There are times when I’m tempted to buy, and buy, and buy some more—believing, as we all do sometimes, that I literally have NOTHING to wear. But this Saturday, while I was out bargain-hunting with an extremely sartorial friend of mine, I discovered something even more satisfying than loading up ten gigantic shopping backs with guilt-free cheap-chic purchases: inspiration shopping.
At each store I visited, I started by taking the pressure off myself in terms of what I needed, and walked around choosing things that caught my eye or just seemed different—in a good way—from what I normally wear. This made things so much more relaxed, and more enjoyable. I was my own personal Kate Young, and let myself play with styling instead of having a dressing-room anxiety attack over what I could afford, what would be most versatile, and what I actually would wear the most.
I wound up taking home a couple of versatile pieces that I know I would have completely overlooked had I not been in “inspiration” mode, and headed home to shop my closet. I tried on my two new tops—the first, a frilly, ruffly top with a bow, the second, a bo-ho white, short-sleeve baby-doll top with lace detailing at the collar—with a bunch of my jeans, shorts, and skirts, and a ton of different shoes. Keeping in mind all of the new things I tried on in the dressing room, I tried to repeat the looks and variety with what I already owned—and with a little time and a huge mess on my bedroom floor, it actually worked. I had the best time unearthing old things I had forgotten about, and I made a ginormous pile of stuff to consign and donate. And I managed to stroll into work on Monday in an outfit I’d never worn before, comprised of pieces that I’d owned for six months to a year. They felt brand-new to me!
