7 Ways to Reclaim Your Style and Simplify Your Wardrobe Now Caregiving Is Over

Has caregiving left you in a style funk? Don’t miss these 7 tips to reclaim your style now that caregiving is over.

I bet your go-to outfit when you were caregiving was pretty similar to mine:  leggings or some form of comfy athletic pants, a t-shirt, and sneakers or some similar form of slip-on shoes (or maybe you wore your slippers!).  The reality is most of us had little time to devote to looking good each day.

Now that your caregiving days are over, do you still find yourself gravitating to that same wardrobe?  Do you feel totally overwhelmed by your closet?  Do you stand in front of your wardrobe FULL of clothes and still don’t know where to begin or feel like you have NOTHING to wear?

Yup, been there!

7 Ways to Reclaim Your Style Now That Caregiving Is Over 

For months after my mother’s death, I would stare into my closet and not even spare a glance at the nice pants and beautiful shirts I owned.  I would instinctively grab the uncomfortable, unflattering pieces that given the chance I would Kondo right out of my life.

It can be SO hard to find the things we want to wear or even figure out what goes together, or looks good, especially when we are in a rush (which is often!) We have enough to worry about and plenty to do—who the heck wants to worry about what to wear on top of everything else?!

How you look is directly connected to your confidence level, your happiness, and how you project yourself to the world. Some of us leave caregiving with a short supply of all three.  But here’s the thing: letting yourself go will only keep you feeling down. Finding your way back to who you are and feeling good again is a journey. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

Reclaiming your style is an important step to help you experience more joy and to feel good about this next stage of your life. Good style will help you feel confident when you decide to start socializing again.  Here are 7 ways you can start to reclaim your fashion sense, simplify your wardrobe, and ignite your style.

1. Exercise matters 

Exercise isn’t just about losing weight; it’s about building your energy and your confidence. Even if you don’t need to lose weight, an exercise routine will improve your outlook, lift your spirits, and help you feel better about your body. As an added bonus, it will help you sleep better which will improve your skin and get rid of those bags under your eyes.

2. Say hello to makeup

I don’t know about you, but makeup was never on my radar when I was caregiving.  Prior to that, I would not have been caught dead without makeup.  But it’s time to get reacquainted with our long last beauty pals.  You don’t have to go crazy with a full-on face of makeup.  A little mascara and lipstick and blush are all you need to get started.  Make a commitment to not leave home without it ever! You’ll feel presentable to the world which will make you happier and more confident. If you don’t know where to start, visit your favorite makeup counter at any department store or my two favorite makeup stores, Ulta and Sephora. The salespeople are trained in makeup application and the makeover is free.

3. Time for a fresh hairstyle

One of the fastest ways to feel fresh and renewed is with a new hairdo! See a stylist and get some advice on a cut and color that will brighten you up. Or search Pinterest for a hairdo you like before your next hair appointment. Color, highlights, and a great cut can all contribute to feeling like a new you. Or if you’re like me and suffer from alopecia, take the time to find a new wig or hairpiece and ditch the hats and headbands that cover your hair loss.

4. Purge your closet

When you start to weed through your wardrobe, one of the first rules of thumb is to keep only what fits and what’s in good repair (that means you need to toss anything with holes, rips, or stains – you deserve better than that!). While I know it may sound difficult, if you really want to make it easy to find clothes that look great on you, you can quickly eliminate any items you’re hanging onto because you’re waiting for weight gain or weight loss.  If you really want to keep them put them in a bin and put them in storage but remove them from your closet altogether.  Remember the idea here is to open up your closet and be able to confidently know everything fits and looks good on you as you make your daily choices.

5. Keep only what you love

What items in your closet are you excited to put on? Are there items that make you feel great and look terrific every time you wear them? Those are the items to hold onto.  Anything you feel kind of “meh” about or the items you’re keeping out of guilt (maybe you spent too much or got a gift that didn’t quite fit), let go.

So often, we keep clothing that’s out of style hoping trends will come back around. But oftentimes these vintage items are no longer relevant or in good shape.

If there’s something you just don’t feel amazing in, donate it. Unless you have endless storage space, there’s just no reason to hang on to it. If there’s something you’re unsure about, put it aside for a few months and revisit it. If you forgot you had it in the first place there’s a good chance you can let it go with the confidence you won’t miss it again.

6. Try a capsule wardrobe

When I’m speaking with overwhelmed post caregivers about fashion, I always recommend a capsule wardrobe because I know it’s a great way to start opening up your options and make your clothes work for you.  And, it’s not as difficult as it might seem.  You can download my free capsule wardrobe starter printout as a guide.  Basically, the idea is that each piece of clothing in your wardrobe should be interchangeable with several other pieces.

Having a capsule wardrobe doesn’t mean everything has to be plain, black, grey or boring. What it does mean is that each item you own can be layered or matched with at least four other items in your wardrobe. A cardigan might go with several blouses, a grey sheath dress, and a skirt. A patterned floral top might pair with jeans, grey pants, under a sweater, with a red skirt, and with a contrasting striped skirt.

As you start out to create your capsule wardrobe, keep it simple.  Start with basics like classic patterns, pinstripes or houndstooth.  Look for quality fabrics like cotton, silk, and wool.  Having the basics on hand allows you to eventually build beyond the capsule as you gain more confidence and narrow in on your particular style choice.

Click here to download the free printable above!

Some of my favorite capsule wardrobe pieces come from none other than Amazon and the Daily Ritual brand.

Their Ponte leggings are to die for!  Super soft, high waisted with a thick waistband makes sure everything stays in place and nothing pushes out the top. And they are under &30! Unlike other brands, they will last and last.

My second favorite piece in this line is the Super Soft Terry Relaxed Sweatshirt Dress.  This would pair well with tights, boots and a jean jacket for a super cute outfit.

Next up is the Relaxed Fit Terry Open Sweatshirt. You can easily dress this up or down depending on what the day has in store for you.  Very versatile piece. 

This is just a small collection of a few of the capsule pieces you can buy right on Amazon.com.

7. Don’t forget accessories

Accessories can change a drab, ordinary outfit into something special. If you don’t want to invest in a whole new wardrobe, or you’re ready to amp up your capsule wardrobe try investing in a few pieces to dress up the wardrobe you have. Wraps, scarves, jewelry, headbands, and shoes all have the ability to take a basic black outfit from boring to wonderful.

Moving on can be hard, but reclaiming your style can help you feel brighter and stronger. It will help you feel more confident and encourage you to go out and spend more time with friends doing things you enjoy and giving your social life a boost.

So how would how you feel about yourself if you were to reclaim your style just by following these tips?

To recap here are the seven tips to reclaim your style and simplify your wardrobe now that caregiving is over:

• Exercise matters
• Say hello to makeup again
• Time for a new do
• Purge your closet
• Keep only what you love
• Try a capsule wardrobe
• Don’t forget accessories

Other great wellness advice:

• How To Prioritize Self Care After Caregiving Is Over