Thursday, July 20, 2017

On fashion

I do not claim to be the most fashion forward person by any stretch, but I do love the creativity I find there in expressing myself. I've always been a person that's selective with trends, and even "minimal" in the amount of clothes in my wardrobe by most standards. But there is always room for improvement, or as I discovered recently lots of improvement.  If you follow me on instagram, you may know that I've been reading "The Curated Closet" by Anuschka Rees. It's not a book simply about pairing down items in your closet, or even about a capsule wardrobe (though it mentions these things), it's a practical book......a workbook of sorts about discovering your style. There are pie charts, lists, and mood board "assignments" which I found SO helpful. I have always thought I was very in tune with my own style, but this book pointed out some key blinders in the area.
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One thing that stuck out to me was how Anuschka addressed the idea that with fashion we like to put ourselves and others in boxes with labels like "bohemian" or "preppy", when in fact most of us are unique individuals with a blend of many different styles. Through a series of questionnaires and lists, Anuschka helps you narrow down your personal fashion preferences. The other thing that I loved is that Anuschka addresses styling in a way that I have not seen before in a book. So you like button down shirts? How do you like them styled (a half tuck, whole tuck, no tuck, popped collar, not popped, rolled sleeves, with a cardigan....etc...)? The older I get, the less interested in trends I become, but more with feeling like the best version of myself. Ends up, I really feel most like myself in a monochromatic wardrobe.  I'm tabbing this look "french tomboy".
all sources can be found here

So combining reading "The Curated Closet" with reading Marie Kondo's "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying up", I've been going to war on my closet. Things with holes (embarrassingly quite a few items) got thrown away, things that didn't fit well, I didn't wear enough,  or didn't fit my style formula were given away or sold on eBay (still working on that). My closet and dresser are way more organized because there's less items I'm trying to squeeze into them, and while there are a few gaps in my wardrobe.....there's no more than before the purge. Perhaps this is because I had so many "filler" items (that I rarely wore) that are now gone, and  I'm just able to see the gaps more clearly. Does that make sense? I've compiled some of my favorite brands from over the years that I reach for again and again for their quality.

Zella- workout apparel, I always grab an item at the Nordstrom anniversary sale and I never regret it.
Natori- underwear/bras (again- the time to stock up is during the anniversary sale)
Eberjey- pajamas (these aren't cheap, but I've lived in the same pair for five years....so that counts for something)
Everlane- Tshirts/silk button down shirts
Cloth& Stone- Linen button down shirts
Madewell- denim (good quality for the price point)



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