It’s no secret that I love to shop. And as a fashion blogger, sometimes it can feel like your job to buy the latest clothes and share them with your followers. It’s so easy to get caught up in the cycle you see on Instagram where fashion bloggers have new clothes seemingly every day. But the truth is that isn’t real life at all.
My goal at Kelseyybarnes is to share fashion inspiration and tips with you from my perspective as an American in Amsterdam. And the reality of being an American expat here is that I spent the majority of this year unemployed. That meant that I couldn’t shop like I used to. In fact, I spent several months on a shopping freeze that taught me a lot.
One of the biggest things I learned was to shop my own closet. Not being able to buy the latest trendy pieces meant that I had to get creative with what I already own. I’ve spent a lot of time researching the latest trends and then seeing how I can make my closet work.
Below I’m sharing how you can shop your closet like a fashion blogger. You shouldn’t feel pressured to buy the latest thing when there are many ways that you can use what you already own.
Read this post and let me know how you plan to shop your closet like a fashion blogger in the comments.
Xx, Kelsey
Start with an open mind – It’s so easy to stand in front of your closet and feel like you have nothing to wear. I’ve been there. More times than I can count. The first thing you need to do to shop your closet like a fashion blogger is to open your mind.
Do some research – I love looking at clothing websites for inspiration. Instead of looking at them for what you want to buy, look at how the clothes are styled. For example, Zara (one of my favorite sites for inspiration) does a great job of layering items in unexpected ways in their “New In” section. Or take a look at how J.Crew incorporates the french tuck.
Test out what you’ve researched – The best way to shop your closet like a fashion blogger is to try your clothes on in new ways. For example, I was inspired by this post to layer a classic black turtleneck underneath a tank I’ve had for years. Noticed the way Zara layered a dress over jeans in one of their photos? Try layering last year’s dress over your own jeans.
Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize – Adding accessories is the easiest way to make your outfit look more interesting. It’s a trick that fashion bloggers use all the time. Jeans and a basic sweater become far more interesting when you add a scarf, trendy hat and fun sunglasses. This is also the one place that it’s ok to buy something new. You can easily make last year’s dress trendy for this year by adding an inexpensive western belt. Plus that accessory can be used over and over again to make other items in your closet feel fresh.
OUTFIT DETAILS:
J. Crew tissue turtleneck (one of my favorite staples, and it’s back in stock for the season) | Tank is very old Ralph Lauren | Gap similar jeans here | Similar boots here and here | Cinco ginger necklace
