Remix Your Wardrobe

The fashion phrase of the moment is "shopping your wardrobe". Magazines from Vogue to Grazia are encouraging us to re-explore our closets for hidden gems rather than buying copious amounts of tat that date after one season.

The expression refers to the practice of diving deep into your closet, storage space, or perhaps parents' basement to uncover your own fabulous clothing from seasons past - so long past, in fact, that they somehow feel new.

Maybe you have probably been shopping with wild abandon over the past few years and now have a wardrobe filled with many designers that you probably never wear. Now we have to think twice before a big expensive purchase.

Finding new ways to pair your favourite items and spicing things up with some accessories can make a world of difference! Just try to take a look at what you already own with a fresh eye - as every fashion editor knows - great style is all in the edit.

Chances are you already have some of autumn's essential pieces tucked away in your wardrobe. Now is the perfect time to fish them out and save a fortune in the process. Whether it's an old velvet skirt, a wide belt, a pencil skirt or tweed coat – you'll be surprised at how many fashionable items you actually already own.

Here are some tips on how to remix your wardrobe so you can still look stylish and on trend without spending a penny.

- Mix Casual and Dressy

Do you have lots of dressy clothes that you never wear just languishing at the back of your closet? Bring them back to life by pairing them with well cut casual items - they can give your wardrobe a new lease of life.

Strategy: If you've got an embellished cardigan that you hardly ever wear because it's too dressy, try dressing it down with a pair of dark skinny jeans and some metallic flats. Just because your cardigan is fancy doesn't mean you have to look like you're going to a ball!

Try every possible combination.

- Bold Belts

The belt cinched its place in our wardrobes for its ability to create drama and a slimming effect.

Strategy: This season bold, wide belts were seen at Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Fendi and other designers. Let your belts give new life to an old suit or dress. Consider wrapping them around looser pieces, like cardigans to create a defined silhouette with any outfit.

Update your look by wearing them over jackets, dresses, and full-skirted looks.

- Learn to sew

As you are going through your closet, start setting aside the pieces you've never worn. Consider why this is. Is it too dressy, too frilly, too girly, fits weird? All of these things would be fixable if you just bite the bullet and learn just a few simple sewing skills.

Strategy: Removing a superfluous ruffle, replacing buttons and hemming jeans are a few things that take mere minutes to complete and can turn something "blah" into something a little more "oh hell yes!"

- The Dress

Have you got a dress or two hanging in your closet. Or five, or ten? Recent seasons have been huge for dresses, with a plethora of different styles and shapes hitting the catwalk. Dresses are a great go-to item since they are versatile and create an instant pulled-together look. They also come in a range of styles to flatter any figure.

Strategy: Audition the dresses in your closet. The ones that fit and flatter get to stay centre stage. Brainstorm accessories that match. You have the ones that seem a little outdated or less flattering? Give them to charity, to a friend, or consider selling them to a resale shop to fund your own next purchase.