trousers: wear, alter or avoid

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I’ve said before that I believe style comes from within, it’s a confidence that is born out of knowing you look good and feeling comfortable, wearing clothes that fit well and flatter your shape. Style is not being able to copy someone else’s look or pick the latest trends off the shelves. To know you look good in something, you need to take some time to understand your shape in some detail, what styles suit and those to avoid.

I’m starting with trousers. I’ve realised this is a complex exercise best done a garment type at a time. I have more tops than bottoms and trousers are what I wear the most. I’m going to do some sewing in between looking at each garment type, since we’ve launched the #1134SewingClub and I’m all excited to do some sewing.

Remember, it’s all about those proportions …. we’re playing with what we have to create the illusion of that fashion shape. The issue with trousers for me is my tummy and short legs in relation to my upper body. However, I do have a defined waist from the front and I do have hips and a bust. Looking at my legs, my thighs are fairly toned and my calves and ankles are in the right proportion.

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I’ve started altering those jeans so that they fit better at the waist and drop right to the floor. I’ve had to recall my pattern cutting from college, I’ve even use my pattern wheel! I’m posting progress on social media and I’ll blog when I’ve finished them.

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body shape: me

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With the vision of fashion ideal in my mind and years of insecurity, I am fighting the desire to photoshop these photos even as I write this but who would I be kidding, only myself.  The rest of the world see this, the reality. This is an exercise in accepting and loving the way I look, being happy with my body. To be of value, it needs to be a good honest look as others see me.

A couple of tips I have discovered in doing this;

  • take photos as well as looking in the mirror, I am noticing things in these photos I had not appreciated in the mirror. It may also be a good idea to discuss with a trusted friend.
  • tuck your top in your leggings so you can really see where your waist is. I did this first with the top pulled down and realise now that I couldn’t really see my shape properly.

This is not easy but it’s strangely liberating. You must start with the positives. I can’t bring myself to say “I have a good x” because I’m far too far down the road of body insecurity to be so boldly positive. So I’ve come up with a phrase I will use rather like a mantra ..

“I am happy about my”

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It’s important to use the word “my” because it really feels like I am taking ownership of my body parts in a way that I haven’t before. I think it’s a good start in accepting my shape the way it is. And I have deliberately repeated “my” alongside each statement, owning each body part.

I am happy about ..

  1. my shoulders and hips, they are balanced
  2. my waist, it is defined from the front
  3. my hips and bust, they curve in the right places
  4. my bust, is shapely but not too big and in a good bra they are in the right place
  5. my ankles, they are slimmer than my calves
  6. my thighs, they are fairly toned
  7. my bum, it needs a bit of firming but size ok
  8. my wrists and lower arms, they are slender-ish

My side profile is where it all goes wrong for me, my tummy was never toned before I had children so it’s my most problematic area when it comes to clothes.I  am deliberately going to list 1 less negative than positive. My mantra for these areas is

“I accept it is part of my lovely body but I want to draw attention away from my ..”

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I accept it is part of my lovely body but I want to draw attention away from ..

  1. my tummy, it is almost the size of my bust!
  2. my short legs, they are the same size as my upper body (this is a baffling discovery, how had I not noticed that?!)
  3. my sloping shoulders
  4. my broad, rounded back
  5. my 40 something upper arms
  6. my short-ish neck
  7. my small but not dainty feet

It’s all getting very yoga so let’s bring back the fashion.

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I have a confession to make, I have referred back to 2002 Trinny & Susannah in preparing this post and looking at styles. I must share a quote from the book;

“We regard ‘fashion’ as a pretty frivolous affair, and the higher it gets, the more absurd it becomes. Yet when it comes to clothes it turns into something deadly serious.”

So, to the important bit for my next wardrobe post ….. clothes and styles that suit me and the ones I should avoid. I’m also planning a post on my ultimate capsule summer wardrobe. This area of body shape and styles that suit has ended up more complex than I had imagined which is why I decided to split it into a few shorter posts (see, I’m getting the hang of it!). In the meantime, I’ve launched my #1134 Sewing Club (posting soon) and I’m itching to do some sewing. So I want to devote a whole week (at least!) to sewing and upcycling. When and in what order I will post, I am learning not to promise myself but that’s the broad plan for the coming few weeks.

fashion: we are all different shapes

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Before looking at your own shape, it’s worth thinking about society’s ideal. Now, I’m not advocating that we should be striving to be something we are not, I despise the fashion industry’s idealisation of a figure that most of us don’t have. But the fact of the matter is that the reason the fashion industry uses that body type is that it wears clothes well and the image sells. In part we are trying to create the illusion with clever dressing that we have that body shape. In reality, we are all different shapes, we have some areas that wear clothes well and some that don’t. By imagining what shape wears clothes well, we can understand the tricks we need for the illusion, the styles that draw the attention towards your good bits and away from your not-so-good bits. We do ALL have good bits, even if we chose to focus on the bad, so this is an exercise in finding and celebrating your assets as well as being honest with yourself about the parts of your body that aren’t so great.

