How to break out of a style rut.
Revamp your wardrobe and get the look you deserve.This is my 100th post.
I can hardly believe it...
Time does fly when you are having fun!
I have to say though, that without you, this milestone would not have happened.
So, I can't thank you enough for visiting my blog.
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Okay, moving on quickly....before I go all soppy.
After my post (on the 1st of January) about New Year Style resolutions.
I decided to continue on this theme and talk about being stuck in a style rut, how to break free and find a style you truly love (and deserve).
I know that it can be an almost impossible task to break out of any habit.
Whether it is giving up smoking, drinking or take away dinners.
A style rut is no different.
It may seem shallow and trivial, but dressing in a way that makes you feel good really does effect your life.
Feeling good means you are more likely to tackle life with a positive spin, therefore spreading positivity to others.
I know some people who use clothes (and colour) to help prevent the symptoms of SAD and therefore depression... it is not so trivial after all!
If you are stuck in a style rut, and have lost your mojo, you CAN break free.
But, you need to be prepared for some hard work!
When I first started blogging I was in danger of losing my mojo too.
See this post about when I (almost) lost it.
It can happen to us all.
As I have said before (see a post HERE where I was asked what piece of advice every woman needs)
EVERY women is beautiful, fabulous and deserves to look her best.
We just need to remind ourselves of that sometimes.
Lets get started...
Do you open your wardrobe and see hundreds (and sometimes, thousands) of pounds worth of 'Meh"?
Throwing it all away would be such a waste of money, wouldn't it?
How do you even begin to shake up your style, and start to dress in a way that makes you feel good, when you have such a millstone around your neck?
Past mistakes hanging there, every day reminding you of your failings.
Dressing should be a pleasure.
Gone are the days of only having only one set of clothes, for practical purposes, and a Sunday best.
Fashion is supposed to be fun.
Make you feel good about yourself.
Make you smile.
If dressing in the morning leaves you feeling flat, and you are just going through the motions and making do, then it is time for a change.
I am not going to lie....it won't be easy.
But nothing worthwhile ever is!
Get your thinking cap on
You have probably heard many times the "Rules" of shaking up your wardrobe.
Sorting it all out into piles...blah blah blah...
Forget that, for just now.
Keep your wardrobe firmly closed for the first stage of your re-vamp.
3 things to think about when revamping your style
1. How would you like to look?
Who do you admire and why?What do you like about their style?
Be specific.
Is there any element of their look that you could 'borrow' and make your own?
If you don't know where to start, you could look at trashy celebrity magazines.
However, blogs are better...mostly because they are real people and (for the most part) not photoshopped to look less wrinkly, or taller, or skinnier.
2. How do you NOT want to look.
Without being bitchy, think about outfits and looks that leave you cold.What is it about the look that you don't like....again be specific.
Colours, fabrics, shapes, choice of hosiery (this is a BIG one for me) can turn you on or off.
Try to look past the body shape and age of the person.
These are very helpful when knowing what to avoid when out shopping.
3. How do your current style choices differ from this 'ideal' look?
What is holding you back?Confidence?
Peer pressure?
Your choice of shops?
Be honest with yourself.
If you find this hard, imagine talking to a friend...what advice would you give her?
Open your wardrobe and take stock
- What items make you feel good?
What do you like about them?
Think about fabrication, cut, colour...what makes you love that item?
- What items make you feel Rubbish?
What makes them hang in your wardrobe, unworn?
Don't bin them (yet) put the items on and make a note of what is wrong.
Is it the cut?
Colour?
Pattern placement?
Lack of lining?
NEVER blame your body for making you feel awful.
Some of the most stylish women have far from perfect figures.You must be 100% committed to your revamp.
Any doubt will affect it's success.
I know you have probably heard this a hundred times, but you need to make 3 piles to get started.
Pull everything out and sort them into the 3 categories:
{This applies to ALL items Clothes, coats, shoes, accessories, underwear EVERYTHING... be ruthless}
1. KEEP
Things that make you feel (and therefore look) good.These are likely to be well made and fit well.
It's not Rocket Science after all!
2. DONATE
Be ruthless at this stage (don't worry we are coming back to this pile).Put in anything that you have not worn for a year. Unless it is evening wear then apply the 5 year rule.
Get rid of anything that does not fit properly. Forget about 'slimming down' into it. If you slim down, treat yourself to something new.
Any item that is dated needs to go, nothing says "frump" more than dated clothes.
Remember your shoes. Out-of-date shoes can ruin even the most stunning and modern outfit.
