I feel like I’m finding my groove with fitness again, and in general just carving out more time for myself both mentally and spiritually over the past few weeks has felt great…I went through a long period of not feeling myself and struggling a lot with anxiety and a constant feeling of overwhelm. I know that I let the scales tip for a while and I’d lost control of that ever elusive thing we call balance.
These past few weeks of being back at the gym have reminded me how exercise helps my mind so much, and not just that, but also how much me time is important too. It’s something I’ve always known, but I think many of us often need a little reminder to come back to the things that truly serve us in terms of taking care of ourselves on a multitude of levels.
For me currently, I’m finding the gym, walks with Larry, working less, reading more and seeing friends and family are helping me to reset and rebalance, and feel more me again…for you it might be something completely different…but either way I hope you’re finding your own groove with things and if you don’t feel you are right now, then let this be your sign to re-assess and hopefully plan to reset. You’ve got this!
When it comes to Autumn layering, blazer’s are pretty much my go to when it comes to transitioning my outfits into the new season. When I find a good blazer I tend to wear the same one on repeat and the few blazers that I have in my wardrobe are absolutely what I would call wardrobe staples.
For me personally I tend to favour a slightly oversized blazer and a boxier fit. And as someone who is tall with broad shoulders I find that men’s blazers often provide the cut and fit I’m looking for.
Quality is also an important point and if I can find something that is a high wool percentage and great quality that will last, then I know I’m onto a winner.
This is where vintage blazers often tick a lot of boxes for me. The saying ‘they don’t make them like they used to’, tends to ring true here, unless you’re willing to pay a much higher price tag…and so when looking in the right places you can often find a good quality vintage blazer that isn’t too expensive either.
How to Shop for a Vintage Blazer
My favourite place to search for vintage blazers is online via places like eBay. As I love an oversized fit as I’ve mentioned, I tend to browse the men’s section first. There are a few steps I take in my process to finding the perfect vintage blazer and so I’ve listed a breakdown below…
1. Search & Select Your Options
Open up eBay and search ‘Men’s vintage blazer‘. Go to the side tab and select the size, colour preference and outer material. If you’re looking for something that is good quality and slightly thicker for Autumn/Winter then I’d recommend opting for wool. Anything from around 50% upwards is good and when possible, the higher wool percentage the better in my opinion (it tends to be better quality and should last).
2. Check the Seller’s Rating
When you find a blazer you like, go onto the listing and check the seller’s rating. Do they have a good rating? Have they sold vintage before? What’s their other feedback like?
3. Check the Description & Images
It should go without saying, but check the images and description. A good seller should show if there are any marks or damage to the item (which of course can be the case with vintage sometimes), so make sure you take this into account when looking and look out for these things too. It is possible to find vintage pieces in great condition but just be mindful when looking.
4. Check the Measurements & Sizing
This is an important point, and its definitely something I’ve made the mistake of not doing before. The generic sizings such as ‘S’, ‘M’, ‘L’ can vary a lot in vintage sizing and it can be confusing, especially is you’re used to buying women’s clothing and you’re now shopping in men’s. So it’s important to check the measurements of the garment and if you’re unsure, maybe check them in comparison to a jacket or coat you already own. I have even tried on one of my husband’s blazers and compared the measurements to that which I found to be helpful when I was looking for something more oversized on me.
5. Be Aware of Cleaning
My final point which is one that I think is important to mention, is that it’s good to be aware that you may want to get your item dry cleaned when it arrives. So I always take this into account when working out the cost of an item as I may want to account for getting it dry cleaned too.
The only downside to shopping vintage is you don’t technically know where it’s been and, I know, just the thought can be pretty off putting (this is why seller rating is important). It is something you have to be aware of when buying vintage and especially when ordering online when you can’t inspect and smell the item before you buy it.
I don’t want to put you off but I have had an item arrive that didn’t smell the most pleasant (it’s now making me laugh to think about it as I type) but all was well once it had been on a trip to the dry cleaners and back. It’s not worth thinking about the possible history of said garment, but lets just say I am now someone who checks seller feedback more thoroughly and if they are a regular vintage seller, as opposed to someone getting rid of grandpa’s old clothes – yeah, just something to be mindful of.
Overall, I really enjoy the process of finding a good quality vintage item, such as this blazer. I purchased this men’s vintage blazer on eBay at the start of the year and I’ve recently pulled it out of my wardrobe again ready for the Autumn season. There’s something quite nice about knowing you’ve found an item that you know nobody you know will have, that’s good quality and you didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg for…and you’ve made a more sustainable shopping choice in the process.
Decluttering your wardrobe can feel like such a daunting task, especially if you do have a lot of clothes. But it’s one of those things that can be extremely satisfying once you’ve completed the process. Also, if done efficiently enough it can enable you to completely change the way you look at your wardrobe, the way you shop and improve how you feel about your wardrobe, space and style.
This blog post is part two, of a three part series all about taking things back to basics with your wardrobe, helping you to build your wardrobe from the bottom up. If you haven’t already, you can check out part one in this series here: How to Find Your Style.
In this second part in the series we’ll be focusing on decluttering your wardrobe. So if you feel you already know your own personal style, then feel free to skip part one and continue straight on with this one, as I share my 10 steps to help you effectively declutter and organise your wardrobe.
When starting your wardrobe decluttering process, give yourself a full day and start in the morning if you can. If you have a full weekend, or a couple of days free, then even better. Make sure you have the time and don’t start this on a day when you know you have other things to do, because it does always take longer than you expect. So let’s get started!
