As personal stylists we’ve found around 80% of our clients do not shop enough, meaning they are not regularly in the stores picking up pieces that will help build their closets. This often leads to them having extremely outdated wardrobes, causing them to feel like they have nothing to wear. But what does shopping enough to build a wardrobe look like and how is it beneficial to your closet?

There are many benefits to actively being in clothing stores regularly and browsing for items to add to your closet. The fashion industry as a whole is in constant flux with new items coming in seasonally, monthly, and sometimes even weekly. Being aware of what’s new allows you to stay up to date on the latest styles. Even if you tend to lean towards a more classic, timeless finish, it’s still beneficial to be aware because a decade can go by and some of those items you loved before may later look extremely outdated and worn out. Also, clothing functionality changes with the season. Finding a breathable pair of flattering shorts in the winter for your trip to the Bahamas is almost impossible because the weather doesn’t demand those styles. This also extends to your color season as well. Having one shopping trip in the middle of cool winter as a treat to yourself isn’t helpful if your color season is warm autumn. 

It’s important to consider all the areas of your life you need clothes for. Unless you wear scrubs, you have a  section in your wardrobe dedicated to work clothes. And those in executive positions or careers where your image is important, need an even more extensive, diverse closet. Along with your work wardrobe, you need outfits for date nights, social gatherings with friends and family, — these two areas of your closet can look very different — and stylish outfits to simply go grocery shopping. And I’m sorry to break it to you, but buying workout wear is not part of the shopping trips needed to build your closet. Having good personal style is going beyond just flip-flopping different color variations of polo and slacks. We’re doing better than that. You want to create an image and personal style that is unique and reflects who you are as an individual. 

If your closet is starting from ground zero, we recommend shopping AT LEAST 3x a year with each shopping trip yielding 5-10 items. This is the bare minimum for a closet that is below the bare minimum. And most people, we can say from personal experience, are working with virtually nothing. We offer packaged services that provide you with three or more style sessions over the course of nine months to a year for a reduced price to get you to at least the bare minimum. And if your next question is why it takes so many sessions to get to a bare minimum closet? Our response: Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are wardrobes. 

Shopping regularly is crucial to the success of your closet. Being up to date on the latest styles and making sure your items still look fresh and new is a key factor to looking put together. Your closet is vast and has to provide you with the correct attire for every part of your life. Certain events require different articles of clothing and only having a few decent pieces isn’t going to cover work, nights out, wholesome gatherings with friends and family, and weekly grocery store trips. You deserve to look and feel your best in every moment of life even the more casual ones. And if your closet is lacking, then you should be acquiring around 15 to 30 items a year at the minimum. If you have a general idea of what you need and have a goal for your closet, but don’t know where to start, then hire a personal stylist to take some of the load off.