5 Things To Get Your Closet Ready For Colder Weather

The last few days, or week rather, I have spent a lot of time thinking about writing a post to the girls who choose to dress modest and give some fun fashion tips for the coming fall weather. Last fall I was just starting to wear skirts all the time. There were a few things I discovered: skirts keep your legs warmer than jeans, leggings and tights are a must, boots & scarves are a girls best accessories, and cardigans/sweaters are the best for layering. Unfortunately I didn't figure all this out until February of this year...but these few things are going to help me a ton these next few colder months.

I have spent most of the past 8 months searching for tights, leggings and scarves which are both cute and on clearance or less than $3 each. Thanks to this I now have over 8 pairs of tights (most of which I bought for $1 each), more than 6 scarves (several of which I made), and, so far, three pairs of leggings. I also have found a large number of cardigans and sweaters which I wear year round.

The first few weeks/month of fall is actually not that cold so wearing lots of layers generally isn't necessary. But the closer to winter it gets, the cooler the weather is. These are a few things to get your closet prepared for the coming colder weather.

1. Go through your closet. You might be asking why I say this, but really it is important. If you keep clothes in a box in the garage or anywhere else, go through it too. Why? Well, you need to know exactly what you have for the coming cooler months. I know right now, without looking, that I have at least 5 skirts which I can use for the rest of the year. Of course, I will be making a few more because I already have the fabric on hand...but I don't "need" them. You need to know what you have so that if there is anything you might need you can be on the lookout for it. What items to you need to have for keeping warm? What item's can be used with multiple outfits?

2. Check your shoe supply. Some people wear the same shoes all the time. I am not one of them. I have a lot of shoes. Mostly because they were given to me or I bought them when I worked at Payless so they weren't full price. Unfortunately, the only thing I'm really lacking in are boots. I have one pair of black almost knee high boots. I love them! They are comfy and can be worn with so many outfits. I have multiple pairs of flats which I plan to wear with tights in the colder months. Although it is not a need, I am on the lookout for a pair of brown boots so I can wear them with my other skirts which don't match the black boots. Do you have shoes which can be worn with your fall/winter outfits? If not, what do you need?

3. Accessories. In the fall/winter I like to wear scarves because they keep your neck warm. They are also great for adding a cuteness factor to almost any outfit. Scarves can be found at thrift stores, or regular clothing stores and some other odd places like Walgreens. You can also make scarves from old t-shirts, something I plan to make a post about soon. Do you have/need/want scarves? What two colors would go with most of your wardrobe?

4. Make a list. Now that you've gone through your clothes what things do you need for the colder months? For example, I needed leggings (black, navy blue, and brown). I also needed a gray cardigan (and I found several at a thrift store...one which is light weight for spring and one which is a heavier fabric perfect for winter). I would also like to find a few more long sleeve shirts. Now that I had in mind what I needed I knew exactly what to look for when I went to the thrift store or other stores. All that is left on that list are the brown and black leggings and I may end up breaking down and buying them at regular price from WalMart. Of course the long sleeve shirts I will probably find at the thrift store. What is on your list? What stores can you find those things at for the best price?

5. Start looking. Every time you go shopping (for some of us that's not very often, but still) look for items on your list and stick to it. Check the price tags; don't spend a lot on clothes. There's no need. Look at clearance racks first and then expand to regular priced items if you don't find what you're looking for there. Yes it may be a cute sweater, but it's not worth $20 bucks...try finding one on clearance before buying one at regular price and save that money for something better. I personally love thrift stores because you can find almost anything and it's never more than $5 each. Garage sales are another great way to pick up items even for $0.25 an item. I recently found four items (shirts & cardigans) and only spent $1 at a garage sale. Don't spend a lot and get good deals.

I hope that these few tips have helped you think about the coming cold months. I do plan to post a tutorial on how to make your own scarf from an old t-shirt in the next few weeks. I will also be posting modest fall outfits to show examples of layering and keeping warm while wearing a skirt!

Happy cold weather!