What I found when I detoxed my wardrobe

September; new season, new term, new beginnings, new me!

Whatever you want to call it, September harks the end of the Summer and for most the start of something new and fresh. This year, after 10 years all my children are at school full time and after 6 years of running Edits-Styling it feels like I’m starting something new again.

Every season brings something new and different for my business, clients I have been styling for years and have established lovely relationships with, meeting and working with new clients, also events that I get asked to present at. So far September has got off to a flying start and I have been busy from the outset which is amazing and I am truly thankful for. But all these changes in my life has got me thinking that it’s time to focus back onto myself. For years I have juggled my work with the kids, with school PTA commitments, going to the gym, and everything that comes with running a house, including having building work done. I spend most of my time looking at other people’s wardrobe’s and style, advising them on how to pull outfits together, how to style them, what to buy and where to buy it from. Whilst I practise what I preach, I wear all the colours that suit me, I detox my wardrobe as I go along each season and I only buy pieces I love and wear them constantly, but I feel like my style has been left behind.

Only a couple of months ago I turned 40, whilst it didn’t feel like a massive moment at the time, I am getting some time to process it and perhaps this is the starting to point to me feeling like I need to modify my style to suit my life for right now. I meet lots of women and men who are stuck in a rut, who do not know what to wear everyday and how to put it together. It can happen at any point in our life regardless of age, work, children and health, sometimes it’s just time to move forward.

So I am starting where I start with all my clients, with a wardrobe detox. I set myself some time to do it properly just like I do in a consultation. I asked myself the following question with every item I own -

1. Do I love this?

2. Does it make me feel good?

3. When did I last wear it?

4. Am I likely to wear it again?

5. Is this the style I want to move forward with?

My goal is to get rid of everything that doesn’t reflect my personal style or that has had it’s time (it’s too worn). I have held on to so many pieces in my wardrobe for years, pieces that I love, this doesn’t mean that they have to go, it’s about re-establishing my own style and focusing on that. I have a system of things that need to go into the bin bag, items that I am going to sell, storing pieces because they are seasonal and popping the bits I love back into my wardrobe.

It takes me nearly 3 hours, I’ve lost about 25% of my wardrobe and I’ve learnt some lessons along the way which I will focus on when shopping and buying new pieces for my style;

1. The brand I got rid of the most was Zara. So I need to be picky when it comes to buying from them - I have some pieces I have had for years but they have detailing such as embroidery and cutwork, stick to these in the future and not fast fashion cheap items.

2. I have lots of eveningwear that I love and I don’t need to buy anymore.

3. I need to be bolder with my choices, alot of the pieces I have got rid of don’t have the edge that I am looking for in my style.

4. Choose better brands, buy better and they will last longer. This is so true of my wardrobe.

5. I didn’t get rid of a single pair of shoes that is because my wardrobe covers all bases so I do not need to buy anymore.

Post detox I feel excited, invigorated and ready to start on a new styling journey using my expertise to focus on myself. I do have a sense of trying to stay sustainable with the choices that I make and the pieces that I wear on a daily basis, so a big part of me is trying to grapple with the guilt I also feel for getting rid of so much of my wardrobe. BUT I do know that many of the pieces I have had for years, I have worn and worn and worn them and it’s time to move on. Plus the money I spent on them is already spent, there is nothing left to waste, except for my wardrobe space. I also remember that just because I don’t love that item anymore, doesn’t mean that someone else won’t love it! So I am off to find new owners for all my detoxed pieces whether that be on ebay or at the local charity shop.

So now that I’ve detoxed, it is time to build my dream wardrobe…I hope you will join me on this journey too.

New season's winners at LK Bennett

LK Bennett, a British Icon, a firm favourite with Kate Middleton, good quality, expensive but classic. These are words that I would of used to describe the high street chain for the past few years. I have a number of clients who I will shop in LK Bennett with them due to their work attire or when clients have occasions such as ascot, weddings and christenings it will be on my list to look at. Until now I have never thought of them as fashion forward, classic yes, beautifully cut yes, modern sometimes…but today after a personal shopping trip with a client my head has been turned!

Their new AW19 collection had me excited at every turn and every dress. The client did buy 2 dresses from the collection and after we parted ways I had to go back and try some on myself. Here are my top picks from the new collection…

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Leopard print cotton dress, £295

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Bright green tie neck dress, £325

The same style also comes in bright red and in 2 other prints

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Navy pleated dress, £250

The same style comes in bright purple too

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This gingham shirt dress is sold out online but you can find it in stores -

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These 2 beautiful bags also caught my eye…

what i'm going to be wearing from my wardrobe in Autumn

I think it’s time to face it. Summer isn’t coming back.

