I’m A Closet Con

Clothes have never been a top priority of mine. Until very recently, they were nothing more than a piece of fabric that covered various parts of my body. 

I have always been jealous of the people who seem to have endless staple pieces, mixing and matching perfectly tailored jeans with a spotless top and a cool jacket that probably isn’t that warm but definitely lights their own creative fire. 

As I have gotten older, I have become more and more interested in wearing clothes that are “different” but “cool.” In my head, there is a Venn diagram of both those descriptors, but finding the overlap is expensive, subjective, and definitely not my forte. 

Even when I have searched through countless Pinterest boards for clothing and style inspiration, I frequently feel like a fraud. I haven’t been wearing vintage, thrifted finds since 2018, and before last year, I didn’t own a pair of loafers. My outfits are repetitive, and when I gather a new skirt or sweater, you can catch me wearing it at least once a week for months at a time. 

However, through patient thrifting, occasional copying from a Tik Tok or Instagram ad, intense trial-and-error, and some compliments that have really stuck with me, I finally feel like I am at a place where I can throw together an outfit that makes me feel like my best self. 

For all the readers who want to change something about their style but do not know where to start, I’ll let you in on a little secret: I am, in many ways, a closet con. 

You may ask yourself, what could that possibly mean, Riley?

Well, I wasn’t just born with the innate ability to look at a stripey button-up hanging up on a rack and envision this multifaceted outfit that is modern, original, and seasonal. I have “practiced” my outfits. 

I have some “comfort pairs” that I can always throw on without much of a thought: a patterned skirt with a plain sweater or shirt, jeans and a thick jacket, cargo pants and a graphic tee. There are also outfits that have forced me to step out of my normal: an all-denim outfit, mismatched beiges and tans, an oversized puffer with oversized pants and platform shoes. 

Some have been hits, and some have been misses. That’s fine. 

Like anything else, you’re going to fail. But to get any “better” or “more comfortable” with something, you have to first try. 

There are pictures of outfits that I look back on and realize that it may not have been as much of a slay as I had thought at the time. So what? 

Realistically, no one else is focusing on what you are wearing as much as you are. 

The best part about wearing clothes that step out of the norm is that you can wear what makes you feel like you!

The worst part about wearing clothes that step out of the norm is the fear of judgment and “sticking out” (negative connotation). I get it. I’ve been there. Some days I’m still there. 

But, at the end of the day, think about all the outfits you have seen on other people that you remember. 

Truthfully, my answer is none. I can’t really think about any specific outfits on another person that I have thought that hard about. I remember some pieces here and there that I loved on other people, but full outfits? I’ve got nothing. 

The point is, just start trying things out. Put on an outfit, look in the mirror, give yourself a smile, and walk out of your room. 

No one is paying attention to you as much as you think. Plus, you’ll be shocked at how many random compliments you get from people when you start putting on a piece of clothing that strays even slightly from what you normally wear. 

Get trying and styling!

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