How do you go about building a wardrobe when you don't have a lot of clothes to being with.
I made a post recently about trying to escape jeans t shirt and boots, mostly cause their are very few things in my wardrobe at all. Ive been lifting for a long time and ive lost a lot of my wardrobe along the way.
Im now at a point where im not fluctuating in my measurments anymore, and I want to start building a wardrobe. People here have told me that I shouldn't buy to much at once, and I agree with them. Although its becoming incredibly frustrating to have only a few pieces of clothing to choose from, and some don't even fit right then having to slowly pace myself when buying more clothes.
so in this scenario, does it make sense to maybe buy a little extra clothes for now, and how should i attempt to budget it so or choose items of clothing.
13 Replies
Hi @VibeCheck! The best way to get a good answer is to ask a great question.
Please consider including:
- Reference pictures of things you like or are looking for. The more the better!
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- Measurements of your favourite fitting clothing. Learning these measurements will go a long way in helping you shop online and secondhand!
- Whether you're happy to buy secondhand.
- Whether you prefer to buy in person or are open to shopping online.
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Also, please use the search function to see if a similar question has already been asked!
I'd probably start by reading this https://discord.com/channels/1116793467654381685/1386012792934498375
and then ask further questions you have after looking at those answers
When I had to rebuild my wardrobe after losing some weight, I started by buying some inexpensive basics just so I would have stuff to wear that fit me. I think the advice about not buying too much all at once is more a warning against buying a lot of pieces, and spending a lot of money, before you really know what you want, or what your style is. That takes time and patience.
You say you want to "escape jeans and T-shirts", but does that really mean you never want to wear them again, that they have no place in your wardrobe? Maybe so (only you can answer that), but it seems likely to me that buying a few pairs of jeans and tees that fit you is a totally reasonable thing to do while you figure out your next move.
I was mostly referecnign that, becasue Ik what my style is, but I just love anything with jeans, and Ive been trying to dress less basic lol. and i was trying to figure that out in the texas heat. and the style that i like doesnt work well in texas lol
How about some linen pants cut like jeans? (The term to search for is 5-pocket). I have a pair from RL that I love that I got secondhand. Also, Levis is currently selling some jeans made from a cotton/linen blend (mostly cotton tho)
Yeah maybe, i think ive been doing a lot of what one person said in this topic
ive been working on collecitng inspo of what I like, and getting some more basic stuff to try and build up outfits
and stuff that can make more than one outfit. like ill only buy one thing if ik i can mix it with other stuff. basically avoding getting a shirt that only matches one specific pair of pants
it makes sense in a vacuum but for your specific life? only you know the answer. like soup said, the totd was made for this very thing, and jfar's take is worth considering
to paraphrase the subtle art of not giving a fuck, you're gonna have to choose how to suffer
- keep wearing the clothes that don't fit while continuing to slowly buy stuff, suffering now via physical discomfort or negative self-perception in said clothes
- buy some amount of potentially disposable clothing, suffering later by potentially not having space for it and needing to get rid of it
there is no right or wrong choice, and people, myself included, have done both (in my case losing 80 lbs twice). speaking only for myself what makes looking at inspo and wearing your old clothes in the meantime effective is that you'll likely encounter something that just hits you as "oh that is cool i want this", and the process of buying it and wearing it yields a snowball effect.
your budget in either case depends on how much money you want to devote to this (i am not a financial professional).
if you really just want a starter pack while figuring this out, i- against general sentiment- would say just follow the basic bastard with the understanding that it is 1) outdated and 2) may lead to a point where you're wondering where to go beyond the outline it provides.
It could be helpful to share some of your favourite inspo pics, people would be able to help identify common clothing or accessories that tie in with those
accessories
hard to dress up jeans and a shirt interestingly in the heat
unless you go another route
go into #waywt #inspiration #waywt-highlights and pick out pictures and outfits that speak to you
and then break down what they're doing that you arent yet
Yeah i can work on finding some, I think i just dont know what to do becasue a lot of what I like doesnt make sense for Texas lol
For me its a lot of the 70s high wasted loose/straight fit jeans pants, snip or round toe boots(cowboy)
tucked in shirts/t shirts with a interesting belt that I can color match to my boots lol, but no belt buckles lol
I found some I liked in the inspo in this discord, but i think id get heat stroke after my fingers tips came anywhere near a suede jacket
but i do really love suede and braided belts, I can get that out of the betls and boots i choose at least
I think my stlye that ive worn for a while apperantly is "70s rockstar with cowboy boots" causer thats why i typed in and i lIke everything lol
i Would kill to wear suede jaackts and leather jackets though, i love wearing them, but onyl for the 3 months of iffy winter houston gets
mid or high rise straight fit jeans, belted or non belted.
mid or high rise straight fit trousers, belted or non belted.
a nice summer shirts, with or without a visible white ribbed tank under.
rings, maybe necklace, maybe earrings.
cowboy boots, maybe a few pairs in different colors/leathers.
short length leather jacket(s) for the colder months.
you can get creative from there
glasses, hats, different belts, different jewelry, layering when its colder etc
tucking, half tucking, untucked, etc.