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DAY 10: 30 Day NO-BUY Challenge

10x Your Closet Without Spending a Dime

Today I’m sending you to YouTube. I almost recorded this as a voice memo, then I remembered I already filmed a whole video on it… so you get to see my face instead of just hearing my voice today! Haha

This is my #1 way I was able to not buy clothes for 2 years straight. This video is a starting point, and I will go more into detail about this later in the rest of our 30 days together.

TODAY is all about inspiration. In this video we are learning how to get 10 times more out of our closets without spending a dime. We continue to learn about our wardrobes being like pantries full of ingredients so we can make magic out of what we already own and get dressed with less stress. 

Together we focus on Inspiration photos and how to break those photos down into easy outfit “recipes,” and recreate the essence of those looks using the pieces we already have. 

Are you ready? Let's go!

HERE Is the PDF "How to Build Your Inspirational Style Guide"


ACTION STEPS:

Step 1: Find Inspiration

  • Think of 3 to 5 keywords for your current outfit goals
    • Examples, “summer fashion,” “work outfits,” “petite casual style,” “vintage outfits over 40,” “spring outfits for big hips”
  • Type those keywords into Pinterest, Instagram, or Google
  • Save any image that makes you feel excited or curious
    • Use a Pinterest board, an Instagram collection, or a photo album on your phone
  • Quick filter, prioritize images with body types and lifestyles similar to yours

Step 2: Analyze & Apply

  • Open your saved inspiration pictures
  • For each outfit, ask:
    • “What top are they wearing? Do I have something similar?”
    • “What bottoms? Do I have something that gives a similar vibe?”
    • “What jacket, shoes, accessories? What is my version of that?”
  • Aim to recreate the essence, not a perfect copy
  • Go to your closet and actually try 1 to 3 new outfit combinations based on that inspiration

Step 3: Document Your Outfits

  • Every time you put on a look you like, take a quick mirror photo
  • Limit yourself to 3 shots max, no perfection needed, this is not about your face or pose
  • Save all outfit photos into one album on your phone (your “outfit recipes” or “what to wear” album)
  • When you feel stuck, open that album and pick a look instead of starting from zero

Step 4: Shop Smarter

  • Before you buy anything, check if you can recreate the look with what you already own
  • Notice repeat items in your inspiration, if one specific piece keeps showing up,
    • Example, “navy wide leg pants”
  • Ask yourself, “Can I think of at least 3 different ways to style this?”
    • If yes, it might be worth adding
    • If no, pause and skip for now
  • Keep cycling through this process (find, analyze, document) so your creativity grows and you rely less on outside inspiration over time

 

FULL TRANSCRIPT

Introduction

do you feel like your closet is full yet you still have nothing to wear what if I told you I could help you get 10 times more out of your closet without spending a dime that is what today is all about let's make magic out of your closet and get you dressed with less stress I am Casey and welcome to style

[Music]

school to today we're diving into how you can see your closet with fresh eyes and make the most of what you already own this method alone is how I succeeded to not buy clothes for 2 years and make magic out of my closet my first thing I need you to do is think of your wardrobe like a pantry full of ingredients just waiting to be turned into something amazing yes we're comparing your clothes to food but seriously it's such a great way to view your closet to understand you've basically got everything you need already you just need the right recipes to make the magic happen so this video is all about inspiration it's what the I stands for in my TGIF my TGF is my four starting points I give anyone when looking to improve their style the T stands for thankfulness the G stands for your girl gang and the I as you know now stands for in inspiration if you missed the video on how thankfulness and viewing your closet as your close girl gang can improve your style I will link it in the description below

so let's get back to the metaphor that your closet is like a pantry full of ingredients so step one in this inspiration journey is finding the inspiration just like most of us wouldn't start cooking without a recipe you can't expect to create great outfits without some inspiration

