Bored of your closet? How to refresh your wardrobe without shopping

With a little help from some of my favorite style writers

We all get bored with our wardrobe from time to time, and there’s no shortage of pretty things to tempt us out there. But unlearning the habit of turning to shopping everytime we’re bored is a practice, one I want to continue to build on after completing a year long no buy. Ultimately we need ideas of what to do instead. Or at least, what to try first, preferably, before we add to cart.

There is no such thing as too many ideas, and i’m also a nosy parker who has often wondered what other people do, in terms of the specifics, the tangible things to face the boredom/monotony head on, instead of adding more stuff into the mix. I asked some of my favorite Substack Style writers to share how they approach creativity in their own wardrobe using what they have. Get ready to take notes!

Rachel Soloman from Hey Mrs Soloman

“I love this question so much! Thank you for asking. I’ve got 5 tips I use solidly. And one thought – that I DO NOT adhere to, but you may!

1. Continuously “relocate” pieces. You get stuck wearing it thinking of it in one way because of where you place them. Like recently our cleaner had put some shorts in a drawer with stuff I use at the gym. Only I couldn’t find this one pair, which I had relocated to a hanger to style it with regular clothes. I don’t ever “put away” in one place, I move things around to encourage myself to try something in new ways. If I’m not wearing a shorter dress, I move it to my shirts. Constant tweaks like that.

2. Keep a Pinterest styling board: I keep a board called “styling” to use when I see people styling pieces similar to those I own.

3. Try challenges – I love doing challenges with guardrails, which force me to get creative. It’s why I do Sunday Night Outfit Planning with themes on IG … even just all white gets me doing things differently. Layering in different ways to solve for each situation while staying on the challenge. It’s another way to discover.

4. Focus on pliable pieces. I am writing something right now on “pliable dresses” – those you can layer up and down to get more use. Casual or dressy. Identify these players in your closet and see how many looks you can make with one on a weekend. If you feel you never have time, just set a timer for 15 minutes. Or 18. (A special number in Judaism ;-) and less of a commitment than 20).

5. Get a second opinion/use a stylist (I’ve had sessions with Allison Bornstein, Tereza Brink, Kelly Klein and loved them all!), which is surprisingly reasonable for a single session and incredibly inspiring. Or ask a stylish friend as a weekend activity – and return the favor. Tell them - “these are pieces I’d love to wear more.” Capture what they come up with and try it right away before you lose momentum.

6. Have fewer things. The math has to math! If you have fewer pieces you’ll wear them more and get more creative with them. If you have lots (as I do; I’m a real collector of clothing), you inherently have fewer chances to wear the same pieces and find new ways to do that. This is why the challenges help so many of us.”

“The above challenge was wearing “fancy clothes” every day for a week — that meant wearing a party dress or something on a casual comfy Friday writing! Which led me to putting this over boxers and a long tee and feeling so good 😊” -

Hey Mrs. Solomon on Style

Kelly Williams from Midimalist

“The number one item in my closet is denim. I think most of us have an item that we low-key collect; be it blazers, button downs, shoes, handbags, etc. So my favorite way of getting creative on those low-inspiration days is to take the denim from the bottom of my pile and that is the foundation of my outfit for the day. Because I generally put the most recent pair of denim on the top of my folded piles, I will take the bottom pair and build around that. It's easy for my favorites to be repeated over and over but that also is a recipe to feel "bored" with what I have; reaching for the least worn is a good exercise in playing with different washes, cuts, etc.” -

Kelly Williams

Laura Kirk De Valencia from La Deeply Shallow

“I recently heard the old Spanish saying "toda escoba nueva barre bien"—every new broom sweeps clean—and it made me think of this question. Because yes, unless your clothes truly don’t align with your actual desires (as in your desires, not the ones imposed by marketing, trends, or other people), there’s usually a way to make them work—to make them correspond to your current pulsation. New things bring a spark effect, but eventually, they become just another item in your closet. Because yes, consuming is easier than creating, but it’s not more satisfying.

So what do I do? I actually do browse the sites that show me the things I (think I) desire—but then I go to my closet. Nothing replaces that. I wish there were a secret formula, but it’s all in putting my phone down and going to my closet—trying things on, taking things out, folding pieces back into place, bending down to pick something up, looking for that thing I don't remember if I donated, reaching for something too high, putting the step stool back. Sometimes the result is more satisfying than the reference. Sometimes it’s not. But the result is always mine—a product of my own thinking, intuition, and creative effort. And that’s usually a better feeling than the cheap dopamine hit of “buy now.” -

Laura Kirk De Valencia

Corinne fay from Big Undies

"I bought an orange shirt recently and I have been struggling to wear it in a way that doesn't make me feel like a human jack-o-lantern, so I've been looking at paintings for inspiration. I love Helen Frankenthaler's use of color, so I'll search "Helen Frankenthaler Orange" and then take cues from the colors she pairs with orange on the canvas--cobalt blue and mustard yellow or peachy pink. I also like the Wada Sanzo Dictionary of Color Combinations for this! I don't always have the right colors already in my closet to make something work instantly, but thinking about what I'm wearing in relation to artistic compositions does open my mind up to possibility in a way I find helpful when I feel stuck on something like orange = Halloween." -

Corinne Fay

Image Corrine used for inspo

Angie Uh from The Found Journal

“If I’m feeling bored with my wardrobe, I first remind myself that I have more than enough things to create new ideas! I usually will set aside some time to create new outfit combinations - colors, textures, or proportions I haven’t tried before. I’ll borrow from my husband to lean into new fits. Style things in ways they aren’t intended to be worn. It can help to daydream a bit to think outside your usual comfort zone or routine — what would you want to wear for an exciting trip, how would you style pieces if you could only bring a handful of things? If I’m feeling uninspired, I usually look at imagery - interiors, menswear, fashion magazines, archives, or my endless camera roll of saved inspo. I can almost always find something that sparks a new idea which can be all we need to get the creativity flowing again!” -

Angie Uh

A pendant necklace make shifted into a statement belt by Angie

So there you have it, a plethora of tangible steps and ideas to make what you have feel new and exciting again, to get creative using what you have. My core style belief is that curiosity and creativity is a muscle you can build through practice. If you need more style inspo don’t forget that when you become a paid subscriber you also get access to The Wardrobe Playdate and the entire paywalled archive, so that you never run out of ideas how to work with what you have.

Thanks for reading and a huge thank you to all the incredible writers that contributed to this piece.

Harry x