Making A Wardrobe Work For You

My child tugs on me all the time. She tugs on my shirttails, the hems of my skirts, and my crossbody bags. “Tug on my hand, not my clothes,” I tell her. “If you tug too hard, you may break it.” And sure enough, recently, she took a tug on my favorite handbag, and the leather loop that holds the strap pulled completely off, tearing off part of the leather exterior.

I went to eBay looking for a gently used twin to buy. No luck. I also went to the bag designer's site to see if there was a new bag that would be a worthy alternative, to no avail.

Then I thought, “Why the heck am I looking to plop another $200 or more on a new bag when this one may be able to be repaired?” So I took my bag to my cobbler… and for $15, he fixed the bag so well that one wouldn’t be able to tell unless they were looking for the mend.

At 5’3”, many of the clothes I admire in stores are too long. Add to the fact that I’m plus size with a full bust, hemlines drag on the floor and sleeves swallow up my hands. I recently purchased a printed chiffon maxi dress, but I didn’t love the fact that even in my highest heels, there was still a ton of fabric pooling on the ground.

Inspired by my “DUH” moment with my purse, I decided to mend the hem issue. I went to YouTube and searched “how to hem a chiffon dress” and found this video. I have a sewing machine, though it only gets used a few times a year. Hey, this video makes it feel doable! So one morning I woke up at 5 am, literally dusted off my sewing machine, grabbed a pair of scissors and my iron, and two hours later, I was walking out the door in a 5’3” appropriate chiffon maxi dress.

Last weekend, the zipper in one of my favorite pairs of jeans died on me. This happened to a pair a year ago, two days after getting them, and I took them to the store for an exchange as it was a manufacturing defect. I went to the website to see if I could do an exchange and found the retailer no longer had the color and size I own and love.

The jeans are now in my car, ready to head to the dry cleaners with my husband's dress shirts and my dry-clean-only blouses to get a new zipper.

When you’re plus size, 16” necklaces don’t cut it. Well, they actually do cut it… cut into your neck and look as though your head has been cut off. But such necklaces are the trend, and while very appreciative of brands sending me free jewelry, I'm proof that necklaces are not one size fits all.

Instead of wallowing in big-necked sorrow, I bought some necklace extenders. Available at Amazon and from most jewelry brands, these come in all metals, colors, lengths, and weights of chains to virtually disappear while making short necklaces more comfortable.

Making A Wardrobe Work For You

Shopping can prove highly frustrating when you’re not a standard height, weight, or shape. And when you’re not a sewist or crafty, a snag or too-long hem can be the straw that breaks your sartorial back.

It’s easy to get frustrated or throw money at it, but often, there is a solution instead of an emotional purchase. Yes, we women are snowflakes—no two of us are alike. However, many of us deal with the same issues when it comes to our bodies and desire to dress them stylishly.

Rewearing Is More Stylish Than Buying More

One thing you’ll see repeatedly when it comes to stylish women's closets is pieces they have kept for years. They don’t buy new things each season, yet it seems they have been able to keep their pieces in great wearable condition for decades.

It’s not because they are perfectly pristine people who never sweat, trip, or spill. They don’t find those perfect items right off the rack to fit their body like a glove. There’s work behind the scenes to make clothing work for them, and work for a long period of time.

As a fashion blogger, I can justify buying a new item when something in my wardrobe isn’t quite right. Heck, it’s often a good investment if it looks good enough to click the link and purchase it yourself. Honestly, re-wearing the same pieces and accessories over and over doesn’t benefit me financially, but it does benefit my style.

Improving My Style Improves My Body Image

Having pieces that I love and know as well as the back of my hand, clothes that aren’t almost right but actually right, clothes that don’t require any MacGyver tricks to work not only improves my style but my body image and confidence.

The seasons are changing, and even if it’s still 90 degrees where you are, our thoughts are on scarves, sweaters, boots, and newness in our closets. But before you go out and buy a bunch of fresh clothes and accessories, consider your current closet and how you can refresh it:

• Your dry cleaner can usually shorten sleeves and hems for a reasonable price.
• Companies like AlterKnit New York can reweave sweaters to look like new or replace linings in suit jackets.
• Bridal salons and quality department stores have skilled seamstresses on staff who will often work on pieces not bought in their store.
• Bridal salons, pageant participants, and local theaters can often recommend a tailor or seamstress for alterations.
• These days, there's usually a YouTube video or blog tutorial out there to help you do simple mending and alterations. I gotta say, DIY is such a confidence boost!

Before you drop coin, reconsider your current wardrobe and see if there’s any hidden gems just waiting to take your personal style to the next level. You deserve to have your wardrobe work for you!