them to a women's shelter or find a clothes bin! It can be tough, some of us (guilty as charged!) get quite attached to our clothes, thinking that one day it might look right or you might find a way to style it better, but the truth is, if you've not worn it in the past 6 months, you're unlikely to wear it again. Make a keep, maybe and no pile, then try on all the "maybes" and be honest with yourself. Is it ever going to fit and does it make you feel good? If it doesn't make you feel confident, then it's got to go. 

Step Two: Cover The Basics

Making sure you have the basics covered really is the ideal thing to do. The staple pieces in your wardrobe are the ones you will wear the most, even if they're not very exciting. The key to the perfect wardrobe is to have a strategy rather than just impulse buying. Buying on impulse often results in lots of individual pieces that don’t make a consistent style. This doesn't mean you have to stick to "uniform" dressing (where you end up wearing the same type of clothes all the time) but it means that you must have pieces that are able to tie your wardrobe together, and these pieces are what we call the basics.

Some Key Items For An Affordable Staple Wardrobe:

1. Little Black Dress £32 | 2. Skinny Jeans £30 | 3.  Biker Jacket £38 | 4. Ankle Boots £60

5. Duster Coat £29.99 | 6. Striped Top £12.99 | 7. V-Neck Tee £12 | 8. Knitted Jumper £12 | 9. Pointed Flats £12

10.  Crepe Blazer £42 | 11. Pointed Heels £25 | 12. Midi Pencil Skirt £18 | 13. Fitted White Shirt £25 | 14. Shopper Bag £19.99

15. Cami Top £15 | 16. Longline Cardigan £30 | 17. Clutch Bag £12.99 | 18. Leather Skirt £25

Step Three: Introduce Statement Pieces

Even when it comes to introducing statement pieces into your wardrobe, you want to think selectively and take your time. You want to be able to pick out at least three different ways you can wear the statement piece using what you already have in your wardrobe (or at least are planning on buying). You don't want something that you buy solely because it's on trend so that you end up only wearing once. You want to build a wardrobe that's really you, and if you stick to your personal style then you will end up with pieces that complement each other effortlessly.

19. Rose Print Shorts £19.99 | 20. Grid Print Trousers £20 | 21. Tartan Blazer £24.99

22. Metallic Top £35 | 23. Faux Fur Coat £75

5 Quick Tips & Tricks

Finding your personal style:
If you struggle with finding your personal style, you need to ask yourself why. Is it because you lack the confidence to wear what you really want to wear? Is it because you don't think you look as good in clothes as those that inspire your personal style? Whatever the problem is, you need to recognise it and confront it. We are all different at the end of the day, with different body shapes and styles. The fashion industry may favour certain body types over others, but the fashion industry is very different to your personal style! If you're worried about pulling something off, recruit a kind friend who you trust to be honest with you. It's sometimes hard to do, but don't directly compare the way your wear something to how someone else wears it, focus on you and celebrate your own uniqueness. You might not be able to pull off a tiny crop top, but they might not be able to fill out that plunge top as well as you.

Don't pay attention to the size number:
This maybe really hard to do, but it's important to remember that the measurement of sizes tend to differ from store to store. Just because something is in your usual size, doesn't mean that it will look right on you. If you're persistent on sticking to your size and end up buying something too tight or too loose, then you can actually make yourself look bigger than you really are. If the size up flatters you more than the size down, does it really matter that the number is bigger when you look smaller?

Don't waste money on shoes that look better than they feel:
Let's face it, they may look amazing, but you're never going to be able to wear them. Take your time to try on shoes and try three sizes for the optimal fit, as like with clothes, the sizes can very from store to store or shoe to shoe.

There's social shopping and then there's mission shopping:
If you're not just spending the day casually wondering around the shops with friends, chances are you're on a mission to find something you need. For these occasions prepare a list to keep you on track to avoid impulse buying and go solo. You don't want to be worrying about someone waiting for you when you're trying to find the perfect pair of jeans. Of course, impulse buying can be fine sometimes when you really love something, but not when you are just buying it on a whim because you don't want to leave empty handed.

If you don't love it, return it:
Give yourself a time limit (obviously keep in mind the store's return policy) and whether you choose two weeks or four, if you don't wear it in that time, do make the effort to return it. Unwanted clothes that you've never worn help towards creating an uninspiring and cluttered wardrobe.

Do you have any tips to when it comes to creating the perfect wardrobe? Let us know in the comments below!