You can read part 1, part 2 and part 3 of my wardrobe revamp series here.
Something I realized after getting rid of two-thirds of my wardrobe? I didn’t actually know what my personal style was anymore. Sure, I knew what it wasn’t; but that didn’t exactly help me in building a new wardrobe.
When you’ve bounced from high school wannabe designer girl, to college party girl, to college-student-wearing-sweatpants-24/7, to budget maternitywear after getting pregnant at 23… you have some serious fashion confusion.
And with how quickly trends come and go these days, I felt absolutely lost looking at current fashions. How did we get from dainty girly ballet flats to huge blocky unisex sandals in five years? Or go from cheery, preppy, fitted outfits to drape-y, neutral, boho Instagirl?
I had some serious work to do to revamp my wardrobe–and the first step was figuring out what I wanted to wear.
How to Figure Out Your Personal Style
- Finding a name for style(s) I liked. Fashion blogs that you can find with Google are helpful for this. Because let’s be honest, I was totally clueless before and had no idea what the difference between classic/chic/preppy/etc was. And I needed words to search for specific outfit ideas or lists of basics.
- Consider current trends and if you like any of them. Instagram fashion influencers, fashion blogs and Pinterest are all good sources for this. If you do like some current trends, it will make shopping for your ideal wardrobe much easier because there will be lots of options in stores! (My favorite trend at the moment is cute white sneakers.)
- Consider your lifestyle. Whilst I think girly blazers and sexy heeled pumps are adorable–I’m not a working professional, I’m a stay-at-home mom. So those things don’t have a place in my wardrobe. Casual basics and athleisure definitely do, however.
- Pin, pin, pin. I recently created a style board on Pinterest to collect ideas for my new wardrobe. I especially love capsule wardrobe pins (to get an idea of the basics I need) and outfit ideas using said basics. And lots of floral dress inspo because you can never have too many cute flowery dresses!
- Create a list of basics. Then inventory your wardrobe and discard what doesn’t fit (physically or aesthetically).
- Pick your price point and a few brands to try out. I tried to balance quality, aesthetics and budget when I chose my core brands to try out. It’s best not to put all your eggs in one basket when shopping; give a few brands a shot and return clothes as needed.
- Get shopping! This is actually the hardest step for me as I get so nervous ordering clothes online and just spending a lot on myself in general! But if you’ve made it this far, remember that not having to think too much about what you wear, and feeling good in your clothes, will seriously boost your quality of life.
A Last Bit of Advice
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your ideal wardrobe.
It will take some trial and error to build a collection of pieces you love.
Over time, you’ll add and take away from your original finished product–whether that’s because you change sizes, move to a different climate or your work/life circumstances change.
I’ve stopped looking at personal style as something I’m not naturally gifted at. Now I look at it as something I can learn about and improve on like any other hobby, and as superficial as it sounds, that’s something that’s really important for my quality of life and self-esteem.
xx Claire
Have you ever overhauled your wardrobe before? What are your favorite clothing finds lately? A quick reminder that you can comment on my blog without a Disqus account; simply type your comment, enter your name and then check the “I’d rather post as a guest” box that pops up once you’ve done that!