Top Tips to help with your Decluttering process:
Start in the morning
Wear comfy clothes
Get yourself a good playlist or line up some podcast episodes to listen to, to keep you motivated whilst you’re decluttering
Have some bags at the ready for any items you sort through
Before you even begin this process, I’d recommend you go and take a picture of your wardrobe right now, as it is. It can be tempting to skip this step, as who really wants a reminder of their not so best lives documented for all eternity, but trust me, when you’ve finished this process you’ll be so glad that you took that before picture to serve as a reminder of how far you’ve come.
The before picture can also serve as a great motivator for when you’re half way through this process and starting to wonder, why you ever started. By having this before photo to look back on can be just the motivation you need to keep on going.
Step 2 – Empty Out Your Wardrobe
Start by taking everything out of your wardrobe. If you have a lot of clothes it can be overwhelming, but it can also be good to see how many clothes you actually have, which can in turn help you to put things into perspective and think about how much you actually wear. If your wardrobe is exceptionally large, or you don’t have much space to lay everything out, then maybe do this in sections.
This is where things will look worse before they look better, but we are going to sort this out, so don’t worry too much about the mess.
Step 3 – Separate Everything into Piles
Separate everything into yes, no, and maybe piles. Be strict with this but also really be mindful as you’re doing it. For example, make sure you’re not throwing anything out you’ll end up wanting to re-purchase later down the line. This for me is where the ‘maybe’ pile really comes in handy.
Top Tip: Ask Yourself specific questions as you create your ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘maybe’ piles.
You might want to ask yourself:
Do I wear this item? If not, then, could I wear this more?
Does this item fit with my style?
Would I buy this item now?
Don’t keep things just because they are ‘new’. If you don’t wear an item, then don’t keep it.
During this process, don’t be afraid to try things on. If you’re unsure, sometimes the best way to tell if you still like something or not, is to simply see what it looks like on, and think about how it makes you feel.
If you have good quality pieces that you still like but maybe they need repairing or altering, then these could be worth putting in another pile to take to the tailors. I’ve done this with a fair few items in my wardrobe, and whilst it can seem like a chore, it often can work out cheaper than replacing said items altogether. It can be a great way to breathe new life into an old item. For example, I’ve had trousers and jeans taken in to make them better fit to me, and they have since become some of my favourite pieces as they now fit me perfectly – something which is rarely achieved when buying an item off the hanger.
If you’re still struggling to decipher what to get rid of and what to keep, then I’ve created this flow chart which can easily help you to figure out which items in your wardrobe are best to keep, pass on, or recycle.
Step 4 – Repeat the Same Process for Shoes, Bags and Accessories
You know the drill; go through the rest of the items in your wardrobe, such as shoes, bags and accessories, and separate these items into ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘maybe’ piles.
Step 5 – Create A Separate Storage Space for Sentimental Items
You may have a few sentimental pieces that you really want to hold on to, and if so I’d say create a designated storage space for these. But be careful not to hold onto things simply because they are items that you used to love, if it’s something you have no intention ever wearing again, ask yourself why you really want to keep it.
I understand this process of letting go of certain items can be hard, especially if you’re someone who attaches emotions and memories to items. I myself am someone who struggled to detach memories from items, and so I know it can be hard. But once I learnt to do this it felt so freeing. The way I found it easier to let go of certain items was by passing them onto a good home, so to speak. The more I let go of items, the easier I found the process.
I did allow myself to keep a very small number of clothing items purely for sentimental reasons. For example I wanted to keep my leavers shirt from high school, which had all my classmate’s signatures on, and the dress that I wore on my first ever date with Damien. When holding onto pieces, of course don’t throw anything out that’s a family heirloom or has real sentimental value to you, but try to be quite strict with the process of letting go of things if you can, so don’t keep anything out of a feeling of obligation.
Remember the whole point is to declutter, so don’t hold onto things just for the sake of it. I know it can be hard to get rid of everything right away, but if you are planning to hold onto a few things for sentimental reasons, then just be mindful of what those are, and why you’re keeping them. And if they can be re-homed and loved by someone just as much as you once did, then don’t be afraid to pass it on.
Step 6 – Re-Organise Your ‘Yes’ Pile
If you don’t already have your clothes separated into seasons, then now is a good time to re-organise your wardrobe so that you’re not overwhelmed by seeing clothes that you’re not currently able to wear. Obviously depending on where you live this point will be more relevant to some than others. But for example if you live somewhere like the UK, you’re likely to experience four seasons, with different weather conditions which will alter how you dress depending on the time of year.
Designate an area, or create a storage space to keep your out of season clothes and other pieces that you may not be about to wear soon, (such as special occasion wear for example). I recommend using storage tubs or boxes for this, so that you can easily store these pieces out of the way until you next need them.
Step 7 – Put All the Items You Love Back into Your Wardrobe
Start putting the items from your ‘yes’ pile back into your wardrobe, and try to organise these as you go.
TOP TIP: I recommend to replace shop hangers and wire hangers for ones that will universally match throughout your wardrobe, if possible. I personally like to opt for white wooden hangers, but also velvet ones can be great for wardrobe areas with limited space and for items of clothing that aren’t easy to hang, such as satin like fabrics.
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Step 8 – Go Through Your ‘No’ Pile
Sort through your ‘no’ pile and work out what you can give away to friends or family, take to a charity shop, and what needs throwing out. Remember when getting rid of old clothes it’s important to take these to a recycling centre if you can, otherwise they’ll only end up in a land fill.
This is where your bags will come in handy as you can now begin to bag up any unwanted clothes into categories – These categories might be:
Items to sell
Charity shop items
Items for friends and family
Items to recycle
Step 9 – Assess Your ‘Maybe’ Pile
Take a look at your ‘maybe’ pile. If you haven’t already, and then try some (if not all) of these pieces on, and work out what you do and don’t like about them. If the cons outweigh the pros, then you know what to do, and don’t forget to refer back to the flow chart for help.
