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Welcome back to Wardrobe Wednesday! Wardrobe Wednesday is when we get inspired by the clothes we already have in our wardrobe. And one way we can do that is by recreating inspirational Pinterest outfits. Here’s how this exercise can foster creativity and excitement in your wardrobe again! And keep scrolling to see the outfit we’re recreating today. (Hint: it’s inspired by an over 50 Parisian woman!)
Why You Should Recreate Outfits
1. Get Inspired Again
It happens to even the most fashion savvy- you get bored with your wardrobe. And instead of lighting it all on fire (arson is a crime FYI) and starting over, the right (and legal) thing to do is to get reinspired with what you already have.
The best way to do this is to pair items together that you haven’t tried yet. New outfit combinations equal a new outlook on your fashion life! And when you’re mentally stuck wearing the same jeans + t-shirt combo, you need to seek inspiration from those around you.
2. Try Out Things You Wouldn’t Normally Wear
Trying out clothes you wouldn’t normally pair together can lead to a bunch of laughs (like, okay, this looks terrible on me), but it can also lead to a moment of genius. Okay, maybe it won’t be that dramatic, but I can almost guarantee that you’ll feel pleasantly surprised.
When you “copy” an outfit to the best of your ability that you never thought you’d wear, you may find that you actually like the way it looks together. And soon it may become a new outfit in your monthly rotation!
3. Learn a New Styling Trick
It’s only natural- we find something we like and feel comfortable in so we stick to it. The same tuck of the shirt, the same cuff of the jeans. After a while, it all feels….the same.
Recreating outfits is a great way to break out of your comfort zone and try a new styling trick so things start to feel new and exciting again.
4. Help Build a Shopping List
Let’s say you’ve saved a bunch of outfits you want to try and as you’re putting together the outfits, you realize you’re consistently missing a few key pieces. This is helpful because now you know what you need to add to your shopping list! Though we frequently publish wardrobe checklists because we believe them to be a key in wardrobe building, for some people, sometimes you don’t know what you’re missing until you try to style certain outfits.
5. Discover the Possibilities
If you see someone’s cute outfit online and then click on the shirt and see that it’s $500, you may feel deflated and quickly dismiss that potential look from your brain. But you don’t always have to have the exact piece to get the same look.
If you use my links you are supporting MCO and the future of this website (no pressure haha), but even if you don’t purchase from this site and instead, find the same item second-hand, the point is that you are still being able to create the look on a budget that works for you! That’s what really matters.
Related: A Classy Summer Capsule Wardrobe for Women Over 50
Okay, that’s the why. Now it’s time for the what. Let’s get to recreating!
blue button down + dark blue pants + strappy sandals + brown belt + burlap or straw tote bag + sunglasses
Isn’t it amazing how classic style looks good on everyone? No matter the age. This look was inspired by Linda V Wright, a 74-year-old Parisian-based woman who owns a cashmere clothing shop in the City of Lights.
I don’t have dark blue linen pants like the ones that she’s wearing, so I improvised with wide-leg jeans instead, as I like the contrast of a fitted and belted waist against roomier bottoms. After all, the goal is not to buy anything for this unless it’s a real wardrobe need!
jeans | bag | button-down (similar)
I can’t get enough of a simple cuff or roll of the sleeve. In the photos above, you can see both ways, and I think exposing some forearm looks effortlessly cool, and makes more sense for summer.
I adore her striped jute/burlap tote, but since I don’t have that, I swapped it for a straw bag. The essence is the same- something light with texture for summer!
Recreating this look reminded me of the power of matching your accent colors, especially your browns. Carrying the same shade of brown (or very close) throughout your outfit makes it feel polished and pulled together. It’s the same idea as matching your hardware, from the buckle on your loafers to the zipper on your purse, it’s an easy way to look complete!
Though I didn’t have the exact same pieces, as my shirt is a little different and I don’t have blue linen pants, I still came away with a few new styling ideas. I rarely wear belts so I want to do that more. It adds a nice polished touch. Plus I want to match my belt to my shoes more often for a pulled-together look!
Now it’s your turn!
How To Recreate an Outfit
The overall purpose of recreating outfits is to open your eyes to the potential you already have in your wardrobe.
1. Do a Wardrobe Inventory
You need to know what you have hanging up in your closet before you start seeking out new outfits to create. Familiarize yourself with what you already have.
And while you’re at, go ahead and do a closet clean-out. Because I’m always pro clean-out. This will weed out the junk and make putting together new outfits way easier!
2. Find the Looks You Want To Recreate
Pinterest or Google are great tools for this because you can search for the aesthetic you want to recreate whether it’s “classic summer outfit” or “fashion over 50 summer outfit”. (But if you’re recreating the outfit in this post, then go ahead and skip this step.)
3. Start With the Foundational Piece(s)
Now is the time to actually build the outfit. The foundational piece is almost always a wardrobe staple and is either the bottoms or the top. Accessories come last. Start by finding the bottom or top that is most like the photo.
4. Find the Essence of the Outfit
If you stick to the rule of not buying anything new (unless you find it’s a missing wardrobe staple), then you’re going to eventually find an outfit that you can’t copy to a T. But don’t give up!
Make a swap for what you feel the essence of the piece is. Meaning- if the outfit is featuring a blue skirt and you don’t have a skirt, what makes up the overall look the most? Is it the fact that it’s a skirt or the fact that the color blue is introduced? Depending on what you feel the answer is, make the acceptable swap.
For this outfit, let’s say that you don’t have a blue button-down. What makes this outfit classy for summer is the combination of the wide-leg pants + a button-down. So even if what you have isn’t blue, you can still pick the button-down that most closely resembles it.
5. Complete It With Accessories
Now that you have the major staples together, you can finish off the look and complete it with the right accessories that match the picture!
To copy this look, do you have the right wardrobe staples?
Wardrobe Checklist
If you missed the first installment in the series, then make sure you check it out now!
