I’m Gracie (@graciecreates) from the Archer and Olive ambassador team! As a lover of fashion, I’m always looking forward to summer for the opportunity to revisit pieces in my closet that I haven’t worn since last year! I love thrifting & finding new clothes second hand, but in my attempt to reduce my clothing consumption (and to release the strain on my ever-bulging closet - yikes!) I like to get inspired by what I already have, by doodling it in my journal! In this blog post, I’ll show you how I find excitement in what I already have, and plan some great outfits for the season ahead!
Supplies you’ll need:
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Your journal - I’m using a Traveler’s Notebook from Archer & Olive
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Markers & pens
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Your favorite summer pieces in your closet!
When shopping for supplies at A+O, you can use my code graciecreates for a discount!
Video Tutorial
Step 1: Rifle Through That Closet!
Before you get started doodling, I find it helpful to look through my closet. What is hiding on the back of the rack behind all of my winter sweaters? What tops and sundresses are buried in the bottom of drawers? Take a look through your closet and drawers and pull out pieces that you want to style. This is also a great two-birds-one-stone opportunity to clean out your closet. Find something you know you won’t wear again? Add it to the donation pile!
This process allows me to remind myself of what I have – and if you are looking to shop for some new pieces, it also can show what gaps you have in your wardrobe.
Step 2: Put Together Outfit Combinations
Once you have some of your pieces pulled out, you can start mixing & matching pieces with accessories until you have a few outfit combinations that you like. Not sure where to start? Try looking on Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration, or better yet: your own camera roll! Scroll back to last summer & look for any outfits you remember loving. Being an outfit repeater is the best way to feel great & make sure you’re getting the most wears out of your favorite pieces!
Step 3: Doodle Your Outfits
Now that you’ve gotten an idea of what outfit combinations you can create, it’s time to draw them in your journal. Grab your favorite markers & pens and doodle! This doesn’t have to be hyper realistic, and can be more fun if it’s messy and stylized. To me, this isn’t just an opportunity to plan outfits you’ll be excited to wear, but also an opportunity to admire & honor the pieces that you own & already love. It helps me to be excited about my own closet, instead of scrolling on online stores & thinking about new things I want to buy.
Once your clothing pieces have been doodled, take it to the next level and try to mix and match the pieces to make as many outfit combinations as possible. I do this by lettering or numbering each piece I've drawn and then making a key on the corner of the page: listing each outfit by the numbers of each piece.
Step 3: Slay
This step is the easiest: once your outfits have been planned, you have a great resource to look back on once it’s time to break out the summer ‘fits. Going on a trip? Need an outfit for a party? A dinner? Take a look through your doodles to ease the stress of finding the perfect outfit.
Though this is a light-hearted journal spread you can just do for fun, it can also help to remind us that what we have is enough! There’s no need to follow every trend you see online, and looking for inspiration in your own closet is totally possible. Looking for more summery ideas for your journal? Check out this blog post from ambassador team member May showing how to plan for travel!
Free Printable
You can find more creative goings-on in my corner of the internet, @graciecreates on Instagram and YouTube, and @groovygraciecreates on TikTok. If you do this project, share with the A&O team on socials! Tag us @archerandolive and use the hashtags #AOShare and #archerandolive
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