STUCK IN A STYLE RUT? TIPS ON HOW TO FIND INSPIRATION AND LOOK GREAT IN MINIMALIST STYLE
Clearing the Clutter
More recently I have been looking at my wardrobe and drawing a blank. I just felt a little lost. I knew I was holding onto items that did not fit, work for me or get used. After watching the first episode of the Maria Kondo Tidying Up on Netflix my husband and I both went and cleared out all our wardrobe onto the bed. The Maria Kondo method is basically to take everything out of your closet (Yes, everything!). Start by holding an item in your hands and taking a second to think about if the piece brings you joy and if you want it in your future. If it doesn’t bring you joy, thank it for the good it has brought you and put in a donate/bin pile. If it does bring you joy, fold it and put it away vertically. This way you can see every item in your drawers (it also gives you a lot more closet space). My wardrobe was not overflowing but giving my rails and drawers a real clear out helped to get rid of the noise. Now with only items I loved, I can really focus on what clothing I own and the outfit combinations I can actually be wearing.
A more ethical future
After you have minimised your wardrobe and cleared the clutter, you will be able to see if any essential items might be missing from your closet. I have been recently so drawn to minimalism. My focus this year is to be less materialistic, and the minimalist lifestyle appeals to me. Looking at my wardrobe now I only want to bring in items that I genuinely love, and that will get a lot of love and use. After watching the Netflix documentary, The True Cost, (a documentary I highly recommend), I also want to address my role in the fashion industry. As an online influencer, I want to take more responsibility for how I present my shopping habits. This may be sharing how I will be taking my time to find those few pieces I love, taking you on my thrifting charity shop trips, choosing items that are high quality and built to last or sharing purchases of more ethically produced items.
Inspiration
Now your wardrobe is clear and concise you can see what items you actually have. Build on your inspiration whether its Pinterest, your favourite fashion blogs, magazines or Instagram. I love to use Instagram for my inspiration as it now has the ‘save’ function. It is so easy to scroll through your favourite influencers and save any photos privately to your own bookmarked page. It’s a handy tool to use to curate a mini mood board. Pick apart these looks and see what the common themes are. Study each look and think about what makes the look uniquely “you.” What are you loving and which items do you already have to create something similar yourself? Take those looks and adapt them to who you are and your own personal lifestyle.
Making the right purchases
To begin with start small, you will find yourself in the same rut all over again if you immediately run out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Arm yourself with a short shopping list of a few items that you can pair and style in multiple ways with your existing clothing. Looking online is a great way to search for these pieces as well as look at the companies ethical trading policies. At the moment, I know that I need a spring outfit in a few months for a friends wedding. I have been spying the party dresses on the JD Williams site and looking at how the models have been styled. Their clothes are also featured on less traditional model body shapes. Seeing a range of curves and body figures can make the decision process a lot easier to know how it will look on your build and frame. In store is also a great way to see if the item is right for you. Keep an eye on how the visual merchandisers have styled the shop mannequins.
Taking the time rather than rushing to purchase clothing will help get you out of your style rut, as well as helping your wallet. Doing some inspiration research means the difference between making new purchases of items you will treasure and love wearing vs buying multiple low quality items that you’re not in love with and not quite sure how to style.
