Three Ways to Wear
A lot of my clients come to me with the idea that they want a capsule wardrobe. Before we even discuss what challenges they’re facing with their wardrobe, they jump to the conclusion that a capsule wardrobe is what they need, and that it’s somehow going to solve their style problems. But what my clients want isn’t necessarily a capsule wardrobe; they want the ease that they think it will give them.
Whether you want a capsule wardrobe or not, I have a tip that will make your wardrobe more cohesive and versatile for you. It’s a simple, practical tip that you can put into practice right now. Are you ready?
You should be able to wear every piece of clothing in your closet at least three ways.
That’s it. That’s the tip. I told you it’s simple.
Why three ways? If you can figure out three ways to wear something, you can probably think of even more ways but three is a solid starting point. If you can wear something three ways, that gives you three outfits. It gives each piece in your closet some mileage and encourages you to get in the habit of creating outfits instead of adding singular stand-alone pieces to your closet. And let’s be real, those one-offs are the sad souls that go to the corner of your closet to die because you don’t know what to do with them.
There are so many other reasons why being able to wear a piece of clothing in three ways is a smart idea. It’s economical; simple math, you’re getting more wear for your money if you can wear a garment multiple ways. And it should cause you to pause when you’re out and about shopping and thinking of buying something. Wait! How am I going to wear this? Can I wear it three different ways with what I already have in my closet? If the answer is no, step away from the garment (it doesn’t matter if it’s on sale if you’re not going to wear it).
It also makes it easier to maintain your closet while giving you options. Sounds a little counter-intuitive, I know, but it’s true. If you have fewer pieces, that’s less to maintain in your closet. And if you’re focused on wearing each piece in three ways, you have a lot of options.
Ultimately, having the ability to wear each piece of clothing you own in three ways is one of the tricks that makes it easy to get dressed. You can think of each of the three ways to wear a piece as one outfit combination. Each of those combinations can likely serve a different purpose or occasion. Lots of combinations at the ready equals easy getting ready!
This idea is extremely simple to put into practice for those classic wardrobe workhorses. I’d argue that anyone can style a pair of jeans or a white t-shirt in three different ways. It gets trickier with pieces that are maybe a little more polarizing—a bold color, a loud print, a silhouette that’s not your norm. To illustrate the concept of wearing a piece of clothing in three ways, I pulled a floral midi slip skirt from my closet and styled it three ways.
I styled this skirt with a button-up, a cashmere-blend sweater and a t-shirt/denim jacket combo. In a few of these looks, I tucked my shirt and even added a belt in one scenario. The skirt doesn’t have belt loops but that doesn’t mean I can’t add a belt. It’s easy to visualize now how this skirt could be styled for work, dinner out or a more casual weekend outing.
I know many of us are thinking about spring cleaning and as you’re going through that process with your closet, keep this tip in mind. Think about each piece of clothing in your closet and consider whether or not it offers you versatility. If you have a piece that has you stumped, let me know in the comments as I’d love to help you create some new-to-you looks. And if you’d like me to do this for your closet, schedule a free discovery call and I’ll tell you all about my 30 Days of Style package.