If you’re still unsure about any items, don’t make any rushed decisions just yet, and instead either bag these items up, or store them away. Put them someplace that doesn’t interfere with the rest of your wardrobe and that’s somewhat out of site for the time being. If you have room under your bed for example, this could be a great place to keep these items out of the way.
I’d say give it a 4 week time period minimum, and if by the end of that period you haven’t missed, or gone rummaging for any of the items in the ‘maybe’ pile to wear, then that’s a good sign that these are pieces that you’re ready to pass on or recycle.
TOP TIP: So you don’t forget to go back and check your ‘maybe’ pile, set a reminder on your phone, or mark it out in your calendar for in 1 months time, to sort out your maybe pile.
Step 10 –Re-visit Your ‘Maybe’ Pile
Now once you’ve lived with your new and improved decluttered wardrobe, you can re-visit that ‘maybe’ pile that you previously set aside, four weeks on.
By now you should have a clear idea of if you need to keep, or get rid of the items in your ‘maybe’ pile. If you’re still unsure, the hesitation may be a bit of that old sentimentality trying to hold on. And if so, it’s important to remember why you started this process, and how it’s helped you since you’ve decluttered.
If you haven’t missed the items in your ‘maybe’ pile over the past four weeks, then you can also re-home or recycle these pieces.
You’ve Done It!
And now breathe! You’ve done it. Take a picture and compare it to the before picture you took. This should make you realise how far you’ve come, and it can also serve as a reminder if and when things start to feel cluttered again.
Hopefully decluttering has helped to give you a new found love for your wardrobe, so much so that as you do add new items in, you’ll now be better able to asses what you let into your wardrobe in order to keep it well organised, well loved and clutter free!
This is proving to be a very creative period for me. I’m not quite sure what’s going on, but all I can say is that the current ‘flow state’ I continue to find myself in at the moment, is a much welcomed distraction from the harsh realities of our world at present.
Whilst I’m not completely numb to whats going on (I think that would be near impossible), I have found great solace in the hours I find myself immersed in my creative processes. And I’m enjoying the ability to create, simply because.
Whilst I feel very fortune to have some ongoing work projects which I still need to focus on, (and feel glad to be in a creative headspace to work on those too), I also for the first time in a while, am spending ample amounts of time on non work related creative projects.
Usually it’s the never ending story of ‘I don’t have the time’, or it’s the case of not quite being in the mood. But right now, I find myself in this strange position where I both do and am; A rare occurrence of happenstances, aligning together in unity. It’s almost like the complete opposite of a creative block (of which I’ve had more than my fair share of course), the solar eclipse of creative happening shall we say. No excuse shall suffice for me in this instance, and nor am I coming with any either.
An Old Hobby
I used to sew, and craft and make ‘things’. In fact, if you’ve been around these parts long enough, you may even remember that I used to make bags for a time; A hobby which I tried to develop into a job and if I’m quite honest, soon after lost interest in (a reminder that not all hobbies should be monetized).
I’ve had a sewing machine for as long as I can remember, and with no official training or actual knowledge of how things should be done, I taught myself as I went and started to make things…and found I rather enjoyed it.
There’s a unique satisfaction in the process of having an idea in your mind come to life. I find I often think of things but don’t always put in the time to make them come to fruition. And quite possibly not every idea in my mind is worth pursuing, nor would I have the time to fully conceptualise and create every single thing. But I’m sure more than a few good ideas or creative projects have fallen to the way-side just because I didn’t take the time to develop them. And I’m not just talking about work related things here, but also just because things, things purely for the beauty and things purely for the joy.
I’d said to myself for a while I’d wanted to make a long floaty wrap dress. I just wanted something elegant and ethereal that I could swan around the house in (as you do) and maybe wear down the street somewhere hot, like on holiday.
Making clothes doesn’t necessarily come easy to me (like I said, no training) and it is time consuming – oh so veeerry time consuming – but there’s nothing quite as rewarding than putting something on that you can say you made yourself.
Yesterday afternoon I couldn’t focus for the idea of getting this wrap dress out of my head and into the world as a fully formed creation. Of course I don’t claim to have invented this style of dress and it’s a pretty standard and overall straightforward design as far as dresses go, but still, for me it felt great to see something I’d worked in come to fruition.
A just for fun project, purely for the joy of it, just for me. It took quite a while longer than I’d expected. I started it yesterday afternoon and finished it this morning, working out the design as I went. Working on the finishes and then hemming the edges by hand was the longest part. But I will say it really made me re-appreciate the time it takes to make a garment and all the work that goes into even the most ‘simple’ looking piece. Anyway, I don’t want to waffle on too much longer, as I fear this quick post to say ‘here I made a dress’ is turning into another one of my contemplative monologues…
So look, I made a dress! And it took flippin’ ages, and yes, I am going to wear it all the time now!
Finding and developing your personal style can do much more for you than simply helping you realise which clothes suit you best. Whilst yes, finding your style can help you do exactly that, it can also assist you to refine your style, feel better in how you dress day to day, and in the process allow you to declutter and downsize your wardrobe to eliminate the things that you don’t actually wear or need, which will enable you to create better shopping habits going forward.
This in turn can promote a more organised space which enables you to feel freer and calmer, as you’ll find getting dressed quickly in the mornings doesn’t mean having to compromise on style and you won’t need an unlimited supply of clothes to feel and look good.
In this three part series we’ll be taking things back to basics and I’ll be sharing some of my top tips to help you refine your style, declutter your wardrobe and build outfits that you can feel good in everyday. Part one is all about how to find your style, so if you’d like some help with how to do that, then keep on reading…
You constantly find you have nothing to wear (even if you have an abundance of clothes).
You find yourself shopping without intention or purpose.
