The Difference Between Owning Clothes and Building a Wardrobe: Meet the Guru 7

The saying goes there's multiple ways to do a thing but that doesn't mean they are right. Today I'm talking about style and the right way to fill your closet - an approach that works for any body type and every woman. This is the Guru 7 — 7 style standards present in any good outfit and more importantly core to every shopping trip. You want to shop and dress better? Stick around, and take notes on these fashion lenses that will change your perspective for good.

At some point in every fashion girl's journey being a woman of style is a moment of fantasy. Envisioning ourselves as Diana Ross in Mahogany, Carrie Bradshaw in the Upper East Side or Vanessa Huxtable going anywhere. But no matter your style muse, these women have something in common; and the sheer size of their wardrobe isn't it. See, style and surplus are not the same thing girl, and as much as I wish that were true sometimes, what would be the real fun in that.

Instead, I introduce the Guru 7 — the key style strategies present in a wardrobe of style. The very tools that helped these women appear to be "good shoppers", like the rest of us aim to be, versus being armed with style...or should I say their stylists and wardrobe teams. But don't worry sis, stick with the Guru and you'll be your own stylist and glam crew.

Picture a closet of over 100 pieces. It's probably your closet. I'm talking tops, bottoms, shoes, layer pieces combined. And yet the outfit repeater syndrome just won't leave. Or, you have bins and bins of clothes stored away, but when you pull them out you remember why they were stashed to begin with. The dread of nothing to wear hits you.

In case you don't recognize yourself yet, first let me break down my definition of an outfit repeater. Someone who rewears clothes that provide little to no style satisfaction… and are chosen out of necessity. Bleh.

Abundance without strategy can cause problems. You're not repeating because your closet is small, but because your inspiration is low. And it's my job to support you, from carrying a heavy clothes load without the confidence to match, to collecting intentionally and maximizing with even a little. Stay with me sis, it starts with style strategy.

What we want is to be style strategists. Taking the Guru 7 into account each and every day and training ourselves on beauty aesthetics and most importantly self application. Each of these 7 lenses is a way to look at your outfits — including the ones already saved on your phone — and figure out what you actually love about them. Because if you can't apply it to you, then what's the point?

Let's start with number 1.

 

1. Fit

Does your outfit fit? Fit relates to both dressing for your size as well as flattering your body type. Check out our piece on tailoring to see the importance of clothes that were made for your body. There is nothing like a well-fitting outfit, which is exactly what makes this tool so easily underrated. An outfit that hits in the other categories but fails here will always underperform. And this one has the most to do with how you feel. When clothes are falling off your body or making a body part look bigger or smaller than it is, it never feels good and will distract you from owning your look.

To master this strategy, understand your body shape and begin diagnosing clothes that you feel the most flattered in. Martini glass shape, wide leg may be your bestie. Short queen, make sure those pants are well hemmed and tailored - we don't rock with the bunching. Larger breasts, opt for opening your jacket or shirt rather than going for a fully zipped or buttoned look. And most importantly, shop for clothing in your size. Unless there is a strategic style decision to get something larger for an exaggerated look, typically oversized clothes already account for that and buying your true size is still the right option. With time and skill you can play with this, but be careful. Clothes that don't fit really bring down an outfit.

Here's your tell: if you're constantly adjusting yourself or worried something's about to look out of place, that's fit talking. The rule of thumb is set it and forget it - a well fitting outfit should eliminate fidgeting completely.

 

2. Silhouette

This next one is sister to the first strategy — silhouette. An outfit with high style points is going to be rated high on the silhouette scale. That doesn't mean everything is big, but it does mean your outfit should offer visual intrigue, which can come from draping, volume, and playing with proportions. One test is to stand normal without posing and see how your outfit rests on your body. Does it look bland, is it intentionally fitted and showing off your natural physique, or creating whimsical shapes from your waist or shoulders. The options are endless and it's less about what silhouette you choose and more about not underestimating an outfit simple in color, but provides powerful visual interest through its shape and dimensions. That's tea, and a hack for you.

