Change is Inevitable
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They say the only constant in life is change. This is true in so many aspects of our lives, including our wardrobe. Trends come in and out of fashion, and it can be hard to keep up. By the time you are an adult, you should know what your personal style is but it also has to be evolving because we are always evolving too. What worked for you when you were 15 is not only out of fashion by now (although if you are my age it might be coming back into fashion- ha!) but not appropriate for your lifestyle now.
That’s why we need to take inventory of our closets and our lives a few times a year. You may have lived in ripped jeans in college, but they won’t work in the corporate world. That doesn’t mean you can’t keep your personality and whimsy in your clothes- you just need to adjust it a bit. As a person you are learning, growing and hopefully getting to know yourself better all the time, and so it makes sense that your taste and style will grow with that.
I am a 90’s girl- I love the decade including the fashion, which is coming back. Plaid shirts, floral baby doll dresses with leather jackets, and Doc Marten boots- I can’t get enough. But obviously I can’t wear them the same way I did then. Instead of an oversized flannel over ripped jeans and bodysuit (I loved those things), today I’ll wear a more fitted version of the plaid shirt, front tucked into a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a pair of polished motorcycle style boots. A few adjustments that are age appropriate but still fun and on trend.
And don’t get me started on how our bodies change! I do not know a woman out there who has the same figure she had when she was 20- or who has the same figure she did 3 years ago for that matter. The freshman 15, pregnancy, stress, hormones and age all continuously change our bodies and so it’s no surprise that our clothing will have to change with it. If you have your third baby, even if you lose all your “baby weight”, your body shape is different. Maybe your hips are a bit wider than they used to be, or your feet are a half size larger. These things happen. For women who have had major weight loss, it’s like starting over as a new person that you are shopping for.
Don’t live in the past, or live for the future. In your wardrobe as in life you must dress for the person you are today and be the best version of that person. You may have different tastes next year, or you may lose a few pounds, or you may have a new job, or you may move to a warmer climate- the truth is you can’t predict how life will change, so let’s just take it day by day. Apply this theory to your clothes.
If I look back on how my life has changed over the past decade, it’s interesting to see how the changes in my lifestyle have affected the changes in my wardrobe. I was a young childless woman working a full time job in marketing, so my attire reflected that. Once I had my son and stayed home, my wardrobe was mostly jeans and athleisure wear. When I went back to work part time, my closet had to become more well rounded with both work appropriate pieces and casual pieces. Today as I am running my own business out of my home, my clothes are back to being more athleisure but with some evening and dressier options for client meetings and events. And all the while I keep my personal style in mind so that there’s a cohesive look to what I wear and a good representation of who I am as a person not just what I do for a living.
Lately I’ve been looking at my clothes and thinking about age appropriateness too. There are really no hard rules anymore as far as what is too old to wear certain things. As a twenty-five year old in business, I’d choose separates that were sophisticated and classy so I would put forth a professional and serious image. Today those outfits might come across as stodgy and actual age me, so I’m thinking about working in some newer trends to freshen up my look. You will never see me in a crop top or see through shirt, but a dress with strategically placed cutouts or a sheer blouse with a tank underneath would be a more appropriate but still new take on the trends. My closet is always a work in progress- and yours should be too.
So objectively look at yourself and your wardrobe. Do the items in your closet fit your body now? Do they make you feel confident when you put them on? Do they reflect who you are and your personality? Are they appropriate for your lifestyle and job? If you answered no to any of these questions, you need to make some changes to your closet now.
Change is inevitable so embrace it.
If you need some help, email me at thesmalltownstylist@gmail.com and book a consultation today. Together we can turn change into a positive and help you to put forth the best version of yourself.