Your Guide to Increase Your Wardrobe Options

Whether you have budgetary, spatial, or environmental reasons for a capsule wardrobe, this guide helps you to increase your wardrobe options by maximizing the number of potential outfits. It solves the peer pressure to have a never-worn-before outfit at any given dressing occasion. Advice on shopping your closet for new, unique outfits will enable you to create interesting outfits with a minimal wardrobe without sacrificing style or landing in a style rut.

Fewer pieces do not mean dressing boredom. This guide illustrates several ways of wearing clothes like a waterfall cardigan, slouchy boots, suits, and dresses in different ways to increase your wardrobe options with pieces you already own. Read how to increase your wardrobe options to get more wear out of your wardrobe, and look effortlessly stylish. Try to recreate the outfit inspirations with the items you own using the easy-to-copy tricks presented in this guide.

Contents

Who Said You’ve to Wear Your Clothes always the Same Way?
Reasons to Create new Outfits from Your Wardrobe
- Economic Motivations for Shopping Your Closet
- Environmental Reasons for Slowing down Fashion
Look at Your Clothes beyond Their Purpose for Outfit Ideas
- Create the Dress-over-pants Look with Items from your Closet
- Try a Midi Skirt under a Mini Dress
- Wear a T-Shirt Dress as a Skirt or Shirt
- Increase Your Wardrobe Options by Wearing a Dress as a Top
- Pair Warm and Cold Season Items in the Transition Seasons Spring and Fall
- Style a Cardigan as a Top to Increase Your Wardrobe Options
- Styling a Waterfall Cardigan in Different Ways
- Change the Look of Slouchy Boots
Wrapping up How to Increase Your Wardrobe Options

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post.

Who Said You’ve to Wear Your Clothes always the Same Way?

Nobody!

While this post is a general guide, there are also posts that just focus on one item like for instance how to wear a sheath as a skirt. This general guide leads you to the special ones along the way. Thus, read on or skip to the clothing piece you are interested in to get to the more detailed tips and tricks.

Reasons to Create New Outfits from Your Wardrobe

Besides career and social media pressure, there are many other reasons to get the most outfits out of the pieces you already own. The most important one is to create a new look for yourself. Being well dressed provides confidence. Furthermore, maximizing the number of outfits is great for the budget and slows fashion down. We are all about more environmentally friendly fashion, right?

Economic Motivations for Shopping Your Closet

Unless you are a heiress like Paris and Nikki Hilton, you are most likely on a budget fashion-wise. For instance, buying new clothes to get a new look yields to a crowded closet. It becomes unmanageable, because you can’t see what you have. Consequently, you never wear some of your beautiful clothes. The next step would be to buy another outfit. It’s easy to see that this feedback loop is unsustainable on the long run.

Another reason to shop your closet is economy in its widest sense. You probably want to use your clothes in an efficient way. This doesn’t mean to wear them until they fall apart like a Hippie in Flower Power Style. However, you want to wear them a certain amount of times before you consign them or give them to charity. Or you strive for a threshold cost-per-wear like I do.

Of course, you can’t wear everything with everything.

Environmental Reasons for Slowing Down Fashion

You may also be concerned about the environmental impacts of your fashion consumption. Even when you commit to buy Made in Your Country there are emission from transport, polluted water from dye, maybe fertilizers from growing cotton, irrigation or soil loss from overgrazing involved. Certain treatments of colored denim lead to airborne particles and dust-lungs in textile workers.

Look at Your Clothes beyond Their Purpose for Outfit Ideas

Look at a dress as a shirt or skirt. A cardigan can function as a top as well. Also take trends for inspiration to make new outfits with what you have. Lately, for instance, wearing a dress over pants is a big It thing. Of course, you can waste your money and buy one of the “pre-styled” dress with pants outfit. But guess what, unless you wear the dress without the pants or the pants without the dress you only get one trendy new look.

Try the Dress-Over-Pants Look with Items from Your Closet

It is easy to style a dress with pants. Denim-on-denim is always a good idea in this case. But there are many other possibilities how to make a nice outfit with this trend. When the colors and style don’t clash, you can pair any straight print dress with pants. Use a belt to get nice proportions and to make the outfit look better. Straight black pants or slim leather pants with an A-style printed or texture dress are also good candidates for the look.

midlife fashion blogger in dress over pants shopped from the closet

midlife woman showing how to get more wear out of her wardrobe in posh street style chic to get more wear out of her wardrobe

casual chic mature fashion influencer in denim dress with pants look shopped from the closet — Lookbook Store motorcycle leather jacket (similar here). Liz Claiborne denim dress, J Brand skinnies, statement silver belt, GNW polka dot socks, Red Bubble scarf Spy Girl fashion blogger print, Prada satchel, and embroidered Matisse mules c/o Soft Surroundings.

