TIPS FOR SHOPPING YOUR WARDROBE

Hey gang, hope you're all doing really well and easing into February nicely. I've always loved February as it means January is officially over(!!!) and, going forward February is now such a special month as it's Goldie's birthday! I cannot believe she's turning one this week, where on earth has the time gone! But more on that in my next very special post.

Following on from my last post where I spoke about my styling thought process, I thought today I would discuss how I shop my own wardrobe. This includes how I work out what I might need to invest in, what is missing, what I love, what I might need more of, and what I should think about passing on to a new home, etc etc.
This was a commonly asked request from you guys so I truly hope you find it useful and you can take some of the things I say on board to shop your own wardrobe effectively.

So first up let's think about what's inspiring you. Finding inspiration from all over the place, the weird and the wonderful and of course those obvious places too, is often my first port of call when shopping my wardrobe. I like to think about who I am, what I like, what I want to become and where I see both myself and my style in the near future.
I like to think about who's inspiring me style wise, for example, right now I don't have reams and reams of accounts to recommend that I take loads of inspiration from, but there are three Instagram babes that come to mind when I think of style inspiration and they are Rebecca Ferraz Wyatt, Hannah Lou Robinson and Elinor Charlotte, three girls who I feel create really stunning content made up of super fun looks that are attainable and super wearable. Think about who you love and how you might be able to inject a little bit of that inspiration into your looks using the pieces you already have in your wardrobe.

Similarly to what I mentioned in my last post, it's always great to have a bank of inspiration, a saved board on Instagram or a board on Pinterest of outfits you love that you can use to inspire your outfit building everyday. But whilst also allowing you to get ready with ease, this bank of inspo can also help you to clearly see what might be missing in your wardrobe.
Perhaps, a number of outfits that you've seen each include a belt, yet, you don't own a belt. That's a clear indicator to start looking for that perfect belt to finish off a number of outfits to come. I've always tried to make purchases knowing at least 3-5 ways in which i'd like to style it, that way I know that it'll be right at home in my wardrobe to mix and to match with those existing clothes within my wardrobe.

Next, I think it's important to really delve into the pieces that you just LOVE to wear. The pieces that you reach for time and time again and just feel really, bloody fabulous when wearing. For me, it's my high neck tops from Saturday By Megan Ellaby, it's denim, it's a leather piece or two whether that be my Saks Potts coat, my leather blazer or leather waistcoat. I love to be comfortable these days so a good pair of boots is still high up in my faves list and I also adore a pair of trainers or a chunky yet comfortable brogue/loafer situation.

Once you've highlighted those key pieces you can look at the rest of your wardrobe and build some fun and fresh outfits around them. Playing around with textures, layers and accessories to perhaps create an outfit that you hadn't thought of before. Chances are, if a new outfit includes one of your go-to favourite pieces then you're going to love it and wear it over and over again!

So you've found your inspiration, you've identified any missing key pieces that you might need to fulfill those looks and you've settled on your top 5 fave pieces, you're almost there with shopping your wardrobe.
Now it's time for the fun part, set a day or two aside to delve into the depths of your wardrobe to style up some different looks. I like to do this on a Sunday afternoon as it leaves me feeling inspired for the week ahead knowing exactly the kind of outfits I plan to wear. This also helps me work out which pieces might be better off in somebody else's wardrobe. These pieces are usually items that I haven't worn in the last year or pieces I just can't imagine myself wearing again for some reason or another (usually that they no longer fit) so it's time to part ways.

And there we have it, shopping without leaving your house or spending a penny.
I hope you found this useful and I'd love to hear your tips for shopping your own wardrobe, let's chat in the comments.

x M