Finding My Style - A New Series

Hey everyone, today I just wanted to explain a little about the Curating My Closet project I've been doing since around January time.

This happened to coincide with my "no-buy 2019" which probably wasn't the best timing (as you will read later), but following the Closet plan would involve making some purchases here and there.  I have bought a few things (I will link my last month's post here) but I will talk in more detail about those items a bit later on.  I am also going to be doing a little series of blogs (hence the title of this post) just documenting things I have found out along the way in terms of "my style" and things that have surprised me a little.

Loads of people have asked me on my Instagram what the "Curated Closet Workbook" is.  It's a book I bought on Amazon in January for £11.99 (linked here) and it follows on from the first book "The Curated Closet" by Anushka Rees.  The workbook is exactly what it says it is - a workbook, and contains little projects to work through in order to help you work out your style and ultimately end up with a wardrobe you love and with pieces that work together and for you.

The book is actually an 8 week plan once you get started and I found that you need to read it carefully, absorb the information and not rush through just to get to the fun bit of decluttering etc.  I've taken longer than 8 weeks and I'm still not finished yet as I've been away on holiday and I've not been able to fully follow the plan every day.  That's fine though and you can totally dip in and out when you need to if you can't fully commit.

The full title is "The Curated Closet Workbook: Discover Your Personal Style And Build Your Dream Wardrobe" and really gets you thinking why you want to do this and what you want the outcome to be.

Before any decluttering can begin, there are tasks such as questionnaires, writing down what your current style is and what you think you would like your style to be in the future, key pieces of clothing you love/hate etc.  You also have to write down all of the outfits you wear over a two week period and make notes as to what you liked about them, what didn't you like about them, what would you change etc.  I loved doing this and I found it really helpful in making me decide if I really loved something.  It also recommends taking a photo of each outfit which I did (some I posted on Instagram) to help you create a little look book of all your outfits.  You can then reference them, and if you get stuck one day for inspiration just look back on your gallery and recreate a look you loved.

It also asks you to write an inventory of every item of clothing you own! I LOVED doing this! I honestly found it so therapeutic.  I had already done a big declutter at the end of last year so my wardrobe was fairly streamlined but there were a few things I came across that I felt didn't earn a space in that inventory (space is fairly limited) so I gave them to friends or to charity.

The task I loved the most was creating a mood board of styles you love.  It asks you to write down the sources of inspiration i.e. films, magazines, celebrities you love, and Pinterest.  I think I fell down the Pinterest rabbit-hole far too many times and I still do! I go on there everyday and there are always wardrobe inspirations to pin.  The really good thing with this little task though was realising that the styles I seemed to be drawn to were actually very close to the kinds of things I wear on a daily basis anyway.  Realising that really helped me to look at my clothes a bit differently and start to put outfits together I maybe wouldn't have before.  I don't tend to read many magazines anymore (I still miss Look magazine every single day) so my mood-board was created on Pinterest and I just pin away.  I will link my Pinterest profile here if you want to take a look at the kind of style that I'm currently loving right now.

Although I haven't completely finished the book I have got to the stage of working out the types of clothing I would like in my wardrobe - colours, textures, styles etc and as I said earlier, it's fairly close to what I had in there before (boyfriend jeans, chinos, culottes) but there seem to be a few surprises in there too.

Firstly, I seem to have discovered "jogging bottoms"! I would never have put myself in jogging bottoms...in public...the sheer horror!! But with a little clever styling and finding a style that suits me, they actually really work!

I have also worked out I love fitted roll-neck tops and baggy vintage style jeans.  It's a look that again seems to suit me and I feel comfortable in.  More importantly, it works as a smart-ish outfit but can be casual too.

Lastly, I've found out I love paper-bag waist trousers and culottes.  I wasn't sure they would suit my figure (pear-shape) but after trying on a few pairs I actually really like them.

So what have I bought during my "no-buy"? This little project was always going to mean purchasing a few items but I'm cool with that as they are purchases that I have really thought about and know I will get a lot of use out of.  

Normally I would just stroll into Primark, grab a basket and randomly chuck anything I liked the look of in there but now if I go into a shop I'm very conscious and careful about the decisions I make.  I don't want a wardrobe full of things that will get one wear out of them, I want things that will really work for me and last a long time.  You will know from my blog post about "Changing My Shopping Habits" (you can read that here) that after watching the Stacey Dooley documentary about fashion, I was very conscious of the impact of fast-fashion on the environment.  Certain high street shops were singled out for this, so I am aware of this if I'm at Bluewater and the items I talk about below have been bought after a lot of consideration of whether they will last me years (not months).  I also decluttered some pieces too (work trousers that had seen better days) so some of these things were a replacement item and I am working on a "one in, one out" method from now on. 

WHAT I BOUGHT IN FEBRUARY

Two pairs of jogging bottoms - one from H&M for £17.99 (my mum bought me these) and one from New Look for £9.99.  I will be posting a separate post on how I style these so keep your eyes peeled for that.

One pair of grey linen paper-bag waist trousers from F&F Clothing.  These were £12.99 and I've already worn them so much.  They are great for work and also when I'm home all day, just with a casual t-shirt.  These replaced a pair of black work trousers I had for about three years and were going thread-bare.

F&F Linen Trousers

One pair of leopard print flats from New Look.  These were £5 in the sale and the last ones there in my size.  They replaced my tattered old brown loafers I had for two years.

New Look Leopard Print Flats 

One pair of black wide-legged trousers from Primark for £8.  These are a perfect wardrobe staple, I've worn them for every day with a jumper and converse, to work with a blouse and the leopard flats, and at home with a t-shirt.  They will also be great during the summer with flip-flops and a cami-vest so another item that will work really hard.

Primark wide-legged black trousers

Are there any items still on my "want" list? Yes!  I would absolutely love a classic black single-breasted coat.  I have seen one in Zara but have put it onto my birthday list.  I know I will get so much wear out of it. I would also love a pair of oxblood coloured loafers.  I love my black and silver platform loafers and wear them all the time but I would love a more "classic" looking flat style and again, perfect for smartening up a casual outfit, to work or to wear out.  I haven't found any shoes I love but I do keep an eye out whenever I am near the shops! I will keep you posted on how I get on with this little quest.

Have you ever curated your closet or done a similar project? I would love to know how you found it and the things you learned.

Love Katherine xxx