It's a Wardrobe Glow-Up: 7 Items I'm Adding to My Closet and 7 I'm Tossing

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(Image credit: @greceghanem)

I've recently taken it upon myself to audit my wardrobe and decide once and for all what stays and what goes. Okay, maybe not once and for all—it's a practice I inevitably have to repeat every few months. But with summer in full swing, I figured it was time to do another closet clean-out and purge some items that now feel irrelevant to me.

With that, I've pinpointed seven pieces, in particular, that no longer feel like they're the most stylish or practical options. From tops to shorts to dresses, there's a specific style I'm purging from each category, and I won't lie. I'm doing this because I'm looking to fill that new space with some pretty (and pretty affordable) pieces from our very own Who What Wear x Target line. Yep, our line is stocking many of the easy and summery silhouettes my wardrobe is craving right now.

Since sharing is what I do best, I figured I'd go ahead and highlight the seven pieces I'm getting rid of and the new pieces I'm eyeing to add to my closet, so with that, keep reading to learn about my latest wardrobe refresh to hopefully inspire your own.

Tossing: Super-Short Shorts

Adding: Roomy Shorts

Shorts are only getting longer and looser, and I, for one, am definitely not fighting this movement away from short and clingy cutoffs. (I always found them awkwardly uncomfortable, anyways.) The fashion crowd has fully adopted longer lengths that offer a bit more coverage and a more relaxed fit. They also just happen to look more polished for the warmer months.

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(Image credit: @sasha.mei)

Tossing: Strong-Shoulder Pieces

Adding: Strappy Details

Strong, padded shoulders are one trend I'm more than happy to let go of. They had their moment, but personally, I never found them to be all that wearable. Instead, strappy pieces that are evocative of '90s going-out looks are what I'm after right now. They also have some serious staying power past the current season. As I hone in on my "revenge" wardrobe, I'm leaning into these barely-there pieces. 

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(Image credit: @tamumcpherson)

Tossing: Stick-of-Butter Palettes

Adding: Destination-Ready Prints

Speaking of my "revenge" wardrobe, I'm also looking to channel a beach destination through my summer outfits regardless of my actual travel plans, and these bold and bright prints are doing just that. I think the moment for austere, all-neutral outfits has passed. It's all about joyful dressing for me these days.

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(Image credit: @greceghanem)

Tossing: Plain Tanks + Tees

Adding: Interesting Tops

Don't get me wrong. I love a good basic top, but my closet is currently being overrun by them, so I think the time has come to really gut my basics drawer. I'm really drawn to fun statement tops right now that look good all on their own and don't require too much effort to style, like these one-shoulder and ruffled pieces.

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(Image credit: @helen.guu)

Tossing: Anything Too Structured

Adding: Airy Silhouettes

Structured pieces were starting to feel too severe. Besides, summer is the time when I hit the easy button on my outfits, which is why these light and airy silhouettes are doing it for me.

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(Image credit: @smythsisters)

Tossing: Boring Basics

Adding: Basics With a Little Something Extra

I'm a firm believer in having a few cool or "special" basics on hand at all times. They add a little something extra to your outfits without really trying. Boring basics, who?

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(Image credit: @helloitsroxie)

Tossing: Shirtdresses

Adding: Puff-Sleeve Dresses

While once a trend, puff-sleeve dresses are firmly a staple style now, and I could always use a few more versions to keep on rotation. They're my go-to for the office (when that's a thing again) and are fully replacing shirtdresses, a traditionally office-friendly piece that strikes me as a bit stuffy these days.

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(Image credit: @alyssekatherine)

More Pieces Destined for My Closet

Up next, see the affordable buys that are winning our editors over right now.

Senior Editor

Anna is an editor on the fashion team at Who What Wear and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews with Who What Wear's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.