You simply want to feel better about how you dress day to day.
Step 1 – Find Inspiration
Think about what styles or who’s style you’re most drawn towards. It may be completely dissimilar to how you dress now but think about what type of style you like when you see it – feel free to be explorative when taking inspiration and even look to things like films.
It could be that you don’t even know yet, but this is your chance to look out for it and take note. Are there any particular celebrities who’s style you’re drawn towards? Are there any bloggers you follow or maybe even people you know or see around day to day? It could even be characters you see in movies.
From here you want to make a mood board. You can easily do this on Pinterest (my particular favourite), or even by saving images on Instagram. I’d recommend doing this digitally as opposed to creating a physical mood board, as this will give you more opportunity to develop and change your mood board as your style evolves.
Step 2 – Think About Your Lifestyle
Take a look through your mood board and think about what kind of outfits from your moodboard would and wouldn’t work with your lifestyle day to day.
It may be that you find you’re drawn to certain styles that don’t really work with your day to day lifestyle, however, this can be a good opportunity to work out what styles you really like and think about how you may be able to draw inspiration from them in your everyday outfits.
For example if the styles you find yourself most drawn to are that of 1950’s Hollywood starlets, yet in your everyday life you find you need to dress quite practically, a lot of these looks likely won’t work for you. Think of ways you can take elements from the outfits in the mood board that emulate parts of these styles, which you can then incorporate into your everyday outfits. With this particular style it could be the way you do your makeup or by adding vintage accessories that give a nod to the era.
Create a separate mood board (or on Pinterest you can now create sub categories within mood boards) and here you can start to refine things and save outfit ideas and inspiration that will work with your lifestyle day to day.
Side note: The reason I say to make the initial mood board collating any styles you’re drawn to at first, is that this allows you to look for style inspiration freely and solely focus on what styles you really like, without limitations. Then from there you’re able to hone in on that and think about how you can make some of these styles really work for you. Sometimes when starting with limitations it can prevent you from allowing yourself to discover what styles you’re really interested in and so I find it’s better to start big and then refine it to work for you.
I myself often find that I’m draw to lots of vintage style looks and outfits. I tend to draw inspiration from these looks with accessories.
This vintage scarf for example is a simple piece that I use time and time again in my outfits.
Step 3 – Look At Your Wardrobe and Pull Out Pieces That Fit With the Style
Go back to your wardrobe and begin to pull out pieces that you feel may fit with the styles you’re inspired by. Now this may be tricky if the reason you’re doing this in the first place is because you feel you have nothing to wear, but refer back to your moodboard and go through your wardrobe meticulously, pulling out any pieces that you feel could work.
Try to break down each of the outfits in your mood board and look at individual items to figure out what pieces you may already have in your wardrobe.
It actually might be really obvious pieces that you already have but haven’t given much regard to previously because you haven’t ever experimented with styling them differently before.
You may have to get inventive with this if you feel your wardrobe is really lacking many items that fit with the styles in your mood board. But try your best and pull out anything that you think could possibly work.
Step 4 – Plan Outfits
Now with the items you’ve pulled from your wardrobe, begin to try and plan some outfits. This step could take some time, but be patient and don’t be afraid to experiment and try different ways of styling pieces.
Make sure you keep referring back to your mood board because this will really help you when thinking of outfits to put together.
It could even be that you find yourself going back to your wardrobe to pull out additional items which help you to create full looks.
Step 5 – Separate Your Wardrobe
Separate the items in your wardrobe that you don’t think you want to wear anymore from the items that you’ve just planned outfits with.
Sometimes it can be that you wear things out of habit as opposed to wearing what you actually love and feel good in. So by putting any pieces you’re not sure of, or don’t love, to the back of your wardrobe for the time being, this can help you to focus on the things you do want to wear.
It might be hard to separate your clothes if you don’t have much wardrobe space, but do your best to distinguish the items that you’ve planned outfits with, separately from the items you don’t want to wear. That should make it easier when it comes to dressing day to day whilst you’re trying to refine your style.
Step 6 – Go On A Shopping Ban
By going on a shopping ban, it’s going to really help you to hone in on your style. It might be hard, especially if the style you’re trying to lean towards is quite different to how you currently dress. But by going on a shopping ban, it will give you time to think about how you really want to dress and what really works for you whilst experimenting with what you already have in your wardrobe.
It will also force you to be a little bit more creative and push you to think outside of the box when it comes to putting together new outfits. And in turn this will further push you towards finding a style that you really feel is you. (I’m going to go into more detail about how to put together an outfit in the 3rd episode in this series, so be sure to check back for that if you’d like more tips on this).
Step 7 – Document Your Outfits
Now it’s time to start wearing the outfits you’ve planned and documenting them as you go. I’d say give yourself a good two week period of doing this, or maybe even longer if you feel you can. Two weeks at least, means you’ll have a solid 14 outfits to look back on by the end of it.
You can simply use your phone to take daily mirror pictures of your outfit, or prop your phone up somewhere and take a quick self timer photo. Either way, just take a clear photo of your outfit each day so that you’re able to document it. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it’s just a way for you to clearly see your outfit when looking back.
It’s likely you’ll find yourself wearing certain pieces again within the time frame you’ve given, or you may even find yourself wearing complete outfits on repeat, which is completely fine too.
If you can, create a separate folder on your phone in which you can store all of these daily outfit photos in one place.
Step 8 – Re-asses
Once you’ve had your minimum of two weeks of documenting outfits, you can go back through your camera roll and start to re-asses.
Looking through the outfits you’ve documented you can now start to really asses which outfits have been working for you, what have you felt good in, and have there been any outfits that you didn’t like wearing.
As you look back through the images it may be that certain outfits really jump out at you in a positive way. This is a good indication of looks you may want to wear again or create similar outfits from.