Doing the dress-over-pants styling yourself provides you with many additional outfits.

Try a Midi Skirt Under a Mini Dress

Another way how to make new outfits is to put a midi skirt under a mini dress. This dropped waist look permits you to wear your summer clothes in the transition season. When you live in a climate region with short spring and fall this tricks saves you the money for these seasonal wardrobes. The following inspiration photos illustrate the concept of increasing your wardrobe options by wearing a mini dress as top.

posh chic midlife woman in printed dress over lace hem underskirt — Victoria Victoria Beckham silk printed dress over DIY underskirt, Hermes collier de chien belt, and Calvin Klein block heel pumps

over 50 years old fashion blogger in knit dress over tulle skirt with tall boots — Rebecca Collins belt, upcycled tall boots (tutorial), tulle skirt c/o Lookbook Store and knit dress c/o Femme Luxe

style book author in casual leggings sweater pink and black look — Labradorite and pearls belt, unbranded mesh slip, GNW tights, Salamander shearling booties, and sweater dress c/o Femme Luxe

over 50 years old influencer in black dress with floral embroidery — Nine West lizard imprint heels, Chanel belt, DIY underskirt, Hermes collier de chien bangle, cat eye gemstone necklace, Spence embroidered dress, Winkwood sunglasses, and sleeves c/o Cami Confidential.

Wear a T-shirt Dress as a Shirt or Skirt

One of my favorite tricks to get more wear out of my wardrobe is to look at a dress also as a shirt or a skirt. Would you think that the top in the next two photos is actually a dress from summer?

Tip: Wear a dress as a skirt or shirt for more chic outfits from your wardrobe.

over 50 years old fashion blogger wearing a dress as skirt in summer — This look consists of a T-shirt dress under a blouse. The resulting fake skirt ties the colors of the shoes, bag and blouse together. I added accessories that pick up colors of the skirt.

woman adding posh looks to her wardrobe by wearing a dress as a T-shirt — In this outfit idea, I wear a T-shirt dress with tie-dye inspired print under a suede skirt. The pearl necklace, belt, bracelet, pumps, cardigan and pearls pick up colors of dress worn as T-shirt.

You can see the great summer dress styled as such in the post at the link.

Wear a Dress As Skirt

Fit-and-flare dresses are perfect candidates to be worn as a skirt with a sweater or cardigan as a top. A perfect separates appearance.

stylist maximizing the wardrobe by wearing a dress as skirt, cardigan as top

fashion blogger a cardigan worn as top — eShakti abstract floral print dress under Sofie cardigan worn as top to get more outfits, Hermes collier de chien bangle, Jaeger tote, Ray Ban sunglasses, ethnic belt, Nicole fall sandals, and wooden watch c/o Jord.

Tip: Add a belt over the sweater/top to enhance the separate appearance. Or pin the sweater so it looks like a half-tuck.

fashion blogger mixing leopard and floral prints over 40 — GNW leopard print cardigan worn as top over eShakti floral print dress with H-belt, Michael Kors plateau sandals, Jaeger tote (all own) and wooden sports watch c/o Jord

style over 50 woman in summer dress with cardigan wedges and sunglasses

fashion over 50 summer look with white frame sunglasses — Printed eShakti summer dress with L.K. Bennett patent leather wedges, Hermes collier de chien bangle, Chanel bag, and sunglasses c/o ShopGlasses.com.

Another time, I wore this floral dress with a leopard print cardigan as top.

Pair Warm and Cold Season Items in the Transition Seasons Spring and Fall

Go for a spring and fall capsule wardrobe or even don’t buy spring and fall fashion. Instead style a summer dress for spring with pieces from the cold season. Also transition summer pieces to fall with cold season items.

midlife woman in fall outfit with summer dress

fashion book author in fall outfit in front of the Fairbanks railway station

mature influencer in layered fall outfit

stylist over 50 in dress as skirt

#fashionover50 mature woman in fall outfit at the railway station — eShakti summer dress styled for fall with Jeanne Pierre sweater, Lookbook Store leather motorcycle jacket, Steve Madden fall sandals, Jaeger tote, and necklace c/o Almo Jewellery.

