Here’s how to get over 250 new outfits without spending a dime

If you’re anything like me, you’ve likely accumulated a ton of clothes over the years, many of which are one-hit wonders or impulse buys that go with… nothing else.

And as soon as the thrill of these items wears off and the “likes” from my Insta OOTD fade, I’m off buying even more clothes, and the cycle repeats itself. 

You might say that this is a natural result of living in an image-obsessed, chronically online society, and it might be. Or perhaps I’m just a slave to capitalism. Who knows?

But one thing I knew for sure was that something had to change. 

I had to stop the endless consumption, the mindless purchases, and the wardrobe dissatisfaction this inevitably created. 

How I solved my wardrobe problem 

So, I did something I should have done a long time ago – cue the cinematic music – a wardrobe overhaul. 

Unoriginal, I know. But I promise, it’s not your typical wardrobe refresh (although I did end up culling a bunch of stuff). 

So, what is it that I did exactly?

I took out every single one of my tops and tried them on with every single one of my bottoms so that I could see all outfit combinations possible.

The aim was to prove to myself that I didn’t need more clothes, I just had to learn how to wear the ones I already had. 

At the end of the process, I had spent zero bucks but got a brand new wardrobe (just go with it… it’s #girlmaths).

The five-hour-long process was well worth it

Finding a full day to dedicate to this mammoth task was a feat in itself, but the promise of hundreds of new outfits was too enticing. 

I figured out that if this process saved me just 15 minutes every morning, then the five hours I spent would be worth it and I would break-even after 20 days. 

So, I cleared a Sunday, put on an audiobook for company and got to work. 

I started with a bottoms-first approach, pairing each pair of pants or skirt with each viable top, then repeated, snapping photos of each outfit as I went.

I say ‘viable’ tops, because not all pairings worked, but that was the beauty of doing this – so I could see every wearable outfit not every possible outfit.

I know this all sounds very manual, and it is, but I’ve tried other alternatives like digital closet organizers and they just didn’t cut it for me.

Take Whering, for example, the Clueless-esque style app that lets you swipe through all your tops and bottoms to make outfits. For this, you still need to go through your entire wardrobe, take photos of your clothes and upload them to the app, which takes just as much time, if not more. 

Plus, something about the 2D nature of this just doesn’t capture the essence of an outfit. Something that might look good on your screen, might not translate in real life.

My mornings are now streamlined, no more chopping and changing

Overall, this process was not only super useful, it was enjoyable. I discovered combinations I would never have thought to reach for, unearthed hidden gems that were collecting dust and had fun experimenting with different styles. 

I also came to realize the items I needed to break up with. If they didn’t go with much else, they got the flick (to Vinnies or to friends.)

After all this, I was left with 27 tops and nine bottoms – about 230 outfits once I removed the non-wearable pairings.

And that’s not including dresses, jumpsuits and playsuits, which didn’t need to be photographed because you just chuck them on. This brought my grand total to over 250 outfits.

I now have a personalized lookbook album in my camera roll, which I creatively titled ‘Outfits’ and use to pre-select my outfits the night before. 

So, it turns out I don’t need a constant supply of new clothes, well…  maybe just a new blazer. I did find that I’m lacking in that department and it is coming into the colder weather….

*Googles black blazer.*