Find your style inspiration
If you’re not sure how to breathe new life into your wardrobe, my top tip would be to save images of style you love. It can be on Pinterest, Instagram, or even directly on your phone. There are so many amazing accounts on Instagram you can follow for a constant influx of creativity to your feed. The method that has worked for me, is bookmarking posts and then sorting them into folders - the most important being shapes, colours and textures that I already own in my wardrobe and can recreate or be inspired by.
Some of my favourite Instagram accounts to follow include:
Mixing neutrals
This discovery for me has helped me understand the importance of neutrals and how they can be anything but boring. Some of my favourite combinations are tobacco with cream, even adding black as an accent. Lots of gold and chunky knits, smooth skins and slinky silks.
Looking through your own wardrobe for pieces that can be paired together to create that depth of details will also help you understand what gaps you might have in your wardrobe generally. For instance, I know that I would like some more patterns such as checks and plaids as I don’t have that many in my neutral set. Maybe I want to be able to pair navy printed dresses with a checked jacket - or style tops with ties details alongside chunky chains to amplify the effect.
Leading with colour
When you start leaning towards neutrals, it can then feel more challenging to add pops of colour. Trying to ignore everything I learned watching Stacey London on What Not To Wear growing up, colour for me just is more fun with other colours. Not as an accent! By pairing colours together, they lessen the impact overall and feel more dynamic. Some of my favourite images are of colour pairings I’d never think of - mint green with yellow, rusty oranges with violet.
Going again back to your wardrobe to understand what colour to do you have? I’ve realised I don’t actually have that many, and if anything I skew much deeper and richer in an autumn palette of burgundy. But looking at how some of these combinations might spark joy, is a reminder that colour isn’t as scary!
Signature beauty
I am a creature of consistency when it comes to things like jewellery, makeup and hairstyles. You can look at it two ways - as an almost uniform that everyday builds upon, or as a finishing touch that is fluid and dependent on an overall look. Looking through what sort of layers make you feel put together will ensure that as you build up these investments, they will be timeless. I think that investing a little more in jewellery will also last longer!
There was a period a few years ago where I felt like my sole ear piercings really limited my jewellery options. I wasn’t 100% certain about additional piercings, placements or even if it would be worthwhile. After plenty of thought, I realised that if I never change my earrings - and I don’t, for years at a time - then I could curate a more intricate look that would still be my signature.
I find that creating rules for yourself to play within help control a sort of style you want without feeling like you never have anything to wear. For instance, I know that I prefer when my nails are painted in shades of deep burgundy or paler nudes. I don’t really go anywhere else in between, and when I do, I feel slightly less like myself. I like gold jewellery, but nothing too heavy that might overpower my smaller frame. I like richer colour palettes because they make me feel more mature and elegant, where brighter hues sometimes make me feel quite youthful. You can make your own rules and then seek out inspiration that speaks to that aesthetic.