Hiya sweetcheeks!
Q. What do the above three wardrobes have in common?
A. Nothing!
Isn't that fabulous?
The first one reflects a romantic femininity. The second an eclectic vibrancy. The third a casual effortlessness.
. . . . .
When a person goes through a bit of a crisis, it's typical that once they've pulled through the other end, they begin to wonder- who is this person? Who is this stranger that I lost sight of all those years ago? Emotional reactions, thoughts, language, external relationships and routine aren't the only things that need to be rediscovered once lost. The same is true of style, aesthetic, passion and excitement.
The things that make you tick, the things that you love and appreciate- they are all the things that make up who you really are. These things are the truest reflection of your own beautiful form. And yet it's easy to allow someone, or several people, to take those things away from you through maintaining detrimental relationships.
So- what does all this have to do with our wardrobes?!
Most of us tend not to really think about what we're wearing every day. We all wail loudly that we have nothing to wear, while staring emptily at a faceless mass of fabric and faux fur dangling from wire hangers. Mis-matched socks, broken jewellery, clashing patterns, things that are too big, things that are just a fraction too small. Our wardrobes have become towering terrors that mock us as we stand in our underwear every morning, attempting to dress.
... perhaps I may be overstating the facts of the matter a little. But, the truth remains- my wardrobe, and by wider association, my personal style, is currently a diabloical mess.
The other night when I couldn't sleep, I began mulling over all of this in my head. I've been feeling exceptionally frustrated lately that I can't seem to channel the vibrancy that I want to through what I wear. I consider myself to be a happy, sparkly, spontaneous type of person. I like to have fun and I'm a real girly girl! I love pink (and I refuse to apologise for that). I am obsessed with glitter and sparkly things. I love hats and fascinators and flower crowns and pretty much anything else you can wear on your head. I love to paint my nails and I love to paint a false beauty mark on my cheek. So at one thirty in the morning, I got up, sat on the floor in my pyjamas and drew this.
This brain storming tool is called a mind map. You might recognise the clouds, lines, squiggles, notes and illustrations from any group project you ever had to do in primary school. Remember those big old sheets of butcher's paper that the teacher used to hand out? Well, buck up, Junior, because mind mapping is an awesome way for you to jot down all your thoughts, make bizarre connections and understand your own thought processes to help you learn more about yourself!
This particular design is my own personal style map. All the headings surrounded by red cloud lines are the major things that I personally love about clothing, and what I have always pictured myself wearing. Let's take a look, shall we?
. . . . .
Style Icons
These are women that, in my opinion, stand out from the crowd. They are stylistic, bold, confident. I love their own interpretations of femininity, and they all bring something unique and a little bit off-beat to the table!
Marie Antionette
Katy Perry
Betsey Johnson
Lana Del Rey
Zooey Deschanel
Marilyn Monroe
(from Fan Pop)
Edie Sedgewick
Carrie Bradshaw
(from Pauper to Princess)
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Colours
These are the colours that I gravitate towards in stores. They are the colours I always notice on other people walking down the street. They are colours that reflect me and my personality!
- Bright pink/ fuschia
- Aquamarine/ turqoise
- Bright purple/ lavendar
- Mint green
- Bright yellow
- Black/ white (when striped or polka dot-ted!)
- Silver and gold
Patterns and Textures
I've always really struggled with patterns and textures. I love them but I've struggled to work with them. These are a few that I adore and that I want to learn to wear confidently!
- Leopard print
- Polka dots
- Stripes
- Cow print
- Sequins
- Glitter
- Furs (faux)
- Tulle (think TUTUS!!!)
Shapes
I'm having a girly girl blowout at the moment- crushing hard on all things pretty (including pretty mental)! I really want to make an effort to embrace my figure- while it's slowly shaping up, there's no denying I'm packing some decent curves. I'm tired of self-conciously covering myself in loose, floaty, oversized garmets. Bring on the cinch, yo!
- Full, twirly skirts
- A-line shapes
- Deep V or sweetheart necklines
- Wider straps
- Cinching with belts
- Tighter tops
Accessories
I LOVE to accessorise. See the following:
- Flowers
- Jewels
- Bows
- Statement rings
- Statement earrings
- Looooong necklaces (pearls!?)
- Flower crowns
- Hats/ fascinators
- Any other type of headwear imaginable
- Scarves
Shoes
I am a shoe freak. An addict. I just can't help myself. I love towering heels and strappy flats. There are, however, a few little additions and tweaks I need to look into:
- Flat gold glitter lace ups
- Enclosed neon yellow flats
- Anything jewel-encrusted
- Turqoise/ pink pumps
- New boots for Autumn (this will take some serious consideration!)
Face + Nails
I adore 60's inspired makeup- the dramatic eyes and amazing pale lips are so bold, and yet so indulgently lady-like it hurts. Loving the super-defined eye crease, loads of eyeliner and killer sets of false lashes!
- 'Cat eye' eyeline (big kicks)
- White liner on bottom waterline
- Full set false lashes
- Full, candy coloured lips (pinks and corals)
- Faux beauty spots!
- Shimmers
- Pink cheeks
- Fun nails (pinks, turqoise, lots of glitter)
. . . . .
What you wear is supposed to be a fun, honest expression of who you are and what you're all about. I can't wait to get stuck into shattering out my wardrobe, and to start dressing to reflect who I am. It's been far too long since I felt truly happy in my clothes- time to start making positive changes in this area, I think!
The next instalment in this series will be all about picking through my wardrobe, making connections bewteen colours and patterns, identifying existing common themes and things that I'm not vibing any more. If you want to join me, why not create your own style map? Start having a think about what you love to wear, what you don't, what you wish you owned, what you need to chuck out. Bonus points if you snap a photo of it and post it to our Facebook page!
Let's start cultivating some amazing style!
Cat eyes and pink kisses,
MJ x