It’s important to acknowlege outfits that jump out to you in a negative way too. If when looking back you don’t like them, ask yourself why? Maybe it wasn’t comfortable, or you’re not keen on the colours. By working out what you don’t like you can avoid making repeat mistakes again with future outfit combinations.
Make notes as you go through your outfit assessment and think about which outfits you loved and which outfits you feel you could change or make better.
You may start to see patterns in your outfits and notice which items really work for you. It may be that over this period you’ve also noticed certain items which would really benefit being in your wardrobe when putting together your everyday outfits. If so, make a note of this.
TOP TIP: It’s really important to think about how certain items and outfits make you feel, and work out what really makes you feel best. Sometimes we can be drawn to certain things because they look good on other people but when we put them on ourselves we realise it’s not actually something we love on ourselves. So finding out what you really feel good in can help you avoid making future mistakes when adding new items into your wardrobe.
Additional note: COLOUR PALETTES – I haven’t added a colour palette step to this list, simply because I don’t actually believe colour palettes are for everyone.
I myself find it quite useful to focus on certain colour palettes as I know which colours and shades I like and which I like to avoid. However I feel that works well for me, as I have a taste for earthy tones and more muted colours generally speaking (particularly when it comes to my winter wardrobe), but for someone who loves bright colours and clashing prints, I don’t feel a colour palette would maybe be a necessity.
If a big part of your style is to dress in rainbow prints, then I’m sure you’ll agree that focusing on a particular colour palette would be useless to you. It’s all about figuring out what works for you when it comes to honing in on your style, so if you would find sticking to a particular colour palette useful, then this step is optional.
Step 9 – Declutter
Now it’s time to get rid of anything that isn’t serving a purpose, so that you can clearly see what you have and want to wear.
By this point you’ve gone through your wardrobe, you’ve planned outfits, you’ve assessed everything, and so you should have a much better idea of what’s really working for you in your wardrobe and what you actually want to wear.
This is when you can go through the section of your wardrobe with the items you were unsure of, which you separated out earlier, and begin to sort through it and clear things out.
Part two in the series is fully dedicated to decluttering your wardrobe, so check back for that in a few days if you’d like to see my step by step guide on how to do that.
Once you’ve decluttered you’ll have a much clearer view of the items in your wardrobe and it will make the process of getting dressed everyday, a lot easier.
Step 10 – Shop With Intention
Now you may get to this point and feel like you don’t actually need to add anything new into your wardrobe, which is great if you’ve been able to refine and find your style within the wardrobe you already had, perfect!
However you might get to this point and discover that there are particular pieces you feel your wardrobe could now really benefit from to better fit with your style.
At this point it’s important to be mindful when shopping and really take time to assess what will work in your newly curated wardrobe.
When shopping for a particular garment you may want to ask yourself specific questions to do with what colour, fit, or fabric you’d like the item you’re looking for to be. That way when you do add in new pieces, you’ll know you’ve taken the time to consider them first and what will fit with your style and lifestyle, so that you’re able to really get the most out of any new pieces you add into your wardrobe.
And that’s it! Hopefully this blog post could give you some useful steps and tips to help you find your style. I’ve also created a video to go alongside this blog post which you can watch down below. Be sure to check back for part two in this mini-series, which will be all about, How to Successfully Declutter Your Wardrobe.
I used to be the person who would naturally and quite easily spring out of bed ridiculously early. I even remember back when Damien and I had our PT and we’d get up at 5:30am, 3 mornings a week to make our sessions before Damien started work. I’m not saying that was the easiest of tasks, especially in winter, but still, we did it and it just became a regular part of our routine.
Even post early morning PT, throughout last year I’d find myself naturally waking up around 6:30 am, feeling ready to spring out of bed and start my day (yes, I was that annoying person)….
Fast forward to the start of this year and everything seemed to change. Suddenly I was no longer the quite so smug, early morning person I once was. Getting out of bed had become a real chore at times, and for the most part it’s continued to be so up until now. You’re probably thinking ‘welcome to my world’, round about now, and admittedly, I have sort of embraced my new ‘just a bit longer in bed’ lifestyle. I’ve took it as a sign that my body has maybe needed the extra rest, and so I haven’t put much pressure on myself to get up early. In fact, I’ve enjoyed many welcomed lie ins, and not just on the weekend either. Some mornings I’ll find myself swanning out of bed and into the shower at 8:45am – the perks of working from home and only having to ‘commute’ as far as downstairs to your dining table office. To some this would still seem early, to others, this would seem late, I guess it’s all relative and depends where you live, what you do and if/how far you have to commute.
It also largely depends on if you’re a morning person, which I, (as you may have already guessed) am. So as a morning person who has been depriving themselves of a chunk of their morning for quite some time, I’ve been really starting to feel it.
Let’s not make this too much about productivity, because there are plenty of life enriching things you can do with your early mornings without making them a cause for productivity, but then one could argue that anything ‘life enriching’ is productive – I don’t know. Anyway, I digress, my point is, yes, it does help me to be that little bit more productive, but, more than anything, getting up earlier allows me more time to simply ease into my day.
I’m a serial ‘faffer’ at heart. I try not to be. I’ve downsized my wardrobe, simplified my morning routine, organised my home, basically everything I possibly can in order to minimise ‘faff’…but guess what, it still happens. And so I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way I can truly combat this is by having more time. I can have my outfit laid out, my hair washed and ready, my makeup routine to a minimum, and still wind up running 10 minutes late (I know, I hate me too). The problem is you can’t make more time, but you can wake up that bit earlier and give yourself some more minutes in the day, even if it is simply to allow for faffing.