I’ve spent most of my adult life yo-yo dieting and exercising, trying to achieve my ideal figure. I sometimes wonder if the reason I wasn’t drawn into the fashion industry before was because I never felt I looked right. But actually, the fashion figure I was striving for was unachievable because no amount of exercise is going to make my legs longer or my shoulders more square. The only time I genuinely haven’t worried about my figure was when I was pregnant and as I see my children grow, I realise how very different we all are and how ridiculous the fashion industry is to suggest that we fall into a few size categories.

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Ready to wear clothing was introduced in the 1930s but even then manufacturers each had their own arbitrary sizing system and clothes often didn’t fit well, requiring alteration. Sizes were based on inaccurate body data or no data at all! And it was found that garments of widely differing dimensions were labelled the same size! We haven’t learnt much have we?! Some bright spark thought, lets solve this by just using models so thin, it won’t matter! Sizing of women’s clothes continues it’s rocky road to this day but it’s a problem that can’t be solved because the real issue is that every single one of us is a different shape. What bespoke tailoring and dressmaking did was to work with a woman’s best assets and her own individual shape. As the fashion industry has developed, styles and fabrics have become more comfortable and more varied. Clothes should be comfortable but with increasing choice, it’s easier to decide what to wear based on what it feels like than what it looks like.

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So looking at the “fashion shape”, it’s all about balance of proportions;  shoulders and hips are balanced, legs are longer than the upper body, narrow ankles move into slim calves then toned thighs and the waist is defined between curvaceous hips and bust. A long slender neck accompanies dainty feet and wrists. From the side, there’s a cheeky round bottom and a lovely oval tummy, arms are toned and back is straight.

OK so back to reality for my next post when I will analyse my shape against this vision and pick out some styles that suit and some that I’m going to avoid.

restyling my wardrobe: trying on

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Trying on is actually stage 3 of my Restyle Guide but I had an inkling I may have to do two trying on sessions and I wanted to grab my friend, Katy when she had her day off so I skipped stage 2 and I’m going to come back to my “Understand your body shape” for my next post. Katy is my good friend and Wardrobe Sorting partner, she has a good eye for fashion and I trust her judgement, I know she’ll be honest. Wearing my most flattering undies and bra, I tried on all the items on my rail and in the piles I had identified as unworn or worn very little last summer. I had dug out some shoes that had not seem daylight for a while, especially the heals!

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There were a few things that just weren’t right and went in the black bag but mostly they fell into 2 categories;

  1. Things that needed altering in some way, either because they were too big or too small or just out of date.
  2. Things that I’d forgotten about in the haste of daily life.

I also had a few items that I wasn’t wearing because I didn’t have a matching piece to make up an outfit.

Re-styled and Re-loved

I rediscovered some items I hadn’t worn for ages. We had a play with shoes, belts, jackets and jewelry and found some new outfit combinations. Not sure I’ll ever wear the candy-striped 70s dress but I can’t bring myself to change it, perhaps I will glide around the garden in it with a G&T!! I have been posting some #reloved items on social media this week.

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Upcycling

I have a rail of upcycling ranging from a quick half-hour alterations to longer sewing projects. I’ve realised I have lots of tops but fewer skirts or trousers other than jeans or leggings to make up outfits. When I’ve done my body shape analysis, I will crack on with some upcycling projects to fill the gaps in my wardrobe.

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An exhausting day, but a worthwhile start. I still feel that my wardrobe is a bit random and I have that moment in the morning when I stare at my clothes and think I have nothing to wear. I can see plenty of items of clothing but with the time pressure of the morning routine, the weird weather and a feeling of wanting to wear something different for the new season, it takes a while to feel inspired. So I am going to do another session and focus on putting outfit combinations together. Looking at the photographs there are definitely things in my wardrobe more flattering to my shape than others so I will do my body shape analysis before I try on again.

