For years I have been struggling with my style. I did not quite know myself or who I wanted to be and my style reflected that. I cringe a little when I think about certain things I wore, or when I see old photographs. I do not know what I was thinking back then.
Luckily I feel so much more comfortable with myself in the past couple of years. Especially since I turned 40 this year I feel so much better and my wardrobe reflects this. I now know what I like and what I do not like and most importantly: I know what suits me and what does not.
One of the biggest eye openers for me was having a basic colour, so mixing and matching would become so much easier. I used to wear a lot of black because I thought a) I would look slimmer and b) it went well with my blonde hair.
Now I know that grey and dark blue are much better for me, these colours are less hard and do not age me as much as the black did.
I used to combine the black with bright colours, like bright pink. So I would wear for example a pair of black trousers, a bright pink shirt and a jacket that did absolutely nothing for me.
I have now brought back my wardrobe to mostly grey and dark blue as my neutrals, with some white and black (a little), and accents of green, purple or pink. Not the bright pink I once wore, but a softer tone.
I do have one brown vest, that I combine with a lot of things and one beige sweater that also combines very nicely with a pair of dark blue jeans and a turquoise shawl.
Finally, I also know a little better what I like and how I want to present myself. I am not a fussy person, but also not very sporty.
So, I prefer a pair of dark blue or grey jeans, combined with a shirt. In colder weather I add a vest or a blazer and sometimes I use a scarf to brighten things up. Add a couple of ankle-boots and I am good to go.
Shopping has become more efficient, as I can walk by all the racks with the ‘wrong colours’. Getting dressed is much more easier, since almost everything goes together.
I am not completely there yet, but I am getting to where I want to be with my wardrobe, and I love that feeling.
