Is your wardrobe autumn ready?
That’s it folks, resist no more, it’s time to get our autumn wardrobes in order. Each year I make a new rule for myself - to get out of my uniform of jeans and a jumper and embrace something new. Be brave with new outfit combinations and feel revived and excited about the new season. I love the start of a new season, I especially love autumn and winter outfits. Cosy knits and chunky boots paired with feminine dresses, trying not to fall into the trap of wearing the same old jeans. The simple act of getting dressed every day has the ability to invoke hope; trying out new combinations, pushing our style. If you end up in an underwhelming outfit one day, there’s always tomorrow to nail it. Add a pair of sparkly earrings, wear sequins in the day, dress to make you happy and dress to impress.
I’m getting straight down to business here, if you have a cluttered wardrobe that doesn’t flow and is full of things you no longer wear then it’s going to much harder to pull together great outfits. It’s always a good idea to start the season with a wardrobe edit/clear out so you can really plan what is still good and what needs to be replaced and most importantly, do some really focussed shopping rather than buying adhoc bits and bobs. There really is no point in hanging on to pieces that you don’t wear anymore, cluttering up the space, so be brutal. Don’t feel guilty about letting them go - remember, these items can be passed on to a charity shop, giving someone else some use and raising money at the same time for a good cause. It’s quite hard sometimes to let things go but if you do you’ll feel so much lighter and with less clothes in your wardrobe, you’ll be able to see outfits more clearly. I’m going to share my top wardrobe edit tips but if you can’t face it on your own, have too much stuff to go through or you’re just too busy - get in touch!
Here are my top wardrobe clearing out tips:
Think:
Did you wear it last autumn/winter? If not then why not? You might be over it and there’s no shame in that so pass it on.
Is it dated? Maybe it was more of a trend piece than a classic so move it on.
Does it fit? You’d be surprised how many people I see who hold onto clothes too small for them or that just don’t fit well. Get rid of these items and move forward.
Does it still suit your style personality? We all evolve and unless you are a true classic dresser then it’s hard to arrive at a clear style which means our style tastes will change. If you are into dresses and boots this season but last season it was all about jeans then get culling.
Does it suit your life NOW? If you used to work in a different field or you now don’t work, are the clothes in your wardrobe reflective of your life NOW or your old life? This is a really good question to ask yourself when you are deciding what to keep and what to chuck out.
How does wearing that item make you feel? Your wardrobe should be full of clothes you feel good in, it’s back to that hope thing again, starting a day feeling excited and good in what you are wearing. If you feel uncomfortable or underwhelmed in something, let it go.
These are all things I ask my clients when doing a wardrobe edit session and we usually end up throwing quite a bit away. It’s all very cathartic and means we can build a new style template going forward - so refreshing!
Now you’ve cleared the wardrobe it’s time to plan what to buy for the new season. The shops are full of autumn wear now and it is overwhelming to know what to buy and where to shop. We are all different so of course we don’t need exactly the same items in our wardrobe but there are definitely core pieces. I’ve put together a video of the items I’ve bought so far this season which you can view via my facebook page here.
Each item in your wardrobe should have a job to do. A nice dress for date night, a blazer for meetings, a coat to keep you warm etc… Here is a snippet of the top pieces I’ve bought from Sezane so far this season. Not everything I have bought is from Sezane so if you watch the video you can see the complete haul.
Date night:Kicking-off with the fun wardrobe item, I bought this baby doll style tunic dress from Sezane and wore it to my wedding anniversary dinner. It’s sparkly so feels glam and I love the fact it’s loose because it’s comfy but also it looks really cool with either knee-high boots, heels or trainers. Very versatile. If you don’t like your legs, a maxi dress is a good date night option and I love this multi-colored metallic one from BASH. If you don’t want to spend that much, have a search for the BASH Outlet store that does last season dresses at half this price.
2. Smart cropped trousers.
On my quest to not wear jeans all the time I love a pair of smart new season trousers to add to the mix. These Clara trousers are amazing, high waisted and cropped so they elongate legs and would be good for day-to-day at work. Mine are a muted but glittery leopard print but that particular version has already sold out. I’ll be wearing these with a simple thin knit or loose cardi and trainers or maybe heeled ankle boots and a silk or denim blouse.
3. Lace blouse.
For years now I always have a lace blouse knicking around in my wardrobe. I always feel polished but slightly cooler when I wear one! Years ago I had a beautiful neon pink one that I wore until it fell apart. This season I’ve gone for this ivory lace blouse because it goes with everything - it looks really good with denim and would work with my leopard print Clara trousers too. Yet again the exact one I bought has sold out already but this one is gorgeous and does the same job.
4. A fancy knit.
Whilst I think it’s essential to have a few plain knits in your wardrobe I also like to have a few fancier options. I recently bought a pair of cream jeans from & other stories (also in my video) and will wear this Suzie knit with those. I’m also going to wear it with this leather mini skirt with opaque tights and ankle boots when it gets colder.
Voila - four of the items I’ve bought for autumn so far that will slot into my existing wardrobe. For more detail on outfits and everything I’ve bought so far tune in to my style video.
If you feel you’ve lost the sparkle in your wardrobe and want a wardrobe edit, top-up on new outfits or a whole new style update for autumn get in touch. I only have a limited number of appointments each season so don’t leave it too late to book!