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Marie Kondo has opened up the idea that using ALL of your wardrobe is also about how you store your clothes.  When I’ve read a bit more, I’m going to rearrange my wardrobe into categories by occasion so that I have all my daytime outfits in one place for easy selection in the mornings!  One simple reason I wasn’t wearing my clothes was that they were waiting to be ironed so that’s also on my “to do” list! I’m also keeping a “wardrobe gaps” diary for a couple of weeks and when I’m struggling to find an item, I’ll note it down for my shopping or upcycling list.

There are no short cuts to this, but a few days in and already I’m feeling brighter, less cluttered and I’ve worn some clothes that I haven’t worn for ages. I’m looking forward to some upcycling projects and finding some new outfit combinations. And the best bit is, I haven’t spent a penny yet! And I feel that when I do shop, I will be in a position to make wise choices and spend more per item because I will know that I need them.

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restyling my wardrobe: edit

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When my cousin, Bridget saw my wardrobe sorting on Facebook, she recommended “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying” by Marie Kondo. I’m only a few pages in but it gave me a couple of things to keep in mind for the first stage of my restyle

  • It reinforced my belief that you should have a relationship with your clothes; Kondo asks “Does it spark joy?”.
  • Kondo also says that you should “tidy once and properly”, taking everything out of the cupboard before you start to discard and sort, “tidying a little a day and you’ll be tidying forever”.

At the beginning of each season, I put away the clothes I won’t wear for the coming season into an old suitcase. In fact, Kondo says you shouldn’t do this but I like it, it feels like I have new clothes to wear each season and it forces me to review my wardrobe on a regular basis. Some items are trans-seasonal so they never get put away but I can’t see the sense in cluttering up the space I have with big chunky knitwear all summer or shorts in the winter!

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On Monday, I took everything out of my drawers and wardrobe and took my summer clothes out of my suitcase. I put my winter clothes away, saying goodbye to the rain and the cold! Then I put summer favourites in the drawers or wardrobe (or ironing pile!) Then what clothes were left, I grouped like items together, into piles or onto my rail. These were things I hadn’t worn much last summer or even at all, I had some that I was hanging onto despite not having worn for years. I forced myself to do this systematically, fighting the urge to go more quickly, thinking there shouldn’t be any items I don’t wear .. seems obvious but the danger of my suitcase is that I put things into it that I can’t make a decision about, taking up space with things I am not wearing.

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I find it hard to discard clothes, it feels ruthless and I’m attached to my clothes, but the reality is if I’m not wearing them, there is a reason why. I tried to focus on a step at a time … “I’m just hanging them on a rail for now, I’m not getting rid of them. I’m not even asking myself if they spark joy or why I didn’t wear them. Just, did I wear this last summer? Yes or No? Wardrobe or rail”.

I did manage to bravely select a few items for the black bag  .. though it is still sitting dangerously in the corner of the bedroom, I have been know to revisit my black bag and things creep back into the wardrobe! I’m planning to check out some swapping events so I’m going to keep a few things for that, somehow feels better than giving away.

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I tried to take my own advice and be ruthless about the quality of items. Scruffy, damaged … they might spark happy memories but not joy. I do allow myself a memories box in the loft for really special items such as the shirt I wore almost everyday when I was travelling. That shirt was with me for one of the most important journeys of my life, I can’t discard it, it would be like throwing away a friend!

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I don’t really have multiples of similar items because I don’t shop on the high street, my problem is that my wardrobe is a bit random. I buy clothes second hand or I’ve inherited them and I make decisions based on what I like rather than what I need. I’m pleased to say, I only had a couple of items I hadn’t worn at all, mainly because on the odd occasion I do buy new, I make sure I can return if I get items home and change my mind.

Ready for the trying-on stage ….

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reboot wardrobe restyle

smiley-1020187_1920Lost my mojo a bit half way through last week. I started off all guns blazing with my wardrobe week, Monday was sorting day and Tuesday was trying-on day. I was posting on Instagram as I went along, practicing using some hashtags. Mid-week, I started writing a blog post but I couldn’t seem to focus and the words didn’t flow. As each day passed and I missed my planned deadline, I had to re-write as the context was wrong. Towards the end of the week my motivation trailed off and I’ve been avoiding the keyboard all weekend.