To master this, consider a picture of your most recent outfits and if you were to draw a line outlining them would you be drawing the same shape or even no shape at all? That's a signal to insert different dimensions to your looks even if it's in the form of a shoulder padded blazer (or this bomber here), barrel jean, wide leg anything, peplum or long draping top.

Try this: start with the body part you actually want to highlight, then let the rest of the outfit build around it. Want the waist to show? Fitted top, full bottom. Want attention on the shoulders? Structured top, easy bottom. The rule isn't "fitted and full," it's "pick your moment and let one part of the outfit do the talking while the rest supports it." This helps create emphasis and shape. And don't forget sometimes the silhouette you're highlighting is that body — you know what I'm talking about.

3. Color

Next up is color consciousness. Each and every outfit you choose should be looked at through the lens of color theory. Don't worry sis, you don't need a degree in color, but you should arm yourselves with why colors work together and what colors look good on you. Are you going with the sandwich method, a monochrome look, or neutrals? All fine if you have taken a chance to consider your color choices, their compliments, and how they work for you. Color theory describes a relationship of colors between other colors. So knowing how certain colors relate to you is step one, then discovering how colors independently relate to each other. Like body type awareness, knowing your undertones is valuable. So whether you pick an outfit color palette based on season or invent something based on what's in your closet, this strategy is not about having the brightest or the boldest, although you can, it's about consciousness and making use of combinations that work.

To master this, understand your skin and whether it is more flattering in pastels or deeper colors, white versus cream, and which neutrals (brown, tan, taupe, etc). This will provide you with a fashion toolbox easy to use in store.

Try this: the easiest gut check is a 3-color max - if your outfit has more than 3 colors going on, it's probably competing with itself. Want to go a level deeper? Pull straight from the color wheel: complementary (opposites, like blue and orange), triadic (three evenly spaced colors), or just stick to primary colors as an easy reference point. To test it, make an outfit you love, then do a quick gut check: do the colors clash, are there just too many going on?

 

4. Texture

Now this next one starts to evolve into the high achieving section - if you can do this on a regular basis it is a true signal of style. Texture is an element easily left out, but knowing how to add it in communicates elevation instantly. This looks like intentionally highlighting a single texture in an outfit; a jacket maybe (wool, leather, tweed), or consciously infusing texture into an almost complete look to give it intrigue.

Try this: start with a monochrome outfit, then swap just one piece for something with real texture - a knit instead of a flat cotton tee, a woven bag instead of a smooth one. Same color, same silhouette, just texture doing the work. Once you've got the eye for it, start shopping your basics with texture in mind - it's one of the easiest ways to elevate an outfit without changing anything else about it.

Texture also comes from contrast - pairing something soft with something edgy (think a knit sweater with leather pants) does a lot of the elevation on its own. Or flip it and go all in on one texture - all satin, all crochet, spandex with fire accessories - these "abundance" looks are just as much a texture play as contrast is. Unlike color, which can get sensitive fast if you overdo it, texture is more forgiving - if you're intentional, you can actually combine a lot of textures in one outfit and have it read as interesting rather than chaotic.

 

5. Styling

Now honorable mention for this next one, as it's no debate that this is a skill, but it is not to be underestimated. Styling is best thought of as the way you choose to wear something - it's the how as opposed to the what, and it applies to every other lens on this list. You're wearing your all-black bodysuit, but are you styling it for a basketball game or the apple orchard? You decided on a hat for brunch, but is it tilted, resting on top of your head, backwards, or snug? You've got your best baggy jeans - do you roll the waist for a grunge street look, or let them sit low to hit that same aesthetic a different way? How you wear your clothing is the very reason you can become an outfit formula master because you rewear pieces with intention and direction. As for the outfit repeater, well she's just letting the clothes wear her. Elements like sleeve length, layering, tying, and hair choice all matter when it comes to styling; even orientation. Ever put your cardigan on backwards, or worn a skirt as a top? That's stylist energy.