This doesn’t have to just be reserved for days when we know we need to be somewhere, because let’s face it, none of us are going anywhere around about now (corona….let’s not even mention it). I generally tend to faff regardless of if I’m going out or staying in. I like to take my time with my morning coffee, maybe listen to a podcast whilst I exhaustively do my skincare routine, write some morning pages in my journal, maybe even do a workout if I’m feeling really intrepid (check me ready to take on the world with my morning routine of champions). I may only even wind up doing one of those things, but having the time to choose, dither, swan around in my dressing gown for half an hour longer if I so wish, is a wonderful thing. So that’s why I’m taking back my mornings!
Last night as I chatted about some of my thoughts to Damien, I found myself feeling motivated by the prospect of a new month. We decided to set ourselves a daily challenge that we’d complete together throughout April and we (mainly me) came up with the wonderful idea of taking things to the extreme and getting up at 5am every morning for the next 30 days! (I know right, what a brilliant idea…not). Maybe after the long winded intro into my sleeping habits, you won’t be so surprised when I tell you that after our alarm went off at 5am this morning, we chose to ignore it and go back to sleep. I know, I know, talk about trying to dive in at the deep end.
So we failed our challenge before it even begun, but all is not lost, because we then did in fact decide to wake up an hour later at 6am (still a good hour and a half to two hours earlier than I’ve previously been getting up), and I can’t deny, it was still a struggle, but we did it!
Did I have the most profound morning ever? No. Did I get an important task done? Erm, does showering and actually getting dressed in decent clothes count? Did I workout? Absolutely not. But I did have time to listen to that podcast, put on a dress and wear something other than sweat pants for the first time in a week. I even did my makeup (go me), purely to make myself feel good. I then got Damien to quickly snap these photos before he started work at 7:30am (go us)…and I even got to work on this blog post, which ashamedly so is my first of 2020! I’d forgot how much I enjoy the catharticism of getting some of my thoughts out into a blog post, and the enjoyment I get from planning out the images to fit around my text on the page.
So here’s to earlier mornings. More time to fulfil faff and ease into my day. I hope you have a good one!
Today I’m wearing…
This star print maxi dress that I picked out as a gift from Baukjen a couple of years ago. I actually nearly got rid of this in my wardrobe clear out that I did the other day, as I haven’t really worn it near enough as I’d have hoped, but then I realised what a wonderful ‘working from home’ dress it is. Not only does it feel like giant nightdress to wear, whilst still looking good (comfort is key folks), but it also lends itself perfectly to layering underneath. It’s quite chilly in our house at the moment, so to prevent living with the heating on constantly, we layer up! Today I’m wearing a long sleeved knit and leggings under this floaty number!
Granny slippers. Because what ‘working from home’ outfit would be complete without a pair of ridiculously comfortable footwear to boot!
Liner & Lip Balm – When I’m feeling lazy, but I still want to put something on my lips, this is my favourite little lip combo. The Marc Jacobs (Poutliner) in shade (Nude)ist, seems to be the most perfect ‘nude’ shade for my lips. I line with this and then smudge it into the centre of my lips a bit as I apply my Lanolips 101 ointment (my favourite lip balm).
Perfume Roulette – Over the weekend I had a HUGE Spring clean. It involved creating a home for everything, including my vast selection of sample perfumes, which I have now found this little glass jar to house them in. It seems the perfect time to try some different scents each day, so I’m diving in and picking one at random to spray each morning. Today I’m wearing Herve Gambs Coup De Grace. This one’s not for me if I’m honest (lol).
I’ve also pulled out my Fitbit because I realised I’ve been very inactive since being stuck at home. My aim is to try and get 10,000 steps in today. I can only laugh at how ridiculously ambitious this goal is. According to Google an office worker walks an average of 7,570 steps per day…well I wore my Fitbit for the first time in a while yesterday and I did about 3,000 steps, so I’m probably setting myself up for a fail here…shall we make it 5,000 instead?
Damien and I shot these images in January…JANUARY. It’s now April. I feel a reoccurring theme at the start of my blog posts of me often parroting on about how the time has flown by; but as I feel myself hurdling into Spring once again, it’s hard not to take notice and vocalise the fact that time has whizzed by, leaving me feeling solicitous in my want to get certain things done.
Once again my blog took a backseat over the month of March and it’s just a never ending cycle in the thing I like to call my ‘working life’s balance’. I spread my social media content across my blog, Youtube and Instagram. I’m like a juggler who has only ever learnt to juggle two balls well enough (does that even count as juggling). When it comes to juggling it all, I’ve never quite managed to keep all three balls going consistently at once, and so to metaphorically speak, I tend to drop a ball every now and then and focus on keeping the momentum with just two instead…until I finally feel ready to add in another ball again, which I eventually drop of course, and so the cycle continues like this.
It’s something I’m now very much used to and it’s something that doesn’t bother me so much these days, at least not like it did before. I remember a time (not that long ago actually) when I’d put immense pressure on myself to try and keep everything to a schedule which I inevitably always failed to stick to. I’d always wind up feeling rubbish about my inability to keep up with things and so in the end, after a good long while of this self critical behaviour and hitting breaking point with it, I had to take my foot right off the pressure peddle.
I’ve noticed the people who tend to do things best only focus on that one thing. My problem is, I like lots of things, so I often find it hard to focus on one, and only one consistently. So over time, I’ve come to find my own sense of balance with it all, which means focusing on the things I like in rotation. I’ll admit it can be a tricky one, especially when these thing form together to be my job, but I’ve found that this is how things work best for me right now.
I’m taking things a lot slower this year in all aspects of my life. It’s done wonders for my mind and even the way I approach things and take on work. Of course I still get stressed and have those periods of panic, but I feel a lot more in control of them than I did last year. Accepting that things can still move forward and progress positively without always being ‘on it’ (so to speak) with everything, has been quite a liberating feeling.
