Throughout this last year while stuck at home quarantining in the middle of a global pandemic, I learned to keep myself busy/entertained with many interests. One of these projects is redefining and figuring out my personal style with the guidance of The Curated Closet.
I first heard about this book through A Beautiful Mess (one of my favorite blogs!). The idea of a “uniform” and knowing how to put together a fabulous outfit with only a few core pieces really appealed to me. I have a closet full of clothes but can barely mix and match them because everything is patterned. I wanted to elevate my look to be chic and comfortable even while working from home.
So far, my style had evolved from Aeropostale logo t-shirts in middle school, to exclusively patterns & prints throughout college, and finally…a weird mix of work-appropriate patterns with a few solids thrown in. I can say up until sophomore year of college, my “style” was a bit cringe-worthy with a LOT of graphic tees and kawaii pieces. And because I had no idea how to incorporate basics into my closet (because it sounded so boring), every top and dress I bought was a print! I relied on prints to create interest in my outfits. I never had the time or desire to thoroughly think about what looked good on me or how I wanted to dress. Well now that I’m stuck at home I got plenty of time!
Trying to rehaul my closet during a pandemic is certainly an unconventional choice. Obviously, there’s not many places I can wear my new outfits to and shopping for clothes in stores is a challenge. The method that the book calls for is to dissect what looks good on you and on your style icons, then go to stores to try a BUNCH of different styles before ever making a purchase. When all other stores closed their fitting rooms during this pandemic, Nordstrom kept theirs open. Hat’s off to you, Nordstrom.
Of course, I Pinterested like crazy to figure out what I admired first.
Holy heck, I learned that I liked neutrals! And this is coming from a girl who exclusively wore prints.
In summary, this is what I concluded based on my extensive research…
My Ideal Style
What is the overall feeling of this style? Casual and feminine but tailored/well fitted
What are the most important individual pieces?
- Black pants or leggings
- Knee high black boots
- V-neck tee
- Turtleneck sweaters
- A-line skirts or dresses
- Drapey cardigan
- Moto jacket
What are the most important colors?
- Deep reds
- Black and white
- Camel
- Blush pink
- Yellow ochre
What are the most important silhouettes, cuts, and fits?
- Hour-glass shape - show off waistline
- Chunky tops + slim or fitted bottoms
Are there any styling tricks that are essential to this style?
- Tuck in shirt ALWAYS
- Create layers with knits
Having seen this research laid out before me, I realized that my current wardrobe is VERY different from my ideal style. For one, I had almost no solid pieces in the colors that I liked. Turns out I had one too many statement pieces and not enough basics! Secondly, I learned that basic does not equal boring. In fact, most of the outfits I liked were composed of basic pieces but mixed and matched to create a sophisticated outfit. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I learned that it’s all about the silhouette. I saw that in every single outfit I liked, the stylist defined their waist to give them that hourglass shape. When I saw this, I realized that I’ve been styling myself like a cereal box my entire adult life! My boxy shirts, long tunics, and low-rise jeans were the complete opposite of the cropped tops and high-rise jeans these stylish women wore. Mom jeans are back, baby!
This is probably the best website that I found that explains how to create an hourglass silhouette:
I am so excited by these findings that I had to share it with the world! Maybe you already have impeccable style and knew these things, but I am here to enlighten the likes of me. Join me in my style evolution, as more posts about this topic are sure to come!
Buy The Curated Closet on Amazon
How has your style evolved throughout the years? Have you learned any ground-breaking styling tricks along the way?
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