Closet Upcycle: How to Breathe Fresh Life into Your Wardrobe Without Spending a Dime

Matron Saint dress // Anthropologie jacket (sold out, similar here and here)
Valentino boots (sold out, similar here and here) // Janessa Leone hat
Love Tatum Kali wrap necklace and initial pendants

I recently came across a fascinating article in Vanity Fair that follows the haunting true story of a fake heiress.  It got me thinking about our current culture of Instagram stars, extreme excess and mass consumption.  Nowadays it’s commonplace to hear about influencers attending the Cannes Film Festival, touring Morrocco with a private butler and owning a slew of designer outfits.  While I would love to attend Cannes and wear Valentino on the regular, that just isn’t reality – at least not for me.  Further, the more common and in your face this reality becomes, the more the masses expect it.  It becomes almost normal.

One of the challenges of running a fashion blog is having content to shoot.  And by content, I mean clothes.  Nordstrom recently cracked down on bloggers who were abusing their generous return policy.  These bloggers would buy tons of clothes, shoot the outfits for their blogs and then return everything.  While I would never do that, I do feel the pressure to have new material to share with you.

I reflected on this pressure and realized that I don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of new stuff.  I can upcycle.  In other words, go shopping in my own closet!

You may remember this trench coat from way back in my archives.  It can be styled as a dress or a jacket, which is awesome because you know I love a dual purpose piece.

Out of all the Janessa Leone hats I own, this one is probably my favorite.  It reminds me of one of my favorite movie characters and has the ability to transition from fall to spring.  I love dressing it up a bit, but it also looks fabulous with a ponytail and jeans (a look I’m quickly realizing is awesome with a baby).  Read: no maintenance.

These boots are oldies but goodies – the leather still smells as fabulous as the day I bought them.

Upcycling is a great way to breathe fresh life into your closet.  Michael Kors famously told us that we only wear 20% of our wardrobes anyway.  I challenge you to take a look at what you have in your closet and see how you can re-style things into new and exciting looks.

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