9 Amazing Ways To Maximize Your Wardrobe

There are so many ways to maximize your wardrobe but having too many clothes that you never wear is a huge waste of money. You enjoy keeping up with the current fashion trends or wish you could live in your favorite pair of jeans and a white t-shirt every day, your clothing sends a message about who you are, Maximize Your Wardrobe.

The beautiful thing is that you have complete control over that message—as long as nothing you already own stands in the way. There are various ways your closet may keep you from being the most stylish version of yourself, from having a closet bursting with every article of clothes you’ve worn since childhood to owning a tone of pieces you never wear (the definition of wasted money).

Taking inspiration from experts and the LearnVest editors, who pride themselves on looking stylish on a budget, we’ve gathered nine simple and creative ways to refresh your wardrobe without overspending. Try even one of these methods, and it might completely change how you feel about getting dressed each morning.

Observe the Rainbow to maximize your wardrobe

This idea comes from reader Erin Greenbaum, who has been using it for years and has had amazing success with it. Make sure your outfit includes an item of a specific color every day for a week: week one is red, week two is orange, week three is yellow, and so on. This will motivate you to comb through your closet and wear the items that have been languishing, unloved, beneath your staples.

First In/Last Out

In her book You Are What You Wear, Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner reveals that most people only wear about 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time. This “first in, last out” habit often leads to the same few outfits being worn repeatedly, leaving the rest of your closet untouched.

To break this pattern, fashion writer Alden Wicker uses a clever trick—after wearing an outfit, she hangs it at the far end of her closet. This forces her to notice and choose from the clothes she hasn’t worn in a while. If she finds a piece that no longer inspires her, she decides whether it’s time to sell, donate, or repurpose it.

Another option (which may be preferable if you prefer to organize by item type—dresses nearby dresses, shirts along with shirts) is to hang each item inside-out after wearing it (provided you aren’t going to wash it right away). You’ll be able to quickly discover which clothes you’ve worn recently and which you may have forgotten about.

Write It Down

Keep a diary of what you wear and how it makes you feel each day. This approach helps you identify which styles, fabrics, and cuts complement your body type and suit your lifestyle, allowing you to shop smarter and avoid buying pieces that don’t truly work for you. “Along the road, I got to know what I should and shouldn’t be buying,” writes one reader who has kept a notebook like this for years. I discovered that, as sweet as a baby doll top was, and as adorable as the fabric was, the style didn’t make me feel great and would be a waste of money for me.”

Have a Friend Consult

Sometimes all it takes is a fresh pair of eyes to transform your wardrobe from good to great. Morgan Holland invites her most stylish buddy over for supper and a styling session once a season. He raids her closet, assembles ensembles from head to toe, and pictures each one for easy reference. “His fresh vision always gets me wearing things that have been sitting in the back of my wardrobe,” Holland adds, “and each time he goes, I’m armed with 20+ new outfits that I wouldn’t have thought of myself.” I provide him with dinner and copious amounts of alcohol in exchange for his services!”

Choose Your “Uniform”

Tiffany Cowley looks beautiful every day—and it’s not because she changes her outfits every day. She’s pretty much formed a “uniform” that works for her: black skinny jeans, basic t-shirts in white, grey, and black, and wedge heels. She has always preferred accessories such as shoes, jewelry, and scarves to actual clothing pieces, therefore she dresses simply and spends her money on them. (She owns three shoe racks and about 30 pairs of shoes, according to her.)

Look through your clothes and consider what you regular analysis. Even if your uniform consists of two or three fundamental sorts of ensembles rather than just one, having various versions of these go-to’s in the morning will save you time. You can experiment more with shoes and affordable jewellery because you won’t be spending money on changing apparel trends each season.