Wardrobe Renewal

After buying a new winter coat this week, I have to admit to feeling a little guilty (only a little) and to make me feel better I decided to look back through my blog posts to try to figure out when I bought my previous winter coat.

It brought me to a post I'd written about creating a capsule wardrobe. That's the beauty of blogging isn't it? You can usually find many of your past purchases somewhere on your blog. In this instance, it told me that I'd bought my last smart coat in winter 2014/5. Okay, three years isn't a great deal of time to keep a coat, but one that isn't particularly high quality or expensive, can be looking worse for wear after three years, so I felt a little better once I'd realised how long I'd had it.

Re-reading the post, I realised that many of the other items in it were no longer in my wardrobe.  The tan brogue shoes were recently donated, as they were so uncomfortable, (big frugal fail) the biker boots have now been relegated to dog walking, along with another pair of ankle boots I bought around the same time or maybe even later and that were hardly ever off my feet, so it seems that this year is a year of renewing my wardrobe, which I guess we all have to do from time to time. The fact that it coincides with me working again and earning money is, of course, relevant too.

This also got me to thinking about whether my style has changed over the last few years.  I don't think it has much, I'm still wearing black jeans and t-shirts, with a jumper and scarf added in the colder months. I'm beginning to feel a little tired of my style though and now I'm working and getting out and about in the world more, that I'd like to up my game a little, make a few changes and a bit more effort.

I bought a new skirt from the CS last week. It's from the brand Long Tall Sally, and although I'm not tall, I like the length and fit on me and I like the design. It's quite flattering too. I think it cost £9, which isn't too bad. I haven't worn it yet, as I tend to go part of the way to work on my bike, which would be impossible wearing this, so I'll have to save it for a day when I take the car to the bus stop (usually a rainy day!) I sometimes wonder if the way you dress at work affects how people regard you.  It would make an interesting experiment, especially in light of recent events. (See yesterday's post)

Anyway, I think I'm going to take a slightly different approach to dressing for work in the lead up to Christmas.  My previous formal winter coat is going to be my go to coat for going to work and yes, I think I might start wearing skirts again or  the pair of navy Primark culottes that I also bought from our shop recently, especially on days when I do need to ride my bike part of the way.

One thing I definitely am not, is a person who wears blouses. I've tried to find one's I like, but I feel like they just do not suit me at all. It's a pity, as there's some pretty ones out there, but every time I try them on I either don't like the material or the look of them on me. I'm thinking of starting to shop at stores like Cos to get garments that are quite simple, but well structured, in the hope that I can find things that look okay on me. Does anyone have any ideas or tips? All will be gratefully received.