3 Ways to Make New Holiday Outfits From Clothes You Already Own

Holiday outfit 1 - blazer tucked into a skirt

This first look is inspired by @in_fashionwetrust. I've always wanted to try tucking a blazer into a skirt. I feel like it’s magic! 

Before jumping into my closet though, I like to pull out parts of the outfit that are important elements to me. That way, I focus on what exactly inspires me about this outfit, rather than the garments I don't own.

The first element I love about this look is the silhouette. Everything is fitted and tailored. 

The second element is that there is a lot of structure and contrast, especially adding definition at the waist.

So, I need to pull these elements out of my closet.  

I went with a light brown blazer and a checked mini skirt. I would definitely recommend securing this with either double-sided tape or safety pins. 

The key here is to have a skirt that is fitted but has a little bit of room and structure so that you cannot see the folds of the blazer underneath. 

This is surprisingly comfortable and I would definitely consider wearing this outfit in real life. The fact that my skirt is plaid makes this holiday outfit feel even more festive.

For those of you who do not have a skirt that is compatible with tucking in, you can keep the blazer tucked out and belt it. 

I also switched out my heels for boots, and it feels much more wintery now. However, I prefer my original interpretation. 

Holiday outfit 2 - oversized coat

This next look is inspired by Abi Marvel, whose style I really love. Her style is very minimal yet super impactful. I like the use of red and white here, it's super festive. 

The first element that stands out to me here is the combination of texture e.g. the leather skirt with the wool coat. 

I also like the monochromatic base that is being created.

The other element that I find really interesting is the high contrast of the oversized long coat with the delicate shoe. 

I'm pairing black leather pants with my black mock neck sweater. I tucked in the top to accent the mock neck and added a belt for a little more visual interest. 

On top of this monochromatic look, I'm wearing my caramel wool coat, which creates a contrast with the black.

For the shoes, I am wearing these lovely black slingback heels.  

I love how this turned out! 

Holiday outfit 3 - knit sweater over a blouse

This look is inspired by an image I found on Pinterest. 

The first element that stood out to me in this look is the really beautiful color contrasting palette. I like the use of the red bag and navy skirt grounded by the white blouse underneath and white sneakers. 

The second element that I like is the mix of styles. I like the romantic blouse with the androgynous loafer and box bag. 

The third element that stands out is the mix of textures with the knit sweater and the velvet skirt. 

I am going to recreate this look using straight-leg indigo jeans and a navy polka-dot silk blouse. I'm not sure which sweater to use so I am going to test out two separate looks. 

For the first style, I'm going with a gray v-neck sweater and boots for some added edge. I'm pairing this whole look with a red bag for a pop of color. 

However, this look doesn't feel quite right to me.

So, I swapped the sweater out for a more oversized version in the hopes that this will create a visual juxtaposition. 

The boots seemed too predictable, so I switch them out for my sling-back shoes. 

I love how this turned out! 

New holiday outfits from old clothes

There are three holiday shop-your-closet looks based on inspirational outfits. As you can see, the looks can be quite far from the inspiration but we are able to put them together by pulling out the elements we like from each outfit.

Using this method, you can create brand new holiday outfits from your old clothing! 

Let me know in the comments below what you think of these outfits and if you try this with your own wardrobe.