How to Maximize Your Closet

Ahhh a student's life: parties, drinks, friends and fun, all countless reasons to look good at all times! However, with those pesky tuition payments, books to buy and rent to pay, budgeting funds to support your wardrobe is no easy feat. Not to worry though! Keeping your style up to date this winter just takes a few dollars, a little creativity and some time (yeah, I know you're short on that too but this is important!). Here are some tips to keep your style fresh this fall without surpassing your debt ceiling.

Tip 1: Buy Pieces that Work Double-Duty

The basics: The key to looking good on a budget is maximizing the use of everything you own. A great item is either a) bound to be worn millions of times b) long-lasting and well-made or c) able to serve multiple functions for you. While you probably have clothes that fit into categories a) and b), multi-purpose items might be more difficult to find. The key is to forget about what an item is supposed to be and think about how you could use it.

How to achieve it: This step is easy to achieve if you keep an open mind and think about how you will wear items before you purchase them. For example, a denim button up shirt is a shirt that can double as a jacket if worn open over a tee or sweater. I often wear cotton summer scarves as scarves but also use them as belts tied around my waist. Dress shoes don't have to be restricted to the office, wearing them with jeans and a tee can give you a classy yet casual look on a regular day.

Tip 2: Make your Wardrobe Season-Proof

The basics: There's nothing that bothers me more than a piece that sits idle in my closet for more than a couple of months. For me, it's painful to turn my closet over and say goodbye to floral dresses and sandals for the winter. In order to maximize the utility of my wardrobe, I often use summer pieces year-round.

How to achieve it: Again, this is super-easy to do. The key is layering, which (luckily!) is very trendy at the moment. Who hasn't worn a cardigan or button up open over a summer tank? My favorite trick is putting a long sleeved tee or turtleneck and tights under a floral summer dress. Another trick is to wear open-toe shoes or sandals with socks and tights during the winter months. There is almost no summer piece I can think of that cannot be utilized all year. When I figure out how to fit bikinis and flip-flops into my winter wardrobe, I will let you know!

Tip 3: Do It Yourself

The basics: Yeah, this one might be a reach for some of the less creative-types. But I swear it pays off. Creating DIY pieces can be really simple. It doesn't have to mean sewing a pair of pants from scratch or silk-screening a tee. This one is all about updating pieces you no longer want or use.

How to achieve it: DIY is great for making an old piece more desirable. This means you can take a stale old tee out of your drawer and add fringe to the bottom or epaulets to the shoulders. The easiest way to update a piece is to switch out the buttons on a cardigan or button up for some funky or mis-matching ones. Another idea is to spray paint an old pair of shoes a fun color or use fabric pens to personalize a canvas tote or pair of sneakers. The options here are endless!