How To Refresh Your Wardrobe Without Buying Anything

Having too many options can often be the biggest hurdle when it comes to actually wearing what you already own. “The most common thing I hear from clients is that they have a closet full of clothes and feel like they have nothing to wear,” says Alberta Rose, a personal stylist in Victoria. Rose started her career in fashion more than a decade ago—first in retail and then as a costumer in the film industry—before launching her own personal-styling business in December 2022.

Rose’s approach doesn't involve putting together shopping lists for her clients or encouraging them to chase the latest trends, but rather to help them better understand their personal style and suggest fresh ways to wear what they already have.

She offers both in-person and virtual styling sessions during which she helps clients overcome stumbling blocks, whether that’s by editing down their wardrobe, putting together outfits for a new job or teaching them how to style one particular item. Whether they're struggling to style their new body type after having children or need help reimagining ways to wear day-to-day items or pieces reserved for special occasions, Rose is there to help her clients see what they already have in a new way.

“I work with a lot of people who feel stuck with their style but don’t necessarily want to buy new clothes,” she says. And at $175 for a one-hour session, the service works out to be much cheaper than purchasing a whole new wardrobe.

Sylvia Tennant, a Vancouver-based size-inclusive jewellery designer and plus-size model, contacted Rose because she needed help making sense of her closet. “My love of vintage can take me in a bunch of directions,” she says. “I wanted to narrow it down to something that felt like me.”

With guidance from Rose, Tennant was able to look at her wardrobe—a mix of elevated, playful, glam and bohemian pieces—more objectively. They started by purging a number of pieces and then went through what remained to create outfits for different occasions. Together, they styled an underused denim maxi skirt for errands, work meetings and brunch with friends.

“What we did was allocate new jobs to existing pieces that I had pigeonholed,” adds Tennant. “Alberta translated my wardrobe into the story I wanted to tell.”

How to shop your closet

Working with a personal stylist to rediscover what is already in your closet can be a game-changer, but you can also get a head-start by yourself. Personal stylist Alberta Rose shares the top tips she gives her clients.

Put in the work

Don’t be fooled into thinking that “effortless” means easy. “We all want our clothes to look and feel effortless,” says Rose, who explains that getting to a place where you feel confident in every single piece of clothing you own takes a lot of time, trial and error. It’s all about understanding your own unique style.

Try something new

One of Rose’s favourite ways to get her clients out of a styling funk is to have them focus on a single item—a pair of pants, a sweater, a dress or even a purse—and challenge them to style it in three different outfits within a week. “It will help you see pieces in different contexts,” she says.

Edit slowly

“It’s not sustainable for most people to clear out their entire wardrobe in one sitting—clothes hold a lot of memories,” says Rose. (And, really, who has that kind of time?) Instead, she recommends working section by section—going through, say, all your tops or all your skirts—at your own pace. You can also edit based on the time of year, working through your winter and summer clothes at different times.

Buy sparingly

If you struggle with impulse purchases, try this trick when it's time to shop. Before purchasing something new, assess whether it fills a gap in your wardrobe. “If the answer is no, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t buy it, but it’s important to think about how the item will fit with your current pieces.” Try visualizing a few different ways you might wear it.