How to make your Wardrobe Appear Bigger than it seems

Considering I have already written a post on green and wearing green and paring multiple different shades of green within an outfit I have decided that this post will show that you can have diversity within this.

I am wearing a different outfit in this photo which features green. This outfit whilst having the same deep green coat and green jumper as previously featured in my post on wearing green in singularity (https://amatuavestimenta.wixsite.com/amatuavestimenta/post/the-art-of-wearing-colours-green-in-singularity). The rest of the outfit is different.

I am wearing green tights. The green of the tights is a much deeper shade of green than either the green of my coat or my jumper. However, it does not look mismatched. It is slightly hard to see in this photo but the skirt I am wearing features a pear pattern. This is one of my all-time favourite pieces of clothes.

The skirt reaches just below my knees and is deep maroon in colour. I find the cut flattering and like the length. It is a perfect skirt for colder days and goes well with greens and browns – two of my most worn colours.

What this shows and what I would like this post to be about is how to wear your clothes cleverly to deceive people into thinking you have a lot more clothes than you do. This is something you can do with some clever tips and tricks which I will share below.

1. Buy base layers in a couple of core colours.

This is a crucial step. I in retrospect can wear such an array of outfit because I have a core base layer of clothes which are in colours which I wear frequently. A perfect example is either tights or turtlenecks. Many of the outfits I wear in winter require tights. I have green, blue, brown and maroon tights. By having tights in these three colours I can match pretty much every piece of clothing I have with one of these colours. This means I can wear pretty much any piece of clothing I choose. This is not something you could do if you only had black tights but wanted to pair them with a variety of colours.

The same applies to turtlenecks. I have a green, white and orange turtleneck and these three colours allow me to create outfits with almost all my clothes. Because of the layering aspect of turtlenecks (as previously discussed) this once again allows me to wear clothes in winter which would otherwise be restricted to warmer months.

2. Versatile statement pieces.

Another key thing to deceiving people that your wardrobe is bigger than it is - is through cleverly brought, versatile statement pieces which can be worn in multiple ways. Skirts or dresses with patterns which can be worn in both summer and winter with layering. The layering adds a different dimension to the piece which in return makes it easier for people to see it as a different piece.

For example, the skirt I am wearing in this photo. I can wear this in many different outfit combinations, with different coloured tights, jumpers and coats. Thus because of its tonal base, it can be a component in many outfits.

3. If you live in a cold climate have two different coats. This is important for the diversity of outfits at first appearance. The major face-value issue with this is cost. However, you can find amazing second-hand coats at very affordable prices. For example, the coat I am wearing in this photo I purchased in a market for around AU$10. This in retrospect for the quality of the coat and the fact they had it dry cleaned before I purchased it make it a very good deal.

Having multiple coats allows you to mix and match different colours and bring diversity to your wardrobe. It also allows you to wear outfits of multiple and bright colours which I always find nice on a cold, bleak winters day to slip on a bright, warm coat.

4. Figure out which colours you like and which tones so that more of the pieces you have match one another.

This has been touched on previously, but if you buy clothes which have the same tonal undertone then you will be able to match them more cohesively across your wardrobe. This allows for a wider matching of pieces across your wardrobe allowing for colour matching you might not have otherwise considered.

5. Only buy clothes that you like. This one is kind of a basic, but it is an important step that many people discredit. If you buy clothes you genuinely like you are going to be more inclined to wear them. You have an incentive to beyond the fact it is currently trendy and “x” celebrity wore it four weeks ago hence you being the height of pop-culture knowledge (as I obviously am not) want to mimic.

If you like the piece go for your life, but if not maybe do as Marie Kondo does and ask yourself ‘does it spark joy’? If the answer is yes and you can afford it, then that is a sensible purchase. If not, then maybe it isn’t a sensible purchase and instead will become one you regret and thus you won’t wear it and you won’t be inclined to put in the effort to wear it in more outfits.

If you follow these guidelines you should be able to effectively trick people into believing your wardrobe is bigger than it truly is. This is beneficial not only environmentally but also has budgetary benefits. Additionally, it will help you develop your style as experimenting with matching different pieces and using the above guidelines will cause you to pay greater attention to the clothes you buy.