Ever wake up and realize your wardrobe just doesn't 'speak' to you anymore? If you're in your early adult years you've probably already done this multiple times. It's part of growing up! You realize you don't like bobble-held pigtails anymore, or those brown and white checkered wedges you left at a hotel and had your parents pay to ship it home but you never wore again. Just me? Probably not.
Everyone's style changes or evolves at one point or another, and that's okay! Fashion is a great way to express one's personality and tastes.
Transitioning your style is a lot easier said than done, though, because just like everything else in the world, shopping costs money. I wish I could just chuck my wardrobe and buy a new one sometimes... but that's not realistic.
So how do real people go about changing their style?
1. Making Sure You are Financially Able
We're real people, with real budgets. Real people trying to be smart people. An updated wardrobe with debt at the bank is not going to make you feel good.
Depending on your financial situation, this might mean creating a budget or saving an extra sum for the fashion revamping you intend to do. It could also mean waiting until finances are better, which is totally okay...it's not if, it's when. Another trick I recommend is seeing if you can re-purpose your old clothing, or re-style it in a way that better fits the style you're going for. There are lots of great YouTube videos on this!
2. Define Your New Style
This is the fun part. Exploring what's changed in your fashion tastes and getting new inspiration for it is an exciting, but sometimes stressful task. It's totally doable, though, don't worry!
Look at your Pinterest board...what speaks to you?
Make a board about fashion inspiration. Pin things that you would wear and think you could pull of (maybe make a different board for the crazy runway outfits that aren't realistic for everyday style).
If you are curious about some of my inspiration, follow the board that I created called 'Style'.
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| Missylisha Pinterest Board 'Style' |
Make a mood board
The next step is a fun little creative project, and that's making a mood board. Pinterest already kind of lays it out for you, but making a specific moodboard that you can download to your phone will help with future shopping trips.
Pick 5-10 images that really demonstrate this new style that you'd like to achieve and put it together.
You can use online tools like Canva or Photoshop to achieve this.
Canva
Once you reach the website and click to create a new design, you can search 'moodboards' and have access to a bunch of free or paid layouts. Pick whichever one works for you.
Here's the moodboard I created with just a few images from my Pinterest board. It took abut 5 minutes from start to finish!
Photoshop
My preference is to use Photoshop because I have more design options. Using a free Pinterest template I made this moodboard:
Once you create something that you're happy with, save it and move on to the next steps!
Write down similarities & key words
Look at your mood board. What key words come to mind when you see it, and what do all of the photos have in common?
From the picture above I can say that my ideal style is:
light & bright, cozy fabrics, interesting textures, neutral in colour (greys, whites, camels, blush), streamline, simple, versatile, tailored
Now it's time to analyze the difference between the style you currently have and the one you want to achieve.
For me it's having a lot of statement pieces, not enough basic ones. I have few light coloured clothing (let's be honest black is everything) and ill-fitting pieces.
Then, think about what prevents you from achieving this look? Realistically speaking for myself, there's no way that black will be removed from my wardrobe. So I know that I would need to add this consideration to my ideal style. But at least I can stop relying so heavily on the darks and achieve more balance by purchasing lighter whites and neutrals.
3. Make a List of Required Pieces
All my list people shout for joy!
Write down a list of clothing items that you need to help achieve this new look. Don't go crazy, we're still trying to make an attainable and realistic list.
For me that would be
- light coloured shirts/sweaters
- turtle necks
- layering pieces
- pencil skirts
- textured knitwear/tops
etc.
February is the time of year retailers are getting rid of their winter stock, so now is a great time to shop the sales if you are financially able. I've rounded up a few of these awesome deals from one budget-friendly websites, Boohoo!
4. Shop with Intention
One of my biggest struggles when it comes to shopping is not going in with a plan and just buying anything that catches my eye. There's a time and place for that, don't get me wrong...but it can lead to a lot of unnecessary spending.
Shopping with intention will not only save you a ton of money, but it will leave you more satisfied with the wardrobe you have at home. This is because you actually brought home pieces you needed to achieve your desired look.
Think of it as a treasure hunt, you're out for the perfect _______ and only the perfect _______ for the perfect price will do!
5. Donate what No Longer Suits your Style
This is the part where you give back! There are so many purge blog posts, videos, tutorials, etc. to be found online on this topic. Now I'm not to the point yet where I do the 'one in, one out' method, but I do try and seasonally purge my wardrobe of things I just don't wear. It's taking up space!
So donate the things that don't suit your style or that are ill-fitting. Closet space is precious space, don't let a clothing item live in your home without paying rent!
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