This post may be controversial, but keeping your wardrobe up to date is actually quite important. It tells the world that YOU are up to date and not stuck in the past. It tells your brain that you are worth it, and with it! It stops you from looking and feeling frumpy.

It doesn’t mean spending a fortune on a brand new wardrobe, it can be as simple as updating a few key pieces and wearing things in a slightly different way. Updating your wardrobe should still be something that reflects your style personality and authentic to you, not me or anyone else - we’re not talking about buying everything new in at Zara here and being a fashion victim, far from it. By being selective, you can afford to invest a little more perhaps. But you don’t have to - you have your budget and you can most certainly find all these pieces on the high street at very affordable prices.

These 6 items are probably the ones that most wardrobe edits I do still have and sometimes do not get switched easily - my clients are letting go of their skinny jeans and cardigans kicking and screaming (sometimes it take a couple of years to fully let go)! I’d love to know if you disagree though, I’m always happy to be proven wrong. And I may be rewriting this blog post in a year’s time telling you to get your skinny jeans back on… so I’m not saying ditch, I’m saying switch for now - try on the new, take time to think about it, and eventually you’ll get there. And we all understand the definition of ‘modern’, so I’m interested to see how quickly this all changes. It certainly contradicts some of my advice from about 3 years ago.

Switch the skinny jeans

I’m not saying ditch them completely, but do try other styles. You can ease yourself in gently with slim or straight leg. But also try

wide legs,
kick flares,
balloon jeans,
barrel leg jeans,
Mom jeans,
boyfriend,
bootlegs and
flares.

I know, it’s all a bit overwhelming just reading that list. We’ve been safe with skinny jeans for years, we know where we are with them. And now there’s all this choice - as if buying jeans isn’t difficult enough! Some will be more flattering than others depending on your shape, so you’ll just need to try them I’m afraid. I would say that a kick flare is a good place to start introducing a little more shape and it works for most bodyshapes. I personally love wide leg jeans, but have yet to find a Mom jean that works, I’m not ready for flares or bootlegs and I’ve never been a fan of boyfriend jeans as the look is a little too masculine for me. But you will probably have your own thoughts, and it is those thoughts you need to confront in order to move on. The modern silhouette isn’t necessarily the more traditional “flattering”, and that can be tricky to get your head around.

In addition to the change in shape, you also need to change the way you wear your tops… and that means tucking in! You can easily do a half tuck or French tuck.

2. Switch the jersey leggings

If you like the silhouette of a skinny jean, then fear not! For a more contemporary feel, switch the jersey leggings for faux leather leggings.

As for the silhouette, you can’t really tuck into leggings as you’d see the scrunched up fabric - not a good luck!

The general rule of thumb with leggings is to cover the crotch, but I don’t think that’s an absolute necessity and the proportions can look a bit off, so go with what you feel comfortable with. You could try a shorter top with a blazer or long cardigan.

And on the subject of cardigans….

3. Switch the crew neck buttoned cardi

I used to live in these crew neck cardigans - I had them in all colours and I think I may have been nicknamed “cardigan” at work at one point (I have not always been 100% stylish)! But I’m sorry to break the news to you, there is something inherently difficult about them and they can easily make an outfit look frumpy. They can look fabulous worn backwards, but honestly, if you’re wearing them the right way around… there are other options. Likewise, I think waterfall cardigans can be tricky and are not a modern look.

I recently bought this wrap cardigan from & Other Stories and it’s such an easy one to wear - covers up the tummy but adds some shape. I highly recommend this shape for everyone.

Another style that usually works for most is a longline cardigan without buttons (great with leggings). The best length will depend on your height, but about knee length feels modern and should be universally flattering. I must say, this is making me think about my own cardigan options and I have two that need to be donated immediately!

4. Switch the gym trainers

If you’re wearing your gym trainers and not going to the gym (or wearing your gym clothes and pretending, which is fine), then you need to switch up your trainers.

White trainers work with everything and there is a lot of choice out there. I think vintage trainers are easier to pull off for all and feel incredibly modern. There’s something about hi-tops that feel very cool too, I am yet to own a pair but I have my eye on these Nike ones. A plain white pair (Russell & Bromley do some laceless ones I like), or a vintage white or coloured pair are all great to own and a good way to show your personality (and your colours). Just beware that a coloured pair will probably be less versatile than white (or even black or navy).

There are plenty of modern trainers out there, but please don’t wear your gym trainers (for the record, Dad trainers seem to be passe now too)! In general a shoe and boot audit is always quite a good thing to do, as they really are a great way of updating pretty much everything (I advocate gold or boots, as you may know)!

5. Switch the Mum bag

I owned this very Cath Kidston bag until about 3 weeks ago, when the charity shop inherited it. Unless you have preschool age children, then ditch the practical rucksacks! Obviously depending on your lifestyle, a smaller bag may not work - but rethink how much you truly need to carry around. It’s bad for your back and shoulders to have a heavy bag! I mean keys and phone is actually all you really need these days, maybe a lipstick but they are very small.

This bum bag styling might be a little extra for you (I’m so into it), but do have a look on the High Street for a more modern bag (try places like & Other Stories or Cos for inspiration). It instantly updates your whole look and is a great way to show your style personality.

6. Switch the fitted coat

The bodyshape guidelines are such a burden to bear sometimes, as they’re ALL about flattering and in theory I should be wearing the coat on the left but…zzzz.

A much more modern silhouette is an oversized coat, No, it’s not as flattering. Yes, it will work better with your midi skirts and dresses. Yes, you can get a jumper on underneath it. Yes, it might drown a petite frame. Yes, it’s generally warmer.

My advice about colours stays the same - wear one of your best neutrals (or colours), preferably a colour that is about the same value (lightness or darkness) of your hair. Be slightly aware of patterns as they can add extra width (stripes and some checks) or overwhelm your frame - they are also more likely to only be modern for a year or two at the most.

Along the same lines as coats, I think an oversized, boyfriend style blazer is more contemporary. Obviously not necessarily right for your very corporate job, or if you are very petite, these might be trickier for you to carry off. But the fitted blazer feels exactly that - a bit corporate. So a boxier, more oversized ‘boyfriend’ fit blazer feels much more modern.

As with the oversized coat, it’s probably not going to be more flattering but it is such an easy way to update a jeans (not skinny) and t-shirt look

As with all of this thinking, if your style personality dictates that you don’t want to do non-flattering, or you want a more classic look or indeed an even more bold dramatic look or unique creative look, this advice is not for you!

I’d love to know if you agree with this stylist! Post a comment below!