5 Fun Ways to Inject a Dose of Happy into Your Wardrobe

I always feel the excitement that occurs when spring and summer arrive. Conversations of new beginnings and reinvention are at the forefront; people are in a frenzy to ditch their winter wardrobe for lighter, more cheerful attire.

With warm sunny weather comes the time to drive with our top down (on the car that is), to wiggle our brightly painted toes in the sand, and to availing ourselves to all that’s Happy in the world.

Even though we throw the windows open to receive the freshness of the warm months, we can still have a gleeful disposition by injecting doses of it into our everyday wardrobe.

Here are five ways to get your happy fix even when the weather or circumstances are melancholy:

Whimsyland 

Twenty minutes down the highway is the place the world calls the Happiest Place on Earth. Yep, good ol’ Disneyland. While 100’s of 1000’s get their happy on in Anaheim, I experience euphoria each time I open my closet; the place I have deemed Whimsyland.

Why does my closet have such a wonderful name? By being purposeful in my purchases and injecting garments into my wardrobe that our outside the norm, offer a bit of whimsy, and have a bit of fantasy in their shape, texture or color.

Truthfully speaking, I have a fondness for white shirts, but rather than sticking with a basic button down, I enjoy adding white tops that are fun, interesting, and deviate from basic.

Tie One On

The quickest, easiest way to add a dose of happy into your wardrobe is by tying on a pretty scarf. Some shudder at the idea and immediately sabotage the thought by speaking these words, “How do you wear a scarf?” Well, I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t have to be so difficult.

Remember when Grace Kelly took her scarf and tied it around the handle of her bag? Handbag designers are so hip to this idea that now some are made with the scarf already attached!

Or, here’s another idea and one which I happen to love – wear a colorful neckerchief around my wrist. If you still feel intimidated by the whole scarf-thing, here is a video by Chico’s that gives suggestions. Enjoy!

Happy Feet

I don’t know about you, but when I look down and see my perfectly painted toes sitting pretty in a fun pair of shoes or sandals, it makes me feel positively delightful. I’ll be the first to admit – I’m a bit of a shoe whore (can I say that?). I LOVE shoes, and in my world, they’re never considered an after-thought, rather, they are often positioned in the forefront of my sartorial choices. The thought of wearing the same type of shoe, day in and day out, send chills down my spine.  There are so many options to choose from, why not go ahead and overdose on a huge injection of happy.

Hidden Treasures

When handbag designer, Kate Spade, was at the height of her popularity during the 90s, I had a huge love for her whimsical (there’s that word again) designs. At first glance, one would see an ordinary bag, but a closer look always revealed something much more exciting.

Inside her bags, she always surprised us with the hidden treasure of a rousing lining – a happy surprise each time the owner had to search for her compact or keys.

Hidden Treasures can be found in a variety of our sartorial choices. Recently I purchased, what looks like a basic trench coat from Loft, but inside, it’s lined with a beautiful motif of flowers. Just the thought of my coat makes me smile.

Finally, let’s not forget our happy undergarments. I dare you to leave the top three buttons of your top undone and allow your pastel pink lace bra to peek from underneath (wink).

The Icing on the Cake

Confession: I often ask for the piece of cake that has the most amount of icing – Yum! However delicious the icing on the cake may be, I’m speaking in a non-literal term, and referring to fashion.

I like to refer to accessories as the icing on a cake – the finishing touch, the pièce de résistance. I wrote extensively about accessories at So What to Twenty in a two-part series called, The Icing: Minimum and The Icing: Maximum. You can discover more by clicking the links.

Recently, I was invited by Chico’s to be a guest stylist for their style event called the Leopard Lounge. Before the event, I had to be outfitted in their current inventory.

I was gob-smacked by an over the top, squash blossom necklace made of simulated silver pearls and blue lapis stones. To call this piece a statement necklace would be an understatement. It was glorious.

Click to see the necklace on Chico’s website

I decided to create an entire look around this spectacular piece, with the main items being classic cropped jeans and white button down top. The accessories indeed were the icing…delicious, sweet buttercream.
During the event, I found myself stroking the necklace. One of the associates stated, “You really like your necklace.” I replied, “Yes, I do. It makes me happy.”

There you have it – Five Fun Ways to Inject a Dose of Happy into Your Wardrobe. For weekly style stories visit and subscribe to So What to Twenty! My latest book, True Style: A Look Beyond the Surface is receiving rave reviews. Check it out!

Stay True,

Glenda