Trust me, losing your fashion mojo happens to us all, even those who work in the industry. Covid, hormones, our obsession with athleisure and going ‘back to the 90s’ haven’t helped.
Rediscovering your sense of style is a liberating experience and you’ll soon be sashaying down the high street like your favourite influencer. The key is to develop your very own style DNA. Here are some steps to get your mojo back.
- Start by identifying your personal tastes, what you feel comfortable in (these will be your go-to pieces, such as blue jeans, super-soft knitwear, an oversized blazer) and any style icons you admire. List the kind of clothing that gives you confidence, reflects your personality and is functional for your lifestyle. I favour a pared back, effortless look with minimum fuss, like Sienna Miller wears when she’s papped off guard.
- Search for style inspo f rom fashion mags, websites, social media and people whose looks you envy. Create
a mood board or just take screenshots and save images in a folder on your phone. You’ll soon see that a theme emerges and you can begin to envision how you can create these looks yourself. - What do you want to achieve with your style? To dress professionally, express your creativity or feel more put-together in your everyday life? Style goals will focus and guide your fashion choices. My goal is to inspire you, our shoppers and 32k Instagram followers to buy less but better, shrink your wardrobe to enable you to see the wood from the trees and be able to pull together a contemporary, flattering and comfortable look with little stress.
- Identify pieces in your current wardrobe that you love and feel confident in (they’re the keepers) as well as items that no longer serve you (they’ll find a new home). De- cluttering and categorising will show you what’s missing and make space for pieces that will work with your renewed style. Listen to some banging tunes, light a scented candle and grab a girl friend to help you be ruthless. Open a bottle of wine, but don’t have too much, you don’t want your keepers pile to end up at the charity shop!
- Try new styles. Visit lots of stores (independents really are the best!) or browse different style tribes, shapes and colours online. Try on clothes you wouldn’t normally pick up; you’d be surprised how something out of your ordinary can look and make you feel.
- If you’re not sure about what suits you, chat to a knowledgeable sales person in a boutique (we have plenty of these at Black White Denim!). They’ll tell you which fits, colours and styles flatter your body type and life style, and make suggestions tailored exactly to your brief.
- Be patient Rebuilding your style confidence doesn’t happen overnight. Incorporate small changes into your outfits and gradually push yourself to experiment more. I reckon it takes a full year to completely refine your sense of style. Working with the seasons throws up a few challenges, so it’s important to tackle each one at a time.
- Build a wardrobe where ‘everything goes with everything else’ (this is our ethos when we choose brands for Black White Denim.) Focus on buying versatile, investment pieces that can be mixed and matched to create lots of different outfits. Spend your money on classic staples like great-quality jeans, neutral-coloured tops, tailored jackets, coats and dresses. With these foundation pieces in your wardrobe, you’ll find it much easier to create different looks.
- Own your style. Confidence is key to getting your fashion mojo back. Wear clothes that make you feel good and reflect your unique personality. Sassy, cheeky, forward thinking or elegant, understated, classic. It doesn’t matter what you are, trust your instinct and don’t be afraid to express yourself through fashion. If you look good, you feel good. We all have our own sense of style and what matters most is feeling confident, comfortable and YOU in your clothes.
