Confession: I am a shopaholic. It is pretty bad, but at least I can admit it, right?

After admitting this and thinking about it for a few days, I made the decision that I am not going to buy any new clothes, shoes or jewelry until Christmas. Not only is this going to be extremely difficult for me to not shop, but it is also going to be a challenge for me to create outfits with only my existing clothes because practically everyone at Dunbar has seen all my clothes already. I mean, I have gone to school with those people all of my life.

I want to wear new, fun outfits this year, but how can I do this if I am not buying new items? After pondering this thought for a while – yes, I actually thought about this – I landed on the idea of upcylcing my old clothes from middle school and my freshman year of high school. This means to rework old pieces into new outfit combinations. Even though most of my old clothes were absolutely terrible, there were a few gems to be found.

So before school started, I dug through my closet and found a denim dress, a lace top, my old desert boots, a pair of red velvet pants and a ring, among other things, that I could use in my current wardrobe.

The Denim Dress

I bought this dress the summer before my freshman year, in 2010. The dress was made by a clothing company called Gentle Fawn, but I bought it from Macy’s. I really liked this dress because of the lace detail on the front, the elastic band under the bust and it has pockets. I still like this dress for the same reasons. The lace detail is still in style, the elastic band makes it flattering and who doesn’t love a dress with pockets?

The Lace Top

My lace top is from Forever 21, and I bought it in August of 2010. This top is very similar to the denim dress because it has an elastic band under the bust and some lace detailing on the top. The entire item is covered in lace as well. I really like this piece because of how versatile it is. I can wear it in the summer with a pair of skinny jeans and flip-flops. I can also wear it in the fall or winter with skinny jeans, ankle boots and a chunky sweater.

The Desert Boots

Desert boots have been in style for a while now, but it is not time to retire them quite yet. I bought my desert boots around Christmas 2010. They are by Nine West’s Vintage America Collection, and they are — or used to be since they are pretty dirty now — a sand colored suede. They are my absolute favorite boots for the fall and winter because I can wear them with everything from jeans and a T-shirt to tights and a dress.

The Red Velvet Pants

My red velvet pants are by far my favorite purchase. I bought them in the eighth grade from Fossil, and they were a steal – only 20 bucks. I have always loved the look and feel of velvet, so when I saw these pants, I knew I had to have them. They are skinny jeans, which is the most flattering shape on my body. They are a few inches too long, so I like to wear them rolled up to ankle length with a pair of ankle boots. I can only wear them in the fall and winter because they are velvet, but I am able to wear them with all kinds of shirts. They are super versatile, and red pants just make me feel good.

The Turquoise Ring

My turquoise ring is Lucky Brand, and I received it as a gift in 2011. This ring is very detailed and unique. The stone is shaped like an oval, and it is pretty big. The sides of the ring are butterflies, and there is a tiny little peace sign on all four sides of the stone. This ring is a really cool piece that I think will be in style for a while because it is turquoise, and turquoise is a classic color in fashion.

These are pretty diverse items, but they have a couple things in common: all of them have been in my closet for about three years, and all of them will be incorporated into outfits that I will wear this year. Not only do these pieces show that it is possible to resurrect old clothes, but they also serve as a guideline for shoppers. If you want to get your money’s worth, it is smart to ask yourself before buying the item if you will still be wearing it in three or more years.