How to Update your Winter Wardrobe In One Day

Another shopping adventure with Sweet Sauce.

Meet Lucy!

She is a wonderful ray of sunshine who has a new career working in the public school system as a special education assistant. She is also working to obtain her master’s degree!

As she settled into her new apartment, new class schedule, new job, and the weather got colder (and stays colder), she knew it was time for a wardrobe update. It just goes to show you how integral clothes are to your life. Every big career change, new house, or new hobby all speak to your inner artist who strives to paint a better you.

I am fortunate that Lucy called on me for help. (Take me shopping? Um, yes. Now? To the Meg Mobile!)

We broke down our hard work into a few steps for you!

Evaluate your wardrobe. What is missing? What needs to be replaced? What colors do you want more of or not want any more of? What will match with your separates? What needs to go?

Get in touch with your fashion philosophy. What makes you happy in the morning when you get dressed? What outfits are your favorites? What would make your life of getting dressed and undressed easier? Lucy shared some of her personal pointers and I love them:

Work smarter, not harder.

Comfort is key.

Choose rich colors.

Invest in staples and statement pieces.

It’s not that serious!

Clean out your closet. Make room for new pieces. Use 1 and 2 to help you make decisions. Check out the article I posted on how to pare down your wardrobe earlier this year.

Get your shit together. Go out shopping with your hair done, your makeup done, and a good bra and panties underneath it all. This will help you make the right decisions more quickly and painlessly.

Know your budget. You know what you can and cannot afford. You know what cards are maxed out and which ones aren’t. You have to be honest here. This will determine which stores to shop at and which ones to avoid. We settled on Gap, Loft, Banana Republic, and Marshall’s. Good Will was also on the list, but we got everything so cheap it wasn’t necessary!

If you are really serious about updating your wardrobe, consider opening up a card at a store you win big at. I love my Banana Republic card. I can also use it at Gap and Old Navy. There are always great coupons and deals for cardholders. Lucy got some great items from Gap and Banana and my card helped bring the cost down. You get the best deal when you open a new card, too. So, if you’re buying a lot in one day and can do most of it at one place, it might be worth it. Then spend the next two months paying it off. I also love my Victoria Secret Angel Card and believe quality bra and panties mean everything for creating and maintaining a killer wardrobe. The rewards for the card are pretty insane.

Know your size. Honestly, you don’t always know your size for a certain brand until you try something on at a store. Don’t be afraid to grab a pair of pants a few sizes up AND a few sizes down from your normal size before you head to the dressing room. Lucky for Lucy, I could do some digging for her to get all the right sizes. And I sort of liked that game. I also hounded the sales people to make sure there wasn’t anything not on the floor. You have to put in the work! It’s worth it, though. Once you find your size in one brand, you can always make smart and less painful purchases thereafter.

On top of being honest about your size, learn your body type. I have a few favorite graphics for body types, but this is a good one I found on Pinterest.

Bring your friends. Not your mom or boyfriend who will say everything looks good. Bring the honest people. They’ll be the most helpful. Not only was I honest about fit, etc. but Lucy and I could brainstorm ideas about where she would wear a certain item and whether pieces were realistic purchases or not. We could also talk honestly about her budget and our timeline for the day.

Pick pieces that move you. If something really makes you smile, but doesn’t quite fit into your parameters for the trip, I would recommend buying it. That will make the other less fun purchases more bearable. Lucy found this vest at Gap and put it right on her body! It made her cheery all day long. Also, I am very pro vest, in case you didn’t know.

Shopping is no fun if you don’t make it fun. We also stopped and ate Godiva smoothies and tarts. That helped get us through the long day.

Basic dresses. I can’t tell you much I love my most simple, neutral dresses. I can wear them with cardigans, collard shirts, fun jewelry, boots, sexy heels, etc. and create an entirely different look each time.

L-R: Ann Taylor Loft, and Marshall’s finds.

We found dresses for Lucy that would go with her boots, heels, and flats and also could be easily paired with tights, blazers and warm coats. I am pretty proud about the great fits we found, too. She can wiggle and teach all day with many of these items while also making them work for a date or for church.

Basic tops. Tops that fit well and have some structure can be paired with different jewelry, jackets, blazers, and coats to create dramatically different looks. They are the kind of tops you want especially for winter. No matter what, the top will spend much of its time under something else during the colder months. Don’t waste a lot of energy picking out a wild patterned blouse for the winter. You’re going to want shirts that are dynamic and versatile.

L-R: Marshall’s, Banana Republic, Banana Republic, and Gap (both the striped shirt and vest).

Know there are some things you won’t find. Lucy wanted to update her pants collection. She’s obsessed with Levi’s and knows the exact sizes and fits she wants. We didn’t come across anything else more perfect for her booty, so we held out on that.

Lay them out and appreciate! Look at them, try them on again. Make sure nothing needs to be returned (these are your hard earned dollars here!). Look through your jewelry while you do so. Start creating outfits in your mind so you can whip them out in no time when you’re late for work (never!) or suddenly invited out for drinks. Lucy already has some amazing jewelry and shoes, so this was fun!