Try this: the tuck alone can change everything - full tuck, half tuck, French tuck, or left alone, the same top can read four completely different ways. To actually check if you've styled well, build your look in layers: put the clothes on first, then add hair, then face, then jewelry, then shoes - and look at yourself after each addition. If the outfit starts feeling more intentional with each layer, you're on track. If you notice the coherence drifting - something starting to feel like it's doing its own thing instead of working with the rest - that's your signal something's playing solo instead of being part of the girl group.

 

6. Accessorizing

Now a close cousin of styling is accessorizing. While styling focuses on adjusting the clothes, accessorizing is about adding elements of detail to bring the look together. Are your shoes red and the rest of the outfit neutral? Maybe red earrings to accessorize and use the sandwich color method.

Think of it this way, your clothes are the trunk, and your accessories dress the branches - shoes, anklets, socks, bracelets, cuffs, belts, scarves, necklaces, brooches, ties, hats, glasses, bows, clips, ribbons, earrings, sunglasses, bags. Once the trunk is set, accessorizing is about making sure every branch is intentional too. An approach to accessorizing well is to think in points. Give your basics - a plain tee, simple jeans, neutral shoes - one point each, and give your statement pieces - a bold bag, chunky jewelry, a colorful scarf - two points each. Add it up and aim for around seven. Too few points and the outfit feels flat, too many and it starts to compete with itself.

Try this: ask whether your accessories work all day long. Does your outfit lose interest and pop without those glasses? Maybe add a belt or necklace for when those come off - something that holds up even after the "hero" piece is gone and keeps you "close" to seven points.

 

7. Occasion

Now last of all, and maybe my favorite, is dressing for where you are going. Your outfit will have a completely different impression if it is designed simply for your preference but is out of context for your occasion or even lifestyle. If you work in a warehouse and you wear Tim's, cargos, and structured basics on a regular basis, and apply the Guru 7, your style status is going to be pretty high because you will resonate with the room you're in. But take that same outfit to dinner and it may feel out of touch. And that's not you, boo. Imagine being at a wedding, or an evening ribbon cutting, versus date night to go bowling - your outfit should communicate I knew where I was going. This is not to be mistaken with simply being overdressed or underdressed, because every event has an overdressed or underdressed spectrum - I typically lean more overdressed, but within that you can still create an outfit masterpiece that shows off your style IQ. You may love heels, but if you're going outdoors in the grass for a sporting event, your outfit probably needs to be fire without that. But you can still come serving or even over the top - that's where your creativity comes in. Hats are great, but maybe not when headed to dinner. Or how about getting invited to a summer music festival - those fringe pants might just be perfect to pull out now.

Consider functionality, too - what you're actually doing once you get there. Looking fly should never stifle your ability to live and enjoy the people around you. That's not chic at all. So if your comfort or ability to actually engage in the festivities is in question because of your outfit, that's your cue to rethink it.

Try this: before getting dressed, picture the room you're walking into. Ask who else will be there and what they'll likely be wearing - then decide if you want to match that energy or intentionally stand out. A stance from the Guru: be okay with standing out, or fully committing to a theme or occasion. It shows mindfulness, closet versatility, and the authentic you. Got a golf skirt that's never seen a course? Test it out on that mini golf date, go ahead and let it finally shine.

 

What's Next 

These style strategies are going to unlock your closet elevation and your shopping game. Your eye will notice different colors, seek retailers with engaging silhouettes, textures that make you feel sexy and like luxury but also intrigue. And whichever style point you are looking to scale next, the Style Guru has you covered.

Remember Diana, Carrie, Vanessa? They were never actually born with "it." They just had someone in their corner who knew how to build a look with intention. Now you do too. No more staring into a full closet with nothing to wear. No more outfit repeater era. Just you, your clothes, and the Guru 7 - working together every single time.