It’s been a weird couple of weeks, we lost someone very dear to our community, very suddenly; someone I saw everyday who was taken before his time. For the first week or so, I was in shocked disbelief, the family were keeping busy and life seemed to feel normal. But as reality sunk in, the mood quietened and shock turned to sadness. It was the funeral on Friday, an amazing service attended by over 100 people, a sunny day to say goodbye. And it hits you that you will never see that person again. And everything seems a bit trivial, it’s hard to be excited about your wardrobe or blog about fashion brands.

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This is when I miss working as part of a team, when I find working alone at home is particularly challenging. Your motivation has to come from within and it’s hard when something happens to unsteady the force. At the best of times blogging can feel lonely, despite what your Google analytics are telling you, it’s not the same as proper human interaction. This is such a personal journey for me, the culmination of all of my life so far and a search for a new career at an age when I fall harder. I’ve put myself out there because so much of what I am doing is who I am.

On reflection, my reluctance to blog has been me wrestling with how to restart, it didn’t feel right to carry on as if nothing has happened. I feel vulnerable, angry and that life is unfair and those are real emotions that will inform my future in some way, they can’t be ignored. But until recently, I was excited and enjoying blogging, making some valuable connections and feeling positive about the future. So I need a reboot, a challenge to get me fired up again.

For some time now, I’ve been trying to master the art of writing and publishing a quick blog post rather than pouring over it for days! And I’d like to generate more readers and followers, so I’ve had a crash course in hashtags from my lovely mentor, Sylwia and I’m practicing using other social media channels with hashtags in between blog posts.

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With these two things in mind, I’ve made a plan and I’m going to gather up the work I started last week and post each day, keeping each post short and posting updates on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Going forward I’m using #emmasfashionblog for everything I post and adding either #wardrobe #upcycle #sewing #ethical to identify the blog category. Since my trying on session I’ve tried to wear something each day that I’ve rediscovered in my wardrobe, so I will continue this week, posting using #reloved. Please join me, find something you haven’t worn for a long time, take a pic and post on Instagram using #emmasfashionblog #wardrobe #reloved

So, the week ahead … following my own “Restyle Your Own Wardrobe Guide”, featured in an earlier post.

Tuesday – Edit & Sort

Wednesday – Trying On 

Thursday – Understanding Your Shape

Friday – Summer Capsule Wardrobe

I’m on a steep learning curve, thankful that social media is fast moving and my mistakes disappear quickly! Feedback keeps me going, it’s so lovely when people respond or are moved to comment. Keep in touch, talk to me or even subscribe by using the button on the right – it’ll make my day!

 

 

restyle your own wardrobe

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Does this sound familiar … you wear less than 50% of your wardrobe, you find yourself staring into the cupboard thinking “I have nothing to wear”, you go shopping and impulse buy items that look good in the store but when you get them home, you’ve nothing to wear them with or they disappoint when you put them on? So you stick to the familiar 50% and the new items decorate the cupboard with the tags on. Well it was only cheap so it’s no big deal. Unworn items are given away to charity but Africa has enough of our unwanted clothes and our donations are stifling their home industries. And despite what H&M have told us this week, very few textiles can actually be recycled into new textiles, the processes simply don’t exist.

The idea of buying clothes based on what we need is long gone with past generations when people had a Sunday best outfit, a party dress, clothes for work, home etc. Have you ever thought about those beautiful antique wardrobes? People actually used to be able to fit their clothes in them! Now, it’s a whole wall of storage required and we claim to have nothing to wear.

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My ethical guide to fast fashion starts with 1) plan a capsule wardrobe for the season ahead. In order to plan what we need, we need to know what we have. Then when you know what you have in your wardrobe you can identify the gaps, key purchases that will offer new outfit combinations and make use of the pieces you aren’t wearing. The other element to this is knowing yourself, your body shape and what suits you. That’s the secret to style, it comes from within, it’s a confidence that is born out of knowing you look good and feeling comfortable, wearing clothes that fit well and flatter your shape. Style is not being able to copy someone else’s look or pick the latest trends off the shelves.

This all takes time, of course, but it’s worth some upfront investment … I guarantee you will feel liberated. You will be able to buy quality items because you will be buying less of them and you will love your clothes again because you will know them. This is the basis of our Wardrobe Restyling service, aimed at guiding clients towards creating a capsule wardrobe by upcycling and restyling existing pieces, using what you already have in your wardrobe.  I’ve adapted our service to a Restyle Your Own Wardrobe Guide, to help you tackle your own wardrobe, find some clarity and hopefully, a few ideas to find your own style. It’s a good idea to get a friend to help you, someone with a good eye who will be honest. You’ll need a couple of spare clothes rails, keep one empty. You’ll also need some luggage tags, a camera, a pencil and paper and a black bag.