So whilst the change in seasons is a noticeable marker that time has passed and so I really need to get certain things done (like simply check in here for example), it’s not a real cause for concern and instead just a polite nudge to not forget about the other things that I also want and need to do.
And with that very long winded self-analytical, cathartical mind dump over, I’ll briefly finish with a bit about this outfit and the original reason for taking these images in the first place.
Back in October last year, Asos invited me along to their HQ for a tailoring workshop. As a lover of blazers over here, of course I jumped at the chance and so on a trip down to London I popped into Asos for an afternoon of suit browsing and fittings and in the process I got to have a behind the scenes look at the design process at Asos. As someone who has shopped on Asos a lot over the years, it was all very interesting to see and myself and the two other bloggers who were invited along, Chloe and Hannah, were kindly gifted our own bespoke suits and jackets. I went for this blazer and flared trouser combo in a black pin stripe and when it arrived in December I was eager to shoot in it, as well as wear it of course. I shot it in January, then fast forward to now and I’m only just getting round to sharing the shots, but better late than never hey.
Anyway, I just wanted to say a bit about the outfit in this post, to share a little bit about the fun experience and to put things into context as of course this exact design isn’t available online, however they do have the same style in different prints, some of which are perfect for Spring Summer and I’ve linked below.
So there we have it. That’s enough blabbering on from me for this post but I’ll catch up with you again soon. Ciao for now.
I’m looking back over January with fondness; that’s not something I usually say about the first month of the year but it seems I surpassed the dreaded January blues and actually had a pretty good month, despite the bad weather and having had a cold…It’s what I’d call a ‘getting things done’ month. I got lots of little things ticked off (as I’d mentioned in my last post), I set a few things in motion which I’d been wanting to do for a while, and made a few fun plans, which I’m looking forward to over the coming year.
I think taking a slower approach has been the best decision I’ve made for the start of this year. The irony is that work has been even busier, but what’s changed is my approach to it all and I’m managing everything a lot better. I’m enjoying working on less but bigger projects which I can really channel my focus into and not feel so overwhelmed by lots of little things all building up. I’ve started as I wish to go on, so hopefully this is habit forming for the rest of the year with how I manage my time and work.
As we veeerryy slowly creep towards Spring (I say this as I can still see the remnants of snow outside my window), I’m really looking forward to lighter evenings and warmer days – but aren’t we all! We may have a while to wait yet but that doesn’t stop me from musing over Spring outfits on Pinterest and curating ideas in my head for the milder months.
I was recently offered a gifting from cult Australian brand Oneteaspoon and so after browsing through the website I decided to pick out a few pieces that I felt would be good all-year round staples. I hadn’t planned on putting a look together for my blog as such; however the other day as I was trying on and styling the jeans and jacket that I had picked out, I decided to take a quick snap in it for Instagram, which then swiftly turned into an impromptu photoshoot. As I’ve been getting back into shooting self portraits this year, I’ve really been enjoying shooting more lookbook style shots again, which fit together perfectly as little series of images. This is something that’s not so easy to share on Instagram, and often I find myself torn as to which one image I will share there. This is why I will always love my blog, as it allows me curate a selection of images and tell a story – or in this case, show an outfit.
Outfit posts on blogs have died out a bit over the past few years, and it’s no surprise why, as Instagram makes everything so quick and accessible, why even need to visit a blog. But for me, it’s still a process I enjoy and a part of me slowing down in life, is also slowing down somewhat online too. I don’t want everything I put out to be so fast pace and disposable. I don’t live or shop that way, so why share that way? So I’ve been enjoying styling and shooting more outfits again recently and I have lots more that I’m looking forward to sharing over the coming days and weeks. Here’s to a happy and chilled February, have a good one!
This content has been produced for advertising purposes in collaboration with French Connection
When transitioning into the festive season, I often tend to find my overall style moving more towards a dressier vibe. I find myself re-kindling my love for black and whilst this may seem an obvious and somewhat safe choice of ‘colour’ for the winter season, I see it as the perfect way to play around with laying whilst styling together a mixture of different textures at the same time.
This is my favourite season to dress for, and I play dress up with my outfits on an almost daily basis. I’m quite often going from daytime meetings, straight to evening events and so I love putting together looks that can easily take me from day to night too.
French Connection has such a strong collection of beautifully designed partywear pieces and I feel they have really ticked all the boxes this season with a diverse and standout selection. I wanted to put together some partywear looks to share with you that really highlighted this, and showcased the rage of their new collection, whilst still being very much me. Like I said, I really do love playing dress up over the festive season. For me it’s all about having fun, experimenting and playing with textures, and oh my does French Connection have some gorgeous textures in this collection. From faux fur, to sequins, this really is a winter collection that has it all…
With that in mind, the Northern Quarter made the perfect backdrop to shoot the pieces from this collection, as French Connection as a brand has a strong creative background, with great craftsmanship and quality going into each of their designs. It ties in perfectly with the area of the Northern Quarter, as so many creative businesses have previously inhabited the space. It has also become a hub for the fashion conscious, who not only want to look good but invest in quality when it comes to their garments too.
Something A Little Different
When heading out for festivities during winter, there’s sometimes that fine line between wanting to get your glad rags on in order to be the belle of the ball, and wanting nothing more than to head out wearing the cosiest piece of knitwear that you can find in your wardrobe…apparently French Connection have decided you can do both this season, and I’ll tell you what, I’m all for it!
Now I’m no stranger to French Connection’s knitwear, I practically lived in one of their jumper’s last winter and let me tell you, they really do know how to make a cosy pullover. Something I’ve noticed that French Connection does very well time and time again, is a standout knitwear piece. I love the attention to detail that’s put into designing these types of items, from wonderfully embellished sleeves, to in this case, a decadent mesh skirt. The mesh panel is meant to be floor length, however as I’m 5’9, this comes up slightly shorter on me but I still love the way it looks, and it creates such a wonderful silhouette when given movement.
