The beauty of a new year is the fresh wind it carries that empowers us to evaluate, delete, add, or edit things that will help us to continuously evolve into the best version of ourselves. Year after year you’ve probably made resolutions concerning your physical health, finances, and career goals, but have you ever thought to make intentional resolutions concerning your clothes? Here are 5 style resolutions you should make this year in order to level up your style game.
Start building a curated wardrobe
The average woman’s wardrobe consists of random clothes she bought just because it was cute, on sale, or needed for a specific occasion. Most women don’t build their wardrobes with intentionality. The result of this? Ending up with a closet full of clothes yet always feeling like you don’t have anything to wear.
A curated wardrobe is one where all or most of the pieces are strategically, and systematically chosen to work cohesively within an overall theme or goal. Think of building a curated wardrobe like decorating a living room. When decorating, you would first want to think about the theme and vision you are going for. Then you’d choose your pieces accordingly. Regardless of how “cute” the piece is, if it does not fit within the parameters set for the room, you will not purchase it. Take this same approach in building your wardrobe. Before buying a new piece, always stop to think:
- “Do I have anything to wear this with?”
- “Do I have anywhere to wear this to? Will I go there often?”
- “Do I feel comfortable enough in this piece to where I will WANT to wear it often?”
- “Does this feel true to my personality?”
If you can’t answer these questions with a yes, the item does not belong in your wardrobe. Building a curated wardrobe will end up saving you money since you’ll no longer be buying clothes that you essentially will never wear. Since the pieces in your curated wardrobe will all be functional and cohesive, it can also alleviate that daily morning stress of “not having anything to wear”.
Find Your Personal Style
How do you want to be perceived by this world?
What do you want people to say about you?
What would you like your personal brand to be?
Whether you want the world to think of you as a soft, friendly woman or a powerful and bold one, it can all be articulated through the clothes you wear.
That is the power of fashion. It is a language that introduces you and liaises on your behalf. If fashion speaks you’ll want to make sure it is saying only accurate things about you. This year, get serious about developing a personal style that is true to you.
When it comes to finding your personal style, take some time out to discover who you are and what impression you want to make. Common styles include classic, chic, sexy, minimalistic, romantic, bohemian, glamourous, preppy, and street. Find the style that fits your personality and lifestyle the best, then create mood boards with outfit inspirations. You can also follow some of your favorite fashion influencers for constant inspiration right on your feed. Check out our list of our favorite fashion influencers we think you should be following.
Need help curating your wardrobe, finding your personal style, and putting together flattering outfits? Check out our Feminine Fashion course.
Clean Out Your Closet
Never underestimate the therapeutic benefits of decluttering your closet. Take some time out in the new year to go through your closet and remove all of the clothes that no longer fit and flatter your current body. Anything you haven’t worn in the last 2-3 years can also be done away with. Lastly, remove all of the things that are damaged, faded, ripped, stained, over stretched, etc. As you remove items from your closet separate them into different piles according to which ones are for donation, resale, trash, or replacement. Ultimately, your closet should only have items that are flattering, functional, and in good condition.
Thrift More
Despite all the beauty it brings, there is an ugly side to fashion. According to the Environment Protection Agency, in New York alone, 400 million pounds of clothes are thrown in landfills each year. Moreover, It takes about 2,700 liters of water to produce one cotton shirt. These alarming facts have earned fashion the reputation of being one of the most polluting and detrimental industries to our planet.
Thrifting will save you money, but it can also help save our planet. It is the simple rule of supply and demand. If we are visiting retail stores less often, the demand for the items will decrease and manufacturers will be forced to decrease the supply.
Buy what you like from the thrift store and wear the clothes for as long as you want. Once an item no longer serves you, donate it back to the thrift store for someone else to enjoy it. Meanwhile, no water was wasted. No gas was emitted, and no landfill was filled.
There may be a lot of stigma surrounding thrifted clothes, just because something was previously owned, does not make it any less valuable. It is not uncommon to find quality and brand-name pieces while thrifting. For creative inspiration on how to style your thrift pieces check out ThriftNTell, the “Yonce” of Thrifting.
It’s important to keep your personal style and wardrobe theme in mind when thrifting. The adverse effect of thrifting can be the temptation to buy more since things are so inexpensive. Stay focused and make sure each item fits into your curated closet.
Remember Quality Over Quantity
In 2022, no more buying clothes that barely make it into the new year before ripping, fading, or getting damaged. This is not to condemn fast fashion because the reality is, not everyone has the money and capacity to completely shift into slow fashion. It may be okay to buy a cheap item if you are just looking for something to wear for a special occasion, or if you want to try a trend that you know won’t be around for long. However, if possible, do not build your entire wardrobe on cheap, low-quality clothes.
You may feel like you are saving money but in the long run, you’ll end up spending more money when you consistently have to replace that item every few months or years. If it is not an urgent purchase, wait until you are able to get one that is of higher quality, even if that means it will cost you more on the front end.
It is important to note, however, that quality and price are not always correlated. I have clothes from Forever 21 and Ross that I paid less than $20 for, last me for 5+ years. Meanwhile, there are some brand-name pieces I paid triple the amount for but could barely get a year’s worth of wear from.
Don’t just assume something is of good quality just because it is expensive. When you are picking pieces, pay attention to the quality of the fabric. For example, a shiny leather jacket is most likely cheap. A really thin, see-through cotton shirt is also probably cheap. You will also want to pay attention to the construction of the garment. Make sure there are no buttons barely hanging on a thread. Check the seams to verify a well-sewn item that won’t become undone after a couple of wears and washes.
If you’ve been wanting to spruce up or change your style, this list of 5 style resolutions you should make this year is a great place to start. All of these resolutions will require time so be patient as you work diligently to level up your style.
- 5 Style Resolutions You Should Make This Year - January 11, 2022
- 3 Money Tips Every Woman Should Follow in Her 20s and 30s - August 26, 2021
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