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  1. Groups like items together; trousers, dresses, tops etc.
  2. Have a look at each group …
  • Do you have multiples of the same item? Do you wear one or two more than the others? Why? Put your favourites back into the wardrobe and the others on the empty rail. What made you buy these pieces when you already had similar in your wardrobe, what do you like about them ….. write on a tag and hang the tag on the hanger with each item.
  • Pick out items you don’t wear and think about why … is it because you have nothing to wear them with? Or that you like them but you don’t know how to wear them? Is it simply that you bought it on a whim and you don’t like it? If it’s the latter then put it in the black bag. Otherwise write the reason on a tag and hang it on the item. 
  • Pick out items you’ve never worn. Why? Do you like some element of the item but not others; the shape but not the colour, the style but not the fabric, is the fit wrong? Write the reason on a tag and hang up. Is there a common quality about these items that makes you buy them but then you don’t wear them?
  • Be ruthless about the quality of items. If they are washed out of shape, faded or scruffy, they’re not going to spark that inner confidence … black bag. If they’re looking scruffy and damaged, think about how long you’ve had them and how many times you’ve worn them, you may even remember how much you paid for the item. Was it a wise purchase, how much did it cost per wear?
  • Comfy clothes – remember you need to love ALL your wardrobe to spark that confidence and develop your style. Don’t wear stuff you’d be embarrassed to open the door in, it’s probably because they make you feel crap. I’ve discovered recently the joy of decent house clothes, wearing them reminds me I dress for me and it makes me smile when I look in the mirror.

Ok, so you now have a rail of duplicates, items you like but don’t wear and items you like some element of but there is something wrong with them.

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  1. Put on a pair of leggings and a tight vest top and take a good long look in the mirror. Get your friend to take a photo of your back and look at that too. Make a list of your features, start with the GOOD and then do the BAD.
  2. Pick out two favourite outfits, that represent your personal style … ones you get complimented on and make you feel confident. Try them on and have a good look at each. Take photos and make a list of what you like about them. Is it the colour, shape, style, fit, details … does your friend agree?
  3. If you are brave, try on a couple of things that don’t fit properly, where are the problem areas .. the hips, shoulders, length?
  4. Look at yourself with and without makeup, think about your complexion. Try different colours against your skin or treat yourself to having your colours done.

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So, you’ve had an honest look at your shape, a rest and a cup of tea, it’s time to try on. Spare a thought for your undies, they may be hidden from view but can make such a difference to how an outfit looks and how you feel. Wear undies and a bra that suits your shape, if you don’t know what that is, it’s worth promising yourself a bra fitting.

Come back to your rail;

  1. Things you have multiples of or you’ve never worn because you like the colour but not the shape, for example, can they be upcycled taking advantage of the bits you like and getting rid of the bits you don’t? A dress can be made into a skirt, a top into a jacket, a cardigan into a waistcoat. Collars or trouser legs can be reshaped to update style or simply changing the buttons can alter the look. If it’s the fit that’s wrong, have the item altered, shorten the length or nip in a side seam can make a dress look completely different. Have a go at sewing yourself or find a local seamstress, you can pay someone to alter items with the money you’ll save with your new strategic approach to shopping. And don’t forget items that can be repaired to make them wearable again.
  2. Things you don’t wear, try them on. Think about what would go with it, bearing in mind your shape. Try something random, you never know; be brave … clash a pattern or introduce a colour. If you really can’t find an item in your wardrobe then write on your “to buy” list. If you find some new outfit combinations, take a photo and hang back in your wardrobe. Any items awaiting a match, hang in your wardrobe in a group and label them, give yourself a time limit to find a matching piece.
  3. Have a play with your accessories, they can be key to lifting an everyday outfit or getting multiple looks from the same item. Be brave, even the craziest combination can make sense with the right accessory because it says you’ve made a fashion decision rather than a random match. Scarves, beads, belts, jewelry ….. pick out the detail or layer vests under tops that match with your accessory.
  4. Take photos of outfits you like and items to be upcycled or repaired. 
  5. Have a rummage through the tags, make a note of any pitfalls you might want to avoid in future … are you prone to impulse buy in the sales, do you panic when you need an outfit for a special occasion and buy rather than try what you already have. Are there colours and styles you are drawn to but don’t suit you, don’t follow trends if they don’t suit you.

