How to nail your personal style with just three words!

The Italian attitude to dressing

Bring back the joy in getting dressed

So many people I talk to say that they hate their wardrobes, hate their clothes, don’t enjoy getting dressed, get stressed when shopping and feel depressed when they think about what they are going to wear.

Does that sound like you?

Isn’t it a shame that something that should bring us joy, express who we are, tell others what we think and feel about ourselves, gives us such a negative, depressing and stressful experience?!

In my opinion, this is why so many people just throw on joggers and hoodies - why bother making an effort, when that effort feels so stressful and destructive to our wellbeing? Why not just put on something comfy, something we can hide behind, something that we don’t have to explain or justify, something that makes us feel safe? No one cares anyway, right?

Well, maybe there is a point in this way of thinking, but why are we treating ourselves like that? We wouldn’t allow our best friend to wallow in self pity, be second best, not take care of herself, so why do we allow ourselves to do this?

We should look forward to getting dressed every day. We should be opening our wardrobes and saying “who do I want to be today?”, “what do I want to tell the world about me?”.

I know this sounds exhausting, but it needn’t be!

The changes in seasons - i.e. from Summer to Autumn - is a perfect time to have a look at your clothes and make some changes.

Put all your summer wear away for now - don’t worry too much about sorting it out until next year, as your thoughts about items now might well change by next spring.

Get out your autumn and winter clothes and sort through them. For now, just keep it simple - whatever doesn’t give you joy, that frisson of excitement about where and when you can wear it, then store it for later, donate it or sell it.

Look at the items and decide why they do or don’t give you joy. Is it the fit? The colour? Is it how you feel when you are wearing it? Does it have bad memories attached to it? Note these feelings down on a piece of paper and see if there is a recurring theme - i.e. do you love all your long skirts, but not the short ones?

If you end up with very little left, that is ok - you don’t have to have a wardrobe stuffed with clothes to make stylish outfits. Start wearing the things you love every day, not just for best. Make a list of the items that you find are missing from your wardrobe and when you shop, shop mindfully, so you just buy what you need.

Gradually add to your wardrobe, as you start to get a sense of your own style and what feels good and what works. Buy quality, not quantity - clothes that will last for seasons to come. But always make sure that what you are buying gives you joy and makes you want to rush to wear it.

So, here is your challenge - wear what makes you smile. Fill your wardrobe with clothes that make you want to wear them. Don’t worry about pleasing others (unless you have to wear a uniform!), please yourself. Don’t worry about your body, if you feel good in something, wear it - you will be amazed at how confident you will feel.

And the final accessory - a big, beautiful, smile!

If you would like help in bringing the joy back into your wardrobe email me at info@elinorsalter.com and we can have a free chat!

You might be interested in https://www.elinorsedit.com/post/what-is-style-and-are-we-too-old-to-achieve-it-over-50-sstyle

How to put an outfit together when you are over 50

I am often asked how to put an outfit together. In some ways it is a simple process, but it is one that often flummoxes people and also causes a lot of anxiety.

I find that if you have an outfit formula, getting dressed every day becomes simple and it also translates across into the times you have a special occasion or need to wear something smarter than you normally would.

An outfit formula? I hear you cry - that sounds complicated and boring! But no, it is really very simple when you get the hang of it.

First of all you need to decide what silhouette you want - this does involve some research on your body shape, but I am a strong believer in the fact that you know what you feel good in and that is usually an indicator of what suits your shape the best.

For me I like a silhouette that is lean and minimal. I like classic shapes, but with a dramatic twist - so, my skirts are normally straight up and down, but are always maxi length - down to my ankles. Trousers again are usually a straight leg, but more often than not, I wear them at my ankle, not longer.

Once you have an idea of your silhouette, then you can start working on your formula.

So, again, for me the formulas are -

Formula 1

Ankle length trousers (pants), elbow length sleeved t-shirt or sweater/classic shirt, jacket and sling back shoes (my heels are very narrow and I find I “walk out” of standard shoes, so sling-backs work well for me.

Formula 2

Ankle length skirt, elbow length sleeved t-shirt or sweater/classic shirt, jacket and sling back shoes.

Then within the formulas I can dress them up for evening/occasion wear - maybe a satin skirt and silk blouse, or velvet trousers and a sparkly T-shirt. For a wedding, I could wear a taffeta silk skirt and jacket, with a silk t-shirt underneath.

Or I could dress the formula down with a denim maxi skirt and white t-shirt, or ankle-length jeans with a sweater and sneakers.

Do you see what I mean?

Whenever I am thinking about an outfit, I have two main “rules” (obviously made to be broken!) -

1. I always start to plan the outfit (colours, textures, “dressyness”, etc), with the shoes - always shoes. Why? Well, I have to think about what the day will look like - will I be driving a lot (never drive in your good shoes, it ruins them - always have a pair of driving shoes), will I be getting in and out out the car a lot (don’t want to keep changing shoes!), will I be walking a lot (heels all day in town can be a killer at my age!), what is the weather like, do I have meetings - you get the drift! Once I have decided on the shoe and the heel height, I can then plan the outfit around them!

1. Layering - in the UK, the weather is nothing if not temperamental! Layering is a must (hot flushes don’t help either!). But to layer successfully, you have to make sure that each layer counts - it is no good having lots of layers to strip off if the ones underneath don’t bear scrutiny! If you are boiling hot, but the strappy top you have on as your last layer is full of holes, or shows your bra, then it isn’t worth wearing as a layer - you need to feel comfortable to be seen in every layer you have on!

So, head over to Pinterest now. Make yourself an account, if you haven’t already done so, and start browsing. Put in things like “street style over 50” or “Italian style”, or maybe something like “lounge wear” or “pinstriped suit”. Make a board with all your favourite looks - whatever it happens to be. Add anything from a colour you might like, maybe it’s a chair in a certain fabric, a landscape that catches your eye, or an outfit you love. Anything at all.

When you have collated things for a few weeks, go through it again and look for anything that stands out - be it a colour you that recurs, or a silhouette that keeps cropping up and you will start to see your style emerge before you and the type of formula you can put together for yourself.

Why not head over to my Pinterest page and look at my "MY STYLE" Board to where I get my inspiration from?!

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/elinorsedit50plus/my-style/