I Decided My Wardrobe Needs to Be 100% More Exciting—See the Transformation

When it comes to my general approach to style, I would say it’s more on the classic end of the spectrum. I’ve always believed in investing in staples that can be worn with any number of outfits—you know, pieces like cashmere crew neck sweaters and straight-leg jeans and a leather jacket that stands up to every season (I’ve even discussed the capsule wardrobe I’ve built around these items). And while I’m happy that I have a closet full of really solid basics, I have to admit that I recently found myself thinking: What happened to the fun?

I’ll blame it on the Instagram accounts of fashion girls like Emili Sindlev and Maria Bernad, who have an exciting approach to style that includes bright colors and unexpected pieces like PVC bags and knee-high socks and orange plaid pants that just feel so fresh and cool. And despite my affinity for more timeless pieces, I felt like my wardrobe was overdue for a little bit of excitement. While I didn’t completely abandon my personal sense of style, I decided to alter my approach to fashion and add some fun to the mix. See how the changes went down ahead.

Before the transformation

In general, my typical outfits are built around more classic pieces like high-waisted trousers, leather ankle boots, and versatile items like a turtleneck.

And there are a lot of neutral colors—like the navy and black I’m wearing in the outfit here. I’ve realized that these are kind of like my personal fashion safety blanket because I’m so comfortable wearing them.

After the transformation

This month, I decided to add some fun to my wardrobe. These are the steps I took to make my outfits more exciting.

Step 1: Avoid black

My impulse is always to invest in things I can wear over and over again, and for me, that usually means wearing black. So the first change I made was to stop buying black pieces. While I would have normally bought this swimsuit in black, I decided to swap it out for a different color. And this baby pink color and ’80s-inspired cut is an easy first step away from my comfort zone.

Step 2: Add lots of color

After I cut out black, my next goal was to add color. And not just “safe” colors, but ones I wouldn’t typically gravitate toward. If you can believe it, I never wore green before this month, but after throwing on this Réalisation dress, I quickly learned that it’s one of my favorite shades. Why had I wasted so many years not wearing it?

Step 3: Learn to love prints

Prints aren’t exactly something brand-new to my closet, but as a general rule, I tend to avoid them. I have found that they can be hard to re-wear since they’re so distinct, but I decided to throw that whole school of thinking out the window. To be honest, wearing this cherry-print dress just made me smile.

My takeaway

While I won’t be completely moving away from the way I’ve dressed in the past, I will definitely be adding more fun pieces to my closet. I have to admit that just by adding some prints and bold colors to my outfits and my Instagram feed has made me 100% happier.

Shop more "fun" pieces I have my eye on

Excuse me while I order some more of these fun pieces to wear all summer long.