How long does it take to reinvent your style?
/We’ve all been there - stuck in a style rut, totally fed up of how we look - the feeling of wanting to throw away every item of clothing we own and start again. And there are lots of reasons why we’ve arrived at this point too.
Perhaps style hasn’t been a priority for you for some time - children, caring for others, illness - there are lots of good reasons why style isn’t a priority.
Or perhaps there has been a recent change in your life that means you want to start reinventing your style - a new job, a big birthday, divorce, children starting school or leaving home, retirement.
Or maybe you just didn’t know where to start (you’re in the right place).
Where do you start?
The sometimes surprising place I start with all my clients is where they see their lives heading to in the next few years, and how their future self might be dressing. Allow your mind to picture what Future You will be wearing for various occasions - what are you going to be wearing to Tescos in 3 years’ time? It’s good to dream at this point about the kinds of occasions you might be attending, but also to think about the mundane times too!
The next thing to do is to get inspiration from outside. The best place for this is Pinterest! Look at style icons, outfits you love and create a style board and pin away. Don’t worry about whether things might suit you, this is about your gut response to different looks - you can even pin colour schemes from nature or interiors if this helps to inspire you.
Time for a reality check now. Think realistically about your lifestyle today (and when I say today, I don’t mean locked down in the middle of a pandemic even though that’s where we are right now - but a realistic picture of what you would be doing day to day if things were ‘normal’). This often paints quite a sobering image of a lot of time spent at home - or on a commute and in an office. Then think about Future You’s lifestyle too - perhaps she goes out with her friends more often or actually goes to the gym instead of just carrying around the card (just me)?
Now what?
There’s quite a lot more to go, but now comes the interesting part of seeing whether your wardrobe fits your lifestyle. Ideally it should reflect what you actually do - if you do spend a lot of time at home, then your clothes should be casual and suitable for doing so.
Then take a look at the items that you love in your wardrobe and take them out. Think about them in words - not that they’re useful or practical or go with everything but what do you love about them and, most importantly, how do they make you feel? Do they reflect what you’ve pinned on your Pinterest board?
Spend some time thinking of words that describe your favourite items of clothing and your Pinterest style. This is the basis of your Style Recipe! You should look and style personalities and your personality too.
Once you’ve spent some time nailing down your Style Recipe (personality is the most important part of style), it’s time to think about the colours and shapes that suit you and that you love wearing and that make you feel confident.
Now for the practical work
Now that you’ve done the strategic work, it’s time for some practical - a wardrobe audit. This means taking everything out of your wardrobe, trying it on, making some decisions about what to keep and what to give to charity, sell or recycle. This also means creating new outfits from what you already own.
Now you’re in a good place to start making a list of items that you need that will work well with your existing wardrobe and make it work harder. Plus you’ll want to find some items that make you feel amazing, which you can’t always write on a list because they will find you!
Now and only now can you go shopping. With your list, with a decent budget, with a plan!
How long does it really take?
Realistically, the above is just a starting point. With the help of a stylist, this could be done relatively quickly - say, 2-3 sessions. On your own, it’s going to take much longer as you’ll want to do some more research along the way and of course, you’ll need to carve out the initial strategy time to sit down and really think about your style.
From here, the work is just beginning - I see this as passing your driving test. Now you’ve got to go out and really learn how to drive!
To answer the title of this blog post, I would say that it probably takes on average at least a year or even two to completely reinvent your style and find the right items to complement your new wardrobe. It is an ongoing process and it will be quicker for some than for others (depending on how big the reinvention is). I have a couple of clients that I’ve been working with for around 2 years and, 2-3 wardrobe edits and shopping trips in, they now feel that they really have a wardrobe that works cohesively and reflects their style personality.
If 2021 seems like it will be a good time to take stock and really start reinventing your style, then working with a stylist is the quickest way to go about it. My Style & Colour Consultation (in person or online) is designed to help give you a head start in the right direction and expert guidance and is priced at just £197. It also makes a great gift - take a look at gift vouchers here.
