How to Create a Perfect Date Night Outfit With What You Already Own

One of the most common challenges my new clients face is creating outfits for special occasions or date nights because they feel like they just don’t have enough options in their closet to choose from.

Often, my clients will have plenty of “staples” in their closet when it comes to professional or business attire, but not so much if they’re headed to the theatre or that hot new restaurant with their special someone.

When I look in their closets, I usually identify the issue right away. Most of the time, there are plenty of things to wear, but they’re not seeing the possibilities because they have what I call a “separation of wardrobe.” It looks as if their professional attire is completely “divorced” from their special occasion attire.

Instead of a divorce, let’s make the items of your closet into a family.

If you have a business suit that you absolutely love, it’s very easy to turn it into the perfect date night outfit when you combine it with other items that compliment it. Simply adding a pin or brooch to the lapel of your suit jacket will completely change how it feels and looks on you.

Pair up your favorite sparkly shoes with that combination, and just like that you have the perfect foundation for a date night outfit.

Speaking of pairing things; you’d be amazed at how different that suit jacket looks when you simply swap out your “everyday” earrings with a pair that’s a little more sparkly and matches the pin or brooch you put on your jacket. I’ll be sharing more about accessories in a future post, but let this idea inspire your creativity!

Let the items work together. Repurpose things. Experiment. Play in your closet! This process is a lot of fun when you approach it with curiosity and a sense of play.

You don’t always need to go shopping in a store in order to have an amazing date night outfit. You can actually go shopping in your own closet every day. The first step though is to see everything in your closet as part of a family.

Look for ways that your existing pieces can play and work together that you might not have tried before. Set aside some time to mix and match, and even invite your girlfriends over for a fashion show.

Once you create that family atmosphere in your closet, you can focus your energy on showing up as your most brilliant self for that date or special occasion.

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About Liana Chaouli

President and Founder of Image Therapists International Inc. and a globally recognized thought leader, bestselling author, style expert and educator. Ms. Chaouli, provides transformation through the empowerment of wardrobe. She has spent two decades consulting CEOs, celebrities, and political figures on matters of self-image. As the developer of Image Therapy™, she works closely with her clients on their personal and professional presence using analysis, physical appearance, and education to adjust attitudes affecting self-esteem and overall sense of worth.