Finding Inspiration

so how do we find these inspirational pictures well we first think about words to describe your specific outfit goals it could be as simple as summer fashion casual looks or work outfits or a little more complex like outfits for petite women vintage fashion for women over 40 spring clothes for big hips Etc then type those keyword terms into Pinterest this is me then type those keyword terms into Pinterest Instagram or even Google to find what images come up if you are having a hard time thinking of keywords I have a comprehensive help list for you in the links below also if you don't have time to watch this whole video I have a guide that will lay out this entire system for you the link is also in the description below click it and I will send it to you for free

okay back to the inspirational images after you search and the results come up save the images that resonate with you don't overthink it if you're feeling it save it on Pinterest you can make a board for them or on Instagram you can save them to a collection I have an inspirational collection on both apps because I search both and then I saved them to the platform I found them on just to make it easy if you want to do it on your phone and not an app you can just screenshot them and create an album on your phone

the great thing is on Instagram and Pinterest the more you save and like the pictures that inspire you these platforms will start feeding you even more relevant content automatically this is like inspiration on autopilot and quick tip focus on images of people whose body types are similar to yours so the pictures feel practical and relevant even further when you find someone else's style you love follow them on their Instagram or Pinterest to keep getting inspiration directly from them

but remember this is so very important this isn't a reason to buy everything in the pictures we're not trying to buy more instead use these images to inspire you to create stylish recipes with what you already have more on that in the next step

Analyze & Apply

now that you gathered your inspiration it's time for step two analyze and apply think of this step as figuring out the recipe look at those saved outfits and start to break them down you might realize you already have similar pieces in your wardrobe you look at the picture and you say okay I have a shirt that's like that oh those pants I don't have exact pants like that but I have some that could work and the jacket that's in this picture hm I don't have the exact one but maybe this other one in another color could work oh I like how they accessorize I could do something like that

the goal isn't to copy the outfit exactly but to recreate the essence of it with what you have try on different combinations and don't be afraid to mix things up just like you might experiment with the ingredients in the kitchen let the inspiration guide you but feel free to add your own personal touch this process is about unlocking the full potential of your wardrobe and not just copying

this was an inspiration outfit I found that I just loved and this is what I came up with this was more of an exact outfit match I had almost everything in my closet that was similar to what she had but heck you know I wouldn't have thought of this outfit without her this is another inspiration outfit I found I really liked the boxy shoulders and the tucked in waist and I didn't really have things like this in my closet but this is a good example of creating the essence of an outfit and not copying it exactly this is what I came up with I had a boxier shirt that I tucked into this purple skirt neither of these are exact but it created the essence of the outfit and I also wouldn't have thought of this combination without that inspiration picture

Document

step three is to help you get dressed essed with less stress I'm asking you to document all of your outfits every time you put together a look you like take a picture and save it in an album on your phone this will be your go-to resource when you're feeling stuck and uninspired you open up your documented outfits and boom you have all these ideas it's like a cookbook of your favorite outfit recipes

and don't stress about perfect selfies please please please I get people hung up all the time on this because they don't like taking pictures of themselves but if you don't do this then you lose out on this magical step of the process remember this album is just for you when I'm taking outfit photos I personally limit myself to three shots Max it's not supposed to be about my face my body or my pose it's simply just to document what I am wearing quick and easy

do this step so all your hard work and inspiration don't go to waste when you do this you'll have a bunch of outfits ready at your fingertips

Smart Shopping

finally step four is about smarter shopping if you go through this process over and over you will maximize what you already own save money and avoid impulse purchases you'll also be super in touch with what is in your class closet and all the different ways you can wear one piece remember before buying anything new check your closet to see if you can recreate the outfit with what you already have first but if you keep finding inspiration that features a specific item you don't own like say Navy wide L pants you can then consider adding them to your wardrobe but only after you're sure they'll be versatile enough to create multiple outfits

before I buy anything I ask myself can I think of at least three different ways to style this if the answer is yes it might be worth the purchase but don't worry if you're not confident in thinking of three ways to style something yet you will be by practicing what I'm teaching here you're exercising your creativity getting to know what fits your body type better and then becoming more in tune with how to wear wear different pieces in different ways eventually you'll understand clothes so well that you won't need to rely on others for inspiration as much you'll be able to create your own outfits

so this is how you build your inspirational style guide mine is now huge and whenever I'm stuck and not knowing what to wear I either open my Pinterest my Instagram or my documented outfits and I always find something to wear start with baby steps and get inspired first stop expecting yourself to know how to wear anything in your closet when you're not getting the inspiration to do so follow these steps and you got it girl I believe in you

I'd love to hear from you what's your favorite way to get inspired when you're feeling stuck drop your tips in the comments so we can help each other out linked below is my full mini guide on building your inspirational style collection click the link in my description and I will send it over to you for free let's make the most of what you already own don't forget to subscribe for more style tips and join me next week as I finish off my TG and I talk about the F which will give you a whole new perspective on how to dress see you next week