Someone messaged me the other day and said she has so many clothes and still has nothing to wear.

I knew exactly what she meant, because I have stood in my own full closet and thought the same thing.

I just got home from a week in New York — the US Open, my birthday, and a work trip for Jeff, all rolled into one — and I came back with a plan that has almost nothing to do with buying.

What I did in New York instead of buying

I shopped. Of course I shopped. But I walked out of most stores empty-handed and full of photos.

Here was my rule: if I loved something, I took a picture of it instead of buying it. Then I sat with it for a few days. My closet is full. If something new is going in, it has to earn the space.

I also photographed outfits — not just individual pieces, but whole looks. Mannequins, window displays, women walking down the sidewalk. My camera roll is full of them.

And here's the part I got excited about: I already own most of what's in those photos. Not the exact pieces, but close enough. So I'm going to recreate those outfits from my own closet and share them here and on Instagram. When I can't find my exact item I'll link something similar — but check your closet first before you buy anything. That's the whole point.

Then I came home and tried on everything

Everything.

I'd read that this is the only real way to see what you own, and it turns out that's true. You cannot audit a closet by looking at it. You have to put it on.

It took a while. I ended up with four piles:

Donate — things I am never going to wear again, and I know it
Consign — good pieces that deserve a second life with someone else
Alter — a few items that are one hem or one nip away from being favorites
Keep — and this was by far the biggest pile

That last pile is the whole story. Most of it went back in. I had far more to wear than I thought. I just couldn't see it.

If you want to do this yourself

Give yourself an afternoon and some good light. Take everything out. Try on every single piece — yes, even the ones you're sure about, because "sure about" is how things sit unworn for three years. Make your four piles as you go. Then put the keepers back where you can actually see them.

The surprise isn't what you get rid of. It's what you rediscover.

What I did buy — four things, and here's why

A darker denim. This was the one gap I knew I had going in. I have these and love them, but I really loved the fit of these. A dark wash does something a lighter one can't — it dresses up, it goes to dinner, it works under a blazer.

A corduroy shirt and a sweater. I fell hard for this corduroy shirt and this sweater. I checked my closet for anything close before I bought either one. There wasn't. You're going to see both of these a lot this fall and winter.

The suede jacket I'd already ordered. Suede was everywhere in New York — jackets, skirts, bags, boots. I could not wait to get home to this suede jacket that had just arrived. It is so good. And yes, I have a lot of jackets. I don't have one like this.

Boots in the color I was missing. I ordered these boots because I needed a pair in this shade. With those, I'm genuinely done on boots and shoes for the season.

What I didn't buy — and why

The scarf. I found this scarf and loved it. I also have scarves. So I left it. If you're actually in the market for one, this is a beautiful place to start.

The ballet flats. These were so cute. But I already own these, and "cute" is not the same as "needed." I hope I don't regret it.

This is the part that's actually hard. Not the closet clean-out — the standing in a store loving something and putting it back down. Taking the photo helps more than you'd think. It gives your brain the little hit of "I got it" without the purchase, and four days later half of them don't look nearly as good on my phone as they did in the store.

The one I'm still thinking about

I keep coming back to these loafers. A friend of mine has a pair she's had for more than twenty years and they still look good and still look current. That's the math that gets me: it's an investment, but if you wear something for two decades the cost per wear stops being the point entirely.

I haven't decided. If you've talked yourself into a pair like these, tell me and you may push me over.

And the one that got away

Fringe is big this fall. It was everywhere in New York — on jackets, on bags, on boots.

I fell in love with this jacket. It's an investment piece, and they no longer have it in my size, which means I can finally stop obsessing over it. I also seriously considered this purse, but it's expensive and I try hard not to put real money into trend pieces. Fringe will be quieter next year. A great bag should outlive a trend.

What I'm actually doing for the rest of fall

Shopping my own closet.

Recreating those New York outfits with what I already own. Wearing the things I forgot I had. Getting the alterations done instead of buying the replacement.

Cross your fingers for me, because I'll be honest with you: spending money on clothes has always been my weak spot. But I came home from a week in one of the best shopping cities in the world with four purchases and a camera roll, and that feels like the right direction.

If you're ever looking for something I've shared, it's on my ShopMy or my Amazon storefront, or you can always message me on Instagram.

So tell me — what have you been shopping for this fall? And has anyone else tried the try-on-everything thing? I want to know if your keep pile surprised you the way mine did.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share things I genuinely use and love.

Nothing to Wear? How to Shop Your Own Closet This Fall