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Curate Your Fall Wardrobe in Three Steps

Here in my home state of Arizona, the temperatures have dropped (sometimes even below 100!), and giant pumpkins have started showing up at the grocery store, signs that fall is nearly upon us. Take some time this weekend to plan out your fall wardrobe in three steps:

1. Edit last season's clothing, including shoes, accessories and outerwear.

If you don't know what you already have, you can't shop thoughtfully. Gather everything you might wear this fall in one spot and do a careful review. What do you have that never got worn? Is it time for it to find a new home? What doesn't fit right now? It's okay to set clothes aside for a time, but don't include them in your fall wardrobe if they don't fit today. Below are some of the work clothes I no longer need:

 


I've already given away the two dresses shown here, but I'll be setting aside my work trousers and blazers for now, in case I have occasion to wear them.

2. Create a compact, intentional wardrobe from your available pieces.  

Eliminate "decision fatigue" and look great every day by limiting your wardrobe choices. What if you only had a few quality items to choose from, but they ALL looked great on you? Identify the pieces you like the best and start with them as a base. Because you'll be building your wardrobe with pieces from Goodwill (or another thrift store), you'll be able to keep your expenses down.

For inspiration, try Courtney Carver's Project 333 approach, which recommends that you limit your clothing, accessories and outerwear to just 33 items for any given season and store the rest.

I like Jennifer Scott's 10-item wardrobe approach, which is similar but puts more emphasis on your ten core items with "extras" (e.g., accessories, shoes and outerwear) rounding out your wardrobe.

Here are the core pieces I've selected (jeans were purchased new; everything else was purchased used) from what I currently own:




I'm happy with my current crop of scarves and shoes:

3. Identify the holes you want to fill and make a shopping list.

Now you are armed and organized when you go shopping. You should have a fairly clear mental image of the type of item that will fit the bill so that you can "recognize" it when you see it on a hanger.

Here's my list, along with what I expect to spend on each item:

  • A nice jean jacket - $15 - $20
  • Dark-wash (nice) skinny blue jeans - $10 - $15 (I might need to purchase new)
  • Two to three heavier-weight long-sleeve tops - $5 to $8 each
  • Mid-weight jacket, sweater or poncho for colder days - $15 - $20
  • Leggings to go under black t-shirt dress (I'll likely purchase these new): $15?
Total: $70 - $94 total, which I plan to spend over September and October (or $35 to $57 per month).

I'll report back with what I find and what I actually spent around the end of October. Good luck with your own Goodwill shopping and Happy Hunting!



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