The next two photos show examples of how to style a fit-and-flare polka dot dress as a skirt to get more wear out of your wardrobe.

style influencer wearing a summer dress in fall as a skirt to increase her wardrobe options

trendsetter over 50 in dress worn as skirt and cardigan with leather coat — Travel dress worn as fit-and-flare skirt with cardigan worn as top. The belt worn over the cardigan defines the waist. The pin-point neckerchief, red block heel nude pumps, pantyhose, leather trench coat, and suede leather clutch give the look the finishing touch.

Increase Your Wardrobe Options by Wearing a Dress as Shirt

Garments with sleek skirts are great candidates to serve as shirts under a wide skirt. Also try to wear knit dresses under a sheath.

style book author in leather skirt over dress — Victoria Victoria Beckham dress worn as blouse under a full Oliveo leather skirt with pumps and structured bag.

Alaskan fashion blogger wearing a dress over a skirt onshore

over 50 years old style blogger in floral dress over skirt on shore leave

midlife blogger in dress over skirt on boat mooring — Shein dress, Gucci belt, Michael Kors plateau sandals, Longchamp cuire pliage, Hermes collier de chien bangle, Ray Ban purple mirrored sunglasses, and Aris Allen dance skirt

Style a Cardigan as a Top to Increase Your Wardrobe Options

I think I have worn the cardigan shown in the photos above more often as a top than as a cardigan. 😉 How is that? Alaska is cold most of the year, does that count as an excuse? Or is “I hate ironing blouses or shirts” a better one? LOL.

style book author increasing her wardrobe options by wearing a cardigan over blue and white sheath — Cardigan worn over a dress and belted as a top accessorized with a blue bag and nude pumps.

Style a Waterfall Cardigan in Multiple Different Ways

The following outfit inspirations illustrate several ways of wearing a waterfall cardigan. Why not knotting the sleeves around your neck and wear it as a scarf? From the front this styling trick look like a scarf. From the side, the tails of the waterfall cardigan look like a stylish oversize scarf or cape. The photos below feature the cardigan worn open and in form of a wrap top.

over 50 years old stylist creating a cardigan over black and blue dress look — Waterfall cardigan worn over a summer jersey dress c/o Ronen Chen with own Harley Davidson booties, ethnic belt, GNW tight, and DIY brooch.

over 50 years old stylist maximizing her outfits with a fake twinest of waterfall cardigan and cardigan — Waterfall cardigan belted with a Kieselstein Cord belt and buckle over a GNW cardigan worn as top, Clark booties, and boot toppers.

Change the Look of Slouchy boots

The photo above shows an example how boot toppers enlarge your shoe wardrobe options. But you can even go beyond. The “booties” in the outfit below are actually slouchy boots rolled down!

Slouchy Boots …

over 50 years old stylist increasing her wardrobe options with a faux twinset — Eddie Bauer tweed skirt with Lands End sweater, Moda International cardigan, pearls, GNW tight, and Vince Camuto boots.

… rolled down to booties

fashion influencer in classic American blue gray office outfit — GNW Luxe wool cashmere sweater with Eddie Bauer tweed skirt, GNW tights, Vince Camuto boots rolled down to be worn as booties, Hermes collier de chien bangle, Kieselstein Cord belt, and waterfall cardigan for an office appropriate look.

Look at Other Clothes and Their Options

Don’t stop with the boots and cardigan. Be creative!

Tip: Knot a maxi dress at the hem to create a mini dress.

Knot a blouse or shirt.
Wear a dress as a blouse
Recycle a skirt in 46 looks
Style a dress as skirt
Make a sheath dress a skirt
Use accessories to vary the look of your outerwear.
Get inspired by these multiple looks with a pink biker jacket.
Shop your closet for a Halloween costume

over 50 years old fashion blogger in outerwear — Shearling coat over Eddie Bauer tweed skirt with Vince Camuto boots rolled down to look like booties, Pavolvo Russian scarf, matching LeatherCoatsEtc gloves, Salvatore Ferragamo belt, and structured bag for a winter outerwear to the office.

When you liked the outfit recipes of this post, and want recipes for all kind of dressing situation in midlife, buy my book How to Dress for Success in Midlife.

Wrapping Up How to Increase Your Wardrobe Options

Be creative. Think about how to recycle your wardrobe items in many ways. Get inspirations from colors. Ask yourself what pieces of your closet could you wear in a different way? Which outfit idea pops up in your mind with your own pieces?

Photos of me: G. Kramm