I decided to do a little bit of layering with this look, so I went for these velvet skinny jeans underneath. I feel the two pieces complement each other very well and I love the mixture of textures with the mesh panel and satin hemline of the jumper flowing over the velvet trousers. Not only do the two pieces combined look great, but of course it provides you with another layer of warmth too, which is always an added bonus at this time of year.
I felt a heeled boot finished off this look perfectly. I love this pair as they provide just enough height to elevate an outfit, yet they are still practical and comfortable enough to walk in. They are certainly the type of boots that you can wear from day to night with ease.
For the bag I thought a pop of metallic would work really well. This structured faux croc silver bag is one of those ultimate partywear bags that will go with a multitude of outfits. I prove this point as you’ll see it also works perfectly with the next two looks…
This next outfit is one of those ones that I can easily see myself wearing from day to night when I have no time to go home and change in between, yet I still want to look effortlessly glam.
I was first drawn towards this wrap jacket, with it’s gorgeous jacquard print. Each festive season, I always find myself fitting some form of tailoring into my partywear collection. I feel a good blazer/jacket can instantly dress up any look and give it more of an evening vibe. I love the quality and fit of this French Connection piece, with its robust fabric and chic yet effortless wrap design, it’s one of those pieces that you could easily have in your wardrobe for years and pull out winter after winter.
For this outfit I made use of the velvet skinny jeans once again.They are such a comfortable pair of trousers and yet the fact that they are velvet instantly makes them look party worthy. Again, I teamed these with the boots as I feel the two work perfectly together and also do wonders at elongating the legs.
The buttoned-up shirt gives the look a slight masculine edge, whilst this gorgeous faux fur cuffed cardigan adds the finishing touch. I’m a little bit in love with this cardigan and whilst again it’s another cosy piece, it also looks effortlessly luxurious and unashamedly glamorous too!
No festive, partywear look book would be complete without at least one standout glitzy piece. French Connection actually have more than a few to catch your eye this season, but the one in particular that took my fancy was this beautifully embellished sequin number. This dress is the showstopper, the one to dance the night away in and likely still find yourself wearing it the morning after. It’s the ultimate party dress and one that will make you feel a million dollars (or pounds).
Again this is another beautifully designed piece with a modern take on the classic sequin party dress. It’s a dress that needs little to no accessorising, and so I’ve simply let the dress do all the talking with this look by pairing it with black heels and the (I told you so!) versatile silver party bag.
So there we have it, a selection of looks for the party season, with something for every vibe and occasion. Now I just can’t wait to begin the festivities!
Over the past few months there have been more than a few significant changes in my life. I guess you could say I’ve really grabbed the bull by its horns this year and took a leap in more ways than one. I’ve mentioned several of those changes here on my blog, a few of which I rounded up in this post here. I definitely feel like I’ve made it my mission this year to challenge myself to do a lot of the things I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time.
Most recently Damien and I have gone on a bit (actually a lot) of a fitness journey. We’re currently working with a PT and it’s changed our whole perspective when it comes to health and fitness. Whilst this has been a whole new challenge for us, it’s one that I’m loving and I think it’s definitely changed our fitness habits for the better.
Spending a lot more time working out has made me really appreciate comfortable dressing. In reality, it’s nothing new, I always like there to be an element of practicality and comfort in most of my outfits (because feeling good is intertwined with looking good IMO). I guess now however I’m really embracing coooommfortable clothes, and by that I mean I’ve actually been investing in sportswear and things to wear to and from the gym as well. In the past I’d continually wear the same gym gear on repeat (between washing of course!) and for me sweatpants were strictly confined to the comfort of home.
More recently however I’ve really felt the need for comfortable laid back outfits such as this one, especially on days when I’m heading to the gym and want to comfortably layer up. So of course I was super keen when hush wanted to work with me to style up some of their ‘grown up sportswear’. They have some absolutely gorgeous pieces in for autumn/winter and I got all the comfy cosy feels just eyeing up their lookbook.
What I love about pieces like these is that they’re so easily interchangeable with your everyday wardrobe. For example, if you don’t want your look to be too relaxed, then swap out the sweatpants for your favourite pair of denim and you instantly have a slightly smarter, yet still very comfy outfit. Or equally for days when you want all the comfy layers, you can throw your cosiest hoody into the mix and you’ve got your own little portable cocoon of snugness.
Speaking of snugness, this jumper is so cosy and snuggly that I’ve not stopped wearing it (I’m actually even wearing it now FYI). I can tell we’ve moved into autumn because I’m now already living in knitwear and it’s great to have such a versatile piece which I can wear with a multitude of outfits.
I’m also really loving this bomber jacket. As I mentioned, I’ve been spending a lot more time at the gym, which has included many 5:20am wake ups to head to our PT sessions of a morning (I know, we must be mad). This jacket has become my go to when I’m heading out on those super early mornings, the main reason being that the faux fur lining makes me feel like I’m wrapping myself in a cosy blanket. This definitely helps when your body is telling you that you should still be wrapped up in bed, so anything to help create that illusion certainly helps. Again this is another great versatile piece that I’ll be able to wear day to day throughout autumn/winter too.
Overall I’m embracing the clothes that work with my lifestyle right now. Sometimes you need to update your wardrobe accordingly, and I am more than happy to be incorporating more cocoon worthy pieces into my wardrobe as we move into the new season.
Samio x
Shop The Look
Trainers – here | Cotton Tee – here | Stripped Joggers – here | Nana Jumper – here | Bomber Jacket – here