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  1. Compile your photos into a booklet to keep by your wardrobe for inspiration and take it shopping with you to remind yourself of your best looks. Also take photos of styles and colours you want to avoid, a stark reminder of what you look like in shocking pink rather than the model in the store ad will steer you away from an unwise purchase.
  2. Always make a list of what you need before hitting the shops. Pick out the stores you plan to visit and research online what they have before you go.
  3. Keep reviewing your wardrobe. Keep taking photos of new combinations. Those items awaiting a match, if you still haven’t found one in x months, maybe it’s not meant to be.
  4. Now you are buying fewer items, buy quality and make them last longer. You know what suits you now so you’ll want to wear for longer.
  5. If you do want to get rid of stuff, think about where you donate it. Local charities are good who help the homeless or refugees and organisations such as Dress for Success or Career Wardrobe who provide clothes for people trying to get back to work.

Good Luck and most of all Have Fun, watch your confidence grow and your style develop. Let me know how you get on and share your experiences with me by social media.

 

 

 

wardrobe restyle

January fashion magazines are all about decluttering and revamping your wardrobe, suggesting lots of lovely things we could go out and buy. However, I’ve just read a really interesting article from Red Online thats says just the opposite. It’s entitled “7 types of clothing you should get rid of immediately” (I’ve tweeted a link). It talks about an experience with which most of us are familiar, that moment of staring at your wardrobe full of clothes and feeling like you have nothing to wear ….. normal response is to go shopping. But NO Red magazine says that’s the last thing you should do. It recommends a strategic approach with a pen and paper and a “brutally unforgiving eye” to edit your current wardrobe and get rid of the excess. And before entering the shops, a good look at what is left. The article is definitely worth a look as it offers practical advice on how to declutter, listing 7 categories of clothes you should get rid of and within each, gives you some questions to ask yourself about the items you find in your wardrobe.

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I think we have a tendency to underestimate the importance of clothes and see them as something trivial but as the article says;

“What you wear has a profound effect on how you see yourself”

… and I’d go further to say that how you see yourself has a profound effect on how you approach life and how others see you. I’m reminded of a statement by the artist Grayson Perry in his TV series last year on identity he says

“Our most beautiful and complex artwork … is our identity”

Clothes ARE important, they are more than just an outer shell to keep us covered and warm, they are a representation of who we are and they tell others things about ourselves.

Question: How much of your wardrobe do you actually wear regularly?

I reckon most of us would say 20-30%. Why? Probably because we are all juggling work, home chores, kids etc and there is no time left to think about wearing something different, we go for the easy option of familiarity. And we feel safe in that 20-30% about what we are saying about ourselves. And as for taking a strategic approach to either our wardrobes or shopping, who really has the time for that?  We do exactly what Red say we shouldn’t and make impulsive purchases based on what’s available and looks nice in the shop. I find I am drawn to pieces and outfits in the store, only to get them home where they don’t quite look or feel as they did when I tried them on in the changing room so I end up taking them back! I’m definitely not strategic about selecting clothes because that would take the fun out of it, wouldn’t it? And I end up with a bit of a mix as most of my wardrobe is bought in charity shops where the choice is more limited. My friend, Katy, has a more strategic approach to her wardrobe, she’s lucky enough to have a built in rolodex in her head that she scans through when she’s shopping! However, she’d probably say that she’d like to mix it up a bit sometimes and be a bit more impulsive.

From our chats about our different approaches our Wardrobe Restyling service was born ….

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I wouldn’t say we are brutally unforgiving but we are an independent eye able to view you and your wardrobe honestly and strategically. We’ve done some test sessions for practice and in exchange for other services and we’ve donated sessions for a couple for charity events. We’ve had a great response so far and I’ll be posting some client experiences soon. Unlike a straightforward styling consultation, our emphasis is on maximising your existing wardrobe by restyling and upcycling pieces you already have and we make suggestions of key purchases which will offer new outfits when combined with existing pieces in a client’s wardrobe. We like to give an honest opinion and guide clients towards creating a capsule wardrobe to suit their lifestyle, a part of their life such as a work wardrobe or a wardrobe for a particular event such as a holiday. We encourage clients to do some preparation in advance depending on their brief, then we arrive with a clothes rail, hangers and a camera … ready to rummage! We aim to leave clients with a good selection of outfits they didn’t know they had!