My style evolution

24 July 2018

Last weekend I went through my wardrobe and had a massive summer clear-out. Goodbye old, ill-fitting clothes and hello shiny new items on my ASOS wish list.

When I put all the items I no longer wear into a black bag for a trip down to the charity shop, I learnt material things like clothes and accessories can be associated with memories and emotions. Which is why I also learnt it takes me an obscene amount of time to sort out my wardrobe as I get distracted by every little thing.

During my mammoth clean out, it became apparent that my style has changed (and hopefully improved) over the years - from embarrassing pieces that will bring you pure entertainment to those items that will make you think ‘aw, that was cute. 10/10 for effort’, I’ve been through it all….    


Sk8r boi

A tribute to Avril Lavinge.

My skater/hip-hop girl phase was a thing. Albeit, a relatively short lived thing. I went through this from around 8 years old to approximately 8 and a half years old. But looking back at that 6 months, I’m certainly backing the theory that trends are recycled every couple of years. Those camouflage trousers I wore as an 8-year-old, were also a massive trend at the start of 2018, and something I couldn’t help but buy into, showcasing them in my post in April. 

Preppy


After watching every single of episode of Gossip Girl throughout my mid teen years, I decided to dedicate my life to Blair Waldorf. If you aren't aware of Blair Waldorf, this website captures all her best fashion moments season by season in one place. Check prints, berets, blazers and bows were my official uniform with Claire’s accessories being the place to go for all things Blair Waldorf.






The Noire phase  

When I wasn’t in my school uniform, I was in all black. Not much has changed to be honest – I still wear black a lot but now I tend to break it up and not go for the all black/borderline goth look.

During my high school years, I also went through a massive phase of shopping in vintage shops and vintage shops only.

Fashion follower

I went through a phase where I wasn’t stylish. Yes, I was fashionable and Yes, I followed trends but the clothes I wore didn’t represent me as a person, or didn’t look that great on me (sorry to break it to you past me).

I wore certain pieces because everyone else was wearing them and I wanted to fit in. The American Apparel disco pants are a classic example. I put myself through this phase for two years during sixth form. I know part of this was because the secondary school I went to for 5 years forced me to wear a horrid green blazer so the first time I was free to wear any item of clothing, I lost my mind and bought everything. But still, when looking back on the pictures from these two years, I don’t exactly say to myself ‘Yass girl, you look good’ – replace good with standard maybe.




Experimenting

My first year of university was the year I started to put myself out of my comfort zone, in a lot of areas from fashion to meeting people and my outlook on life (deep!). This was the time I started to experiment with my wardrobe. It was also the first time I properly started to work on my blog and that called for selecting more daring pieces. Of course being a student I was restricted to a budget, which didn’t help when I had a part time job working in Selfridges womenswear department and was tempted by the 'New In' items every time I went into work. With that said, I also had student discount in a lot of places, so swings and roundabouts.

For the night outfit, I was at university so it was the more fitted, bodycon pieces that always got my attention.

Present day


Now I’ve calmed down a bit (still extra though), most of my outfits are relatively simple. I will always love a good jumpsuit or midi dress, so most of my outfits are centred around one or two signature pieces, are well fitted and at a decent length. I think this phase will stick around for a while but who knows anything could happen. For the nights, I tend to go for lengths and more classier pieces (hope you’re proud mum). This latter stage has seen my confidence grow as I have embraced what suits me and what I am comfortable in (cheesy I know).

As part of my big (not so) secretive plan I talked about earlier this year, going through your wardrobe is a great way to look back at all the memories and phases of your life, as well as establish what you still actively wear, donating any other items of unworn clothing to charity. Also, by donating those items that are 'rags' i.e. clothes that you have worn to death, charity shops benefit and you're also helping the planet by reducing landfill. Preloved buying is a great way to be ethical and by returning to the days before fast fashion, this also bolsters individualism and enhances our own unique style. So win win for all.


Outfit details 
Dress - Zaful 
Bag - H&M (similar) 
Shoes - ASOS (similar) 
 
Mx
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