Mona, first of all, do not despair. You are really building a great closet and figuring out your style.
I began this process having lost a lot of weight. My own first step was to purge everything that didn't fit. But before I did that, I asked myself if there was anything there that would be worth altering so I could wear it during the interim phase while I built a new wardrobe (since I couldn't afford to go out and buy everything new). Luckily for me, I identified a couple of pieces that required only inexpensive alterations. Last summer, I wore a combination of those pieces with two new pair of jeans, a handful of tops bought on SUPER sale during a trip to New York City, sandals bought in a similar way, and a number of pieces picked up from thrift stores.
Was it the perfect wardrobe? No way. But at least it got me through the summer and didn't break the bank. And I felt better in those clothes than I would have felt in shapeless clothes from five years ago! Or longer.
Meanwhile, I put on my thinking cap. First I broke things down by "capsule," as Angie recommends. I figured out what my main needs were (in my case, WAH, appearances, sleepwear, workout wear) and took a look at what I had in each category, what could do crossover, and what would help to fill a capsule out.
Like you, and after some great advice from Mrs. Eccentric (Steph) that you can read in this thread: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....e-my-style I decided that jackets were that all-important 3rd piece so I made up my mind to invest in some that I really love. I bought all my new jackets except one Old Navy denim jacket at consignment or vintage shops, thereby minimizing the costs.
I put the REAL money last year into winter coats. I desperately needed those, and that's where most of my clothes money went.
Meanwhile, I created a few favourite outfits, which, I confess, I wore again and again and again and again and AGAIN! I did vary them a tiny bit by switching footwear, scarves, layering pieces....but the core of the outfit would remain the same. A lot of YLF'ers would probably be appalled at how often I wore my simple black jersey dress (which was donated by a friend). Honestly, I probably wore that dress twice per week last year.
You can see one of those coats and the dress I wore all the time in this thread: http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wiw-113011
This summer, I traded out some of the altered pieces for a few new items. I cut off a pair of my skinnies to make bermuda shorts and bought another pair of shorts. I got a new skirt on consignment. Also a few more tops. And then on sale I bought other woven tops. I concentrated a lot of my summer money in footwear, because I have recognized how important it is to making an outfit sing, and I really had none to speak of last year.
Now I'm at the stage that Gaylene describes. I'm trying to think in terms of concrete events that I have to attend and to imagine what I will wear to those events and what I might need to fill gaps. Meanwhile, I'm trying more carefully to narrow down a style. Of course I've been trying to do this for a whole year, but I haven't felt as if that style has particularly "jelled" as yet. That is a subject for another post!
However, even if my personal style doesn't feel fully formed to me, it is extremely rare for me to go to my closet in terror that I have "nothing to wear" to this or that event. I may feel that an outfit would work better if only I had this type of shoe or that type of bag (or whatever) but at least I feel I have the basic makings of said outfit!
The only time I truly panic is when I am planning a trip, which goes to your post. Planning trips is particularly fraught; we don't want to be caught out and uncomfortable while we are busy seeing family or friends or trying to work (depending on the purpose of the trip).
Having said all this, I do think there may be a few lessons for you here:
1. Check carefully the items you are editing and purging. Can they be altered to work in some way as a stopgap while you save for better?
2. Do visit the local thrift and consignment stores. They are not as wonderful as Claire's and Shannon's (to say the least) but you might find something worth your while anyway, if you are lucky.
3. Continue to scour the sales, as you already do. No, it's not the ideal way to build a wardrobe in the sense that you can't always find what you NEED on sale. However, if you identify a few key needs (e.g. my winter coats) and decide to pay full price for those if necessary, you can more easily accept that you will have to shop sales for this year's "extras."
4. Recognize, as Angie says, that it DOES take time. We want it all to happen right away, but very few of us have the means (or even the time) to make that happen. In the meantime, we can wear and re-wear our favourite outfits again and again, asking ourselves all the while what it is about those outfits that makes our hearts sing.
