January is the calm. It is the time when we are recovering from the holidays, making plans for the new year and in New Orleans we are preparing for Mardi Gras. I have mixed emotions about January. It is usually gray with a lot of cold days and rain.

My January plans usually consist of finding places for the boys new toys, keeping everyone from getting sick and frantically working on my Prima Donnas Costume. Well this year I am not doing Prima Donnas so I needed a new project.

I am challenging myself to a “No Shopping January”.

I like to start off each year with a theme for the blog. Using my styling skills to make 30 days of outfits out of my existing wardrobe seemed like a fun way to kick off the year. There are many times I am looking through my closet and see an item that I loved and before I know it I have passed it over yet again. Creating outfits from what I have in my closet and not adding anything new is a great way to save money of course but I am also really looking forward to getting some of the items that have been pushed to the back a little spotlight in the sun…

Keeping with that theme I thought that it would be great to discuss how to make the most out of one specific item in my closet. I have done this before with a black skirt so this time I chose a shirt.

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The Shirt

When I purchased this shirt I was specifically looking for something for holiday. However I also knew I wanted to wear the shirt after Christmas too which made more sense to get one that was more white. There is also a small amount of navy in the plaid. It easily paired with black, navy, tan, silver, gold and so on.

Most of the items in your closet are more versatile than you realize. It becomes a habit to put certain items into an outfit and think that is the only place they belong. Styling items like this not only helps you extend your current wardrobe but it is an excellent way to pack for a trip too.

What item do you own that could have new life in a new outfit?

Check back for more on my “No Shopping January”