making a statement
Written by Milly Churchill
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to change your image, or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world.
Find three words that you feel best represent you, your life, and your fashion sense and start to reflect who you really are.
Lifestyle
Androgenous
Artisan
Classic
Country
Feminine
Formal
Informal
Metropolitan
Modern
Polished
Sophisticated
Tomboy
Urban
Feeling
Aspirational
Calm
Clear
Confident
Efficient
Elegant
Expressive
Imaginative
Inspiring
Lively
Relaxed
Reserved
Romantic
Creative
Adventurous
Bohemian
Colourful
Dramatic
Flamboyant
Floral
Minimal
Practical
Professional
Simple
Spontaneous
Sporty
Timeless
We can often get confused about the image we want to show the world. Are we our unique selves, or are we projecting actor, carer, wife, mother, business woman, student, entrepreneur, adventurer, all of these, or none? The answer will be individual to you at this moment in time, and will probably be a mixture of some of these, and perhaps a good many more.
When you are not sure about the image you want to project, it is easy to lose confidence in the clothes in your wardrobe. Creating a wardrobe that has the right balance between practicality for your current lifestyle, and creativity for your self expression, can mean that you will reduce the occasions where you have ‘lots of clothes, but nothing to wear’.
Read through the columns above and see if you can pick out a word from each that best describes how you would best describe yourself. This doesn’t need to be an in-depth study, it is just an interesting way to prompt you to think differently about your image and how you relate to it. Perhaps you have your own words that would better describe how you feel about your styling, so please go ahead and use them. Are you informal, lively and flamboyant, or country, romantic and timeless? Play around with some combinations until you find what works best for you.
When you have your creative key words, you can take control over how you are perceived, and you can reinforce how you want to be seen. Do you think that you are modern, inspiring and dramatic? Can you take a look at what you’re wearing at this minute and quickly assess whether your current outfit fulfils your expectations? What about your grooming? Is your hairstyle working for you? What about your make up and skincare? There is obviously no right or wrong answer to this question. As I said, previously, I want to encourage you to think differently about how you dress, and the clothes you have can have a real impact on how you see yourself, and how others see you.
When you have some clarity about your preferred image then it becomes easier to curate your collection. Take some time to look through your clothes and accessories and have a good sort out. You will undoubtedly find hidden treasures that can be re-imagined and take on a whole new lease of life. It will also make any shopping trips more efficient and enjoyable, as well as more cost effective. This is because you will have a laser focus when you browse, rather than a scattergun approach that can lead to impulse buys.
making it happen
Having the clothes to reflect the image you want might seem to be an obvious idea, but what does your current wardrobe say about you? Can you always find the clothes that make you feel good, whatever the occasion? If you answer yes to this, then I salute you.
If on closer inspection you see a jumble of miss-matched items, or a wardrobe that is out of balance and weighted heavily towards either work or play, perhaps it’s time for a rethink? Take your three words and consider what you have in front of you. When you have clarity, it makes it so much easier to sort things out.
It is very easy to get carried away with a fashion trend, or a colour, only to find that you actually don’t really suit that aesthetic. Perhaps you have a selection of fine, neutral coloured knitwear, and you have found that your three words are urban, inspiring and dramatic. Can you see there might be a disconnect here? Would you feel more ‘you’ in some brightly coloured, patterned and textured items?
This is not an exact science, but it might be a useful tool to help you to sort out your wardrobe. When you curate your clothes and accessories, and know what you have, you will be able to see things and therefore wear them more. This will also mean that you can be more creative in your choices
Sorting through your possessions on a regular basis, serves many purposes. When we talk about decluttering it is always assumed that the owner has too many items, some of which need to be removed and sold or recycled. But you would be surprised just how many people may not have enough clothes…I know, how radical is that thought! If this is you, curating is an important consideration, so you reflect your personality, and express your creative self. Everything you have really needs to work hard for you, so reflecting your personality becomes finely tuned and simple.
The ‘Goldilocks’ position, is where you have enough clothes and accessories so you feel good in what you are wearing, most of the time, in most situations. There is no perfect solution. We, and our wardrobes, are a constant work in progress. Using your three words will hopefully help to build a collection of clothes that work for you, and your lifestyle, so why not experiment and see what revelations emerge.