3. BIN
Any faded, damaged, worn, over stretched, scratched or generally 'past it' items....including undies!Any item that shows where your bum and knees have been when you are not inside it (leather and suede are guilty of this).
Forget about the money you have spent.
The money has already gone...let it go.
These items are just taking up space and making you feel bad about yourself.
Go back to your DONATE pile,
- Give good quality items to Charity. Some savvy shopper will be delighted with there new purchase and you will be doing good at the same time.
- Give some things away to friends, I do this a lot and it never fails to make us both feel good.
Get rid of the clothes QUICKLY.
If you have them hanging around the house, you will be tempted to rummage around in the bags reinstating items.Don't worry if you are left with very few pieces.
Chances are you were only wearing 20% or the contents of your wardrobe anyway.
Onwards and upwards!
Do your research
Go back to the women (or looks) you admire
Make a note of what you would like to take from their style and how you could make it your own.
Remember that emulating someone else style can kick start your own.
Anyway, different people wear things differently.
Even in an identical outfit, you and I would look totally different!
Buy a few fashion magazines
Make notes on colour combinations that catch your eye or styles and shapes that interest you.
You don't have to be literal with the fashion mags, many of these looks are just artistic and don't translate into real life very well. But, you can get inspiration for a mood or look you would like to evoke.
Think about your ideal look, is it...
Classic?
Minimalist?
Bohemian and Romantic?
Eccentric and artistic?
Check out the stockist pages in magazines
This is where you will get an idea of the kind of shops you need to be looking in.
Ebay and Charity shops are also great places to go shopping.
There are many online boutiques to browse too.
Make a list of what is lacking in your collection
Make a list of what you would like to be in your wardrobe.
Is it less black and more colour?
See this post about being braver with colour.
Do you want to try wearing more patterns and maybe mixing them up a bit?
Check out this post about mixing colours and patterns together.
Lets Go shopping!
See this post about how I like to shop...and have fun!
Before you go, set a budget and stick to it
Don't worry, you don't have to spend a fortune re-stocking your wardrobe in one go.
Avoid your "usual" shops
Push yourself out of your comfort zone and into new territory.
Are you worried you might be too old/fat/tall/short for a certain look or shop?
See this post about me (in my 40's) wearing skinny jeans and a cropped top.
The moral of this story?
We are NEVER "too" anything!
Wear what you like.
Take your list and stick to it, but keep an open mind
Don't try to buy it all at once
A new item can make you rethink other pieces in your wardrobe, making them feel like new.
Remember that shoes can make or break a look
And don't forget your undies...
Don't panic and rush in to fill the space with more items you will regret
Poor quality, mixed with a style which is out of your normal comfort zone, is a recipe for giving up and giving in.
Cheap never looks good.....unless you have a perfect and super toned figure, it that case EVERYTHING looks good anyway!
Take your time
If you like it, and feel great, then go for it!
If there is any doubt, take a break, grab a cuppa and evaluate.
Trust yourself
Have faith in your ability to pick the 'right' things.
Go with your instincts, and have fun!
Most important of all...
Don't worry about what other people might think
If not, and you get a snide comment, don't be deflated.
Laugh it off!
Remember that it is born of jealousy or spite.
These types of people are to be pitied and ignored.
Confident, and happy, people do not put others down.
See this post here about spiteful comments and wearing bright colours with confidence.
Other things that could be holding you back...
Hair
It could be time for a change.
If you are like me, you might get your mid-back length hair cropped and shaved!
Or, if not, you could try a subtle tweak:
- A fringe
- Highlights/colour
- A change in length
You will honestly feel like a new woman.
If you hate it, it grows back!
See this post where I contemplate growing out my pixie....and This one where I end up with an undercut and wearing a body con mini dress!
Makeup
Is your makeup regime the same as it was 10 years ago, too?
Maybe it is time for a change?
Old fashioned makeup colours, and application techniques, could be making you look years older.
Apply the same rules that you did for your wardrobe to your makeup box.
If you don't know how to start, or what to buy, look online.
My favourite beauty expert/blogger is Lisa Eldridge...she has a solution for practically every problem and so many different looks to try.
She is also in her 40's...which, when you see her, will leave you gobsmacked!
Ditch your old and crumbly items.
Experiment with new colours.
A top make up tip, I heard recently, was to do your makeup in a different order.
Try doing brows and blush first...maybe you won't need so much on other areas?
Experiment and have fun.
See this post where I experiment with lipstick, despite being a lipstick wimp!
Have you recently lost your style mojo?
Do you need a revamp for 2016?
Or, do you regularly clear out your wardrobe and shake up your style?
Please let me know in the comments...or tweet me @samantha4blair
