In Pursuit Of A Perfect Wardrobe: 7 Pitfalls To Avoid

We’ve all had missteps in the pursuit of a perfect wardrobe.  You know, the wardrobe that transforms your life by making you feel more impressive, more successful, and of course more fashionable.

This pursuit is as much an inward journey as it is an outward one. I’ve yet to find a definitive, failsafe guide for creating a perfect wardrobe. Sure, there are oodles of blog posts and articles that recommend putting together a capsule or getting a color analysis or casting aside out-of-date fashion rules.  You should absolutely read those missives and glean as much knowledge from the offered tips and suggestions as you can. In doing so, be mindful of the following 7 pitfalls that might detract you from your endeavor.

Resistance To New Ideas

Style silhouettes change over time. Hem lengths go up and/or down, the pants legs widen and/or narrow, the volume of sleeves expand and/or contract. It is a sound strategy to stick with classics and resist the temptation of the “new and shiny”. However, on occasion, resistance is futile. Be open to giving newer shapes or colors or patterns a try.

Bits and pieces of the latest trends can easily be incorporated into a perfect wardrobe. Accents like a scarf or belt in a “hot” color of the moment will inject new interest into a trusted go-to outfit. Going bold with your footwear can make a huge impact as well.

Would You, Could You? Sequins, A Utility Jacket, And Pops Of Red

Skipping On Your Homework

Don’t worry, all you need to do is seek out inspiration. We’re talking remote learning. TV shows, movies, social media, blogs, online magazines are all good places for finding style ideas. Limiting your explorations could leave you vulnerable to the influences of retail marketing.

While style ideas abound in that well-known department store’s semi-annual sales, a perfect wardrobe needs more direction then what’s on discount. If you want to feel more impressive, more successful, and more fashionable, then it stands to reason that you don’t want to look like a clone. Without inspirations for fresh ideas on mixing and combining colors, patterns, and fabrics,

Instagram: Head-To-Toe #secondhandstyle Ensemble

Betting on the future

A perfect wardrobe fits you and your lifestyle today, not as it might be tomorrow. This pitfall is not about buying an outfit for an upcoming special occasion. One of my most worrisome shopping habits is buying clothes a smidge too small with the yet-to-be-fulfilled goal of losing the 10 or so pounds needed for it to be the proper size. My rationale is that I so adore the item and I don’t want to lose out on being able to wear it in the future.

All too often, those items are never worn, taking up valuable closet space that could be accommodating clothes that do fit. The inverse of this is “living in the past”. Hanging onto clothes that once did but now no longer fit whether your body or your lifestyle. No need for a drastic purge but a perfect wardrobe has a focus on today.

In Real Life: Age-Appropriate And Backpacks

Ignoring Your Strengths

It seems so easy to focus on our flaws but what about our strengths? Ideally, a perfect wardrobe should detract from problem areas and highlight one’s best features. Each would be done subtly so as to not call attention to the magic that is employed.

As time changes most things, so it does to our flaws and our strengths. Or maybe it’s our perception of each of those. No matter the reason, timely re-evaluations of them can only help in creating a perfect wardrobe.

You got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between

Johnny Mercer

Dismissing Good Advice

Sometimes good advice is difficult to recognize. It might be disguised as a compliment or even a criticism. Perhaps it was unsolicited or it came from a questionable source.  Nevertheless, being open to the opinions of others affords the chance to see yourself through the eyes of others.

Good advice can also come from within. Consider how you might advise a friend or family member and apply that advice to yourself. Become an objective critiquer, allow your style to evolve, and avoid the inertia of self-doubt.

“I have always believed that fashion was not only to make women more beautiful, but also to reassure them, give them confidence.”
– Yves Saint Laurent

Limiting Your Possibilities

All options should be sought out and considered. Forget about obsolete rules that have no purpose. Do not allow the mindsets of others to keep you from exploration. No one need know if your clothes were altered to fit or if they were bought secondhand.

Be a keen observer with the approach that nothing is off limits. Browse in stores that target another age range, read high-end fashion magazines. There’s no fee for looking. Consider the wealth of styling ideas that you can apply to what’s already in your closet.

Reclaim-Recycle-Reuse: Patched Up Jeans

Last, but not least, there is no perfect

By now you might have realized that this post is a bit “tongue-in-cheek” regarding the pursuit of a perfect wardrobe. It both exists and does not exist because its creation is an evolving process. What was perfect before may not be so any longer.

Of course, there’ll be missteps. Those are part of the process of learning what can make you feel more impressive, more successful, and more fashionable. There is no failsafe guide; you’ll learn by trial and error. What’s important is that you have fun along the way.

Would You, Could You? Button Fly White Jeans

I’ll end this missive on the pursuit of a perfect wardrobe with one more quote;

“The most important thing to remember is that you can wear all the greatest clothes and all the greatest shoes, but you’ve got to have a good spirit on the inside. That’s what’s really going to make you look like you’re ready to rock the world.” —Alicia Keys

Be well and let’s stay in touch! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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