Guest Post: My New Favorite Outfit...

I am so excited to have Ginny from My New Favorite Outfit guest posting for me while I am away. Ginny's blog is a daily read for me. She always has practical tips on style and looking good on a budget. Ginny is a wife, mother and teacher (how she makes time for such a perfect blog blows my mind.) Thanks again Ginny for your help this week!
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Hi Ladies, I'm Ginny and I blog over at My New Favorite Outfit, a blog focused on fun, affordable fashion.  I'm excited be guest posting for the lovely Jenn while she's in Europe! Today I'm going to share some tips with you all about how to best utilize your closet and how to best approach filling any holes you may have.

Tip One:  Take some time and clean out your closet.  I recently did a post on this that you can check out here.  Don't let pieces that don't fit you or are out of style distract you from seeing the different outfit possibilities you have in your closet. This outfit is one of my favorites, but I'd honestly kind of forgotten I had this cardigan.  It wasn't until I spent some time cleaning out my closet that I remembered I had it, and I think it' the perfect addition to this outfit.

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Tip Two: Spend some time considering what colors compliment each other.  I recently did a series focused on this.  Here are some color I think go well with wine, mustard, and orange.  It's once you have a better understanding of what colors compliment each other that you can begin to see more possibilities within your own closet. In the picture below, I'm wearing a bright orange shirt, which could seem hard to style for some, but once I realized how well it paired with navy and tan I was able to create an outfit I really loved.

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Tip Three: Step out of your comfort zone and try pattern mixing.  Here's a post I created to help know what patterns mix well.  The outfit possibilities become endless once you know how to pattern mix well.  The outfit below is one of my favorites, I'm loving the combo of leopard and stripes and starting to pattern mix with a scarf is a great way to give it a try.

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Tip Four: Create a wish list of for the holes you feel you have in your closet.  I recently completed a series about building a cohesive wardrobe here.  This could give you some ideas as to what holes you might have in your closet. Once you've identified them, don't just go buy them all at once, pay attention to sales and buy them then.  A navy blazer had been on my wishlist for quite a few months before I found the perfect one at the perfect price at Loft.  That's when I bought it.  Be patient and wait for a quality piece at a good price.  You'll be much happier in the end.

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Tip Five: Don't discount quality classic pieces.  There are some things that every woman should own, one is a great black pencil skirt.  Classic pieces in classic shapes can be utilized for years to come.  Make room for these pieces in your closet and buy a quality piece at a good price, like I stated above.  I'd been dragging my heels on buying a black pencil skirt, but I knew I needed one.  I ended up finding mine for 40% off at Express and have worn it like crazy.  Classic pieces are always a good investment.

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Tip Six:  Thrift stores, you're best friend and worst enemy.  I love thrifting and it's a great way to find some great pieces at affordable prices, but it can also be easy to get a case of "Buy All The Clothes."  Some people say to go into thrift stores just ready to buy whatever is cool that you see, I however, think that approach could lead to some unnecessary purchases (I'm speaking from personal experience here).  I think it's important to think about your wish list when thrifting.  If I know I need dress and blazers, but nothing else, I skip those other parts of the store.  I think it's important to purchase what you really love and not just "Oh my gosh, it's J.Crew!"  It might not be in style or your size, don't buy just to buy.  Below is my favorite find of all time, this leopard dress.  It was exactly what I was looking for that day and I know I'll get a ton of use out of it.

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Ultimately it should be fun to get dressed each day, and if you know how to utilize your closet and shop smartly, you can do just that!  Thanks Jenn for having me and to all you lovely readers, I'd love for you to stop by My New Favorite Outfit and say hi!