While the calendar may well still say summer, one quick glimpse out of your window will tell you that meteorologically, we're far from it. But rather than dwell, I am looking forward to the new season’s styling and dressing in fresh new ways, taking the opportunity to maximise what is in my wardrobe whilst we go through the transitional period before the cold temperatures hit us.

Whilst the first drops from the high streets and designers can give us a good indication of what is going to be popular this Autumn it’s also worth looking back to previous seasons and seeing what you can continue wearing but just in a different way. The trends are full of florals, checks, leather, lots of sparkle, puffy sleeves and fancy ruffles. Looking at that list I know I own something from all of those categories so I am going to show you how I am going to style them for this coming season to inspire you to dig into your wardrobe and re-style.

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The big styling trends for AW19

SHOULDERS

I’ve always loved a big puffy shoulder, some shoulder detailing and pleating at the shoulder - it gives some height to your outfit and adds some style to your tops, jackets and dresses. This Autumn is the return of the shoulder and the high street already has a few of them online, this would be by top tip to buy now and wear all Autumn before the weather changes to having to wear knitwear.

Here is how I am styling my current wardrobe puffy shoulder items -

Here are some new items to buy now -

Puff shoulder blouse, £65, & other stories

Ruffled denim blouse, £29.99, Zara

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LEATHER / FAKE LEATHER

Top of my Autumn wish list is a leather shirt (or shacket) which I will tuck into skirts, put over dresses and wear casually with jeans. In the meantime I will be pulling out these fake leather culotte’s that are a couple of years old from ASOS and wearing them more casually rather than just for evening as that is what I have tended to do in the past.

See how I will be styling them below -

Here are some new items to buy now -

Burgundy PU shorts, £32, Topshop

Faux leather shirt, £29.99, Zara

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CHECKS

Let’s face it we all have a check shirt lurking in the back of our wardrobes which we tend to pull out every Autumn and wear it with jeans. This season will see another load of checks out there from ginghams to windowpane checks and Prince of Wales checks. I brought a fab coat from Warehouse in the Winter sale that I will no doubt be wearing alot this Autumn, and this check shirt from Zara which is years old will be styled up over dresses in the coming weeks.

Here is how I am styling my check shirt -

Here are some new items to buy now -

Check oversized shirt, £49.99, Zara

Faux Sherling collar plaid coat, £120, &other stories

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FLORALS

My Winter jumpers are currently packed away so I know that when they come out I will be wearing them over these dresses with tights and boots into the cold weather. For now I will be adding layers and high tops so I can stripe or keep warm depending on what the weather will do.

Here is how I will be styling my floral dresses -

Here are some new floral dresses to buy now -

Jenna Floral dress, £120.00, Ghost at John Lewis & Partners

Rae dress, Lily & Lionel, £220, from The Dressing Room

Best Autumn pieces on the high street right now

These past few years since I have been working as a personal stylist I have tended to shop smart rather than buy throw away fashion like I did in my younger years when working in fashion buying. It is a mantra that I talk about when speaking to new clients, re-connecting with old ones and one of my tips I try and impart to them. I know if you shop smart and, for the most part, buy the very best quality you can afford, you’ll hit repeat on those pieces for years (and years and years). That’s certainly how I dress. I wear a handful of the same things over and over, updating when I need to.

In this blog I wanted to bring the pieces to you that I have been seeing alot of whilst shopping over these past few weeks that will ensure your wardrobe has staying power. The trick is knowing what you’re looking for: timeless silhouettes, high-quality fabric and flattering cuts. When these three come together, you’ve found a keeper. I like focusing on pieces that have longevity in your wardrobe and mixing them in with the very best seasonal staples and instant transformers.

So here is my top stylish Autumn pieces on the high street right now that you’ll love wearing this winter – then next winter and the one after that too.

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1. The smart coat

I love the fabric of this Herringbone tweed coat from Jigsaw. It’s such a great fit and a great silhouette that it flatters your figure even if you are wearing a chunky knit underneath it.

Single breasted herringbone coat, Jigsaw, £280

2. The perfect parka

I am always on the look out for the perfect parka for clients that are casual in style but not too sporty or not too ‘Mumsy’ looking! This Whistles parka is the perfect khaki colour, the fake fur goes really well and the fully borg lining will keep you warm.

Megan casual Parka, Whistles, John Lewis £189.00

3. Jeans

As many of my clients know I am massive advocate for Levi jeans, they are my go to and have been a winner for all clients I have worked with for 5 years. But I have started to explore some other brands, and the American brands are the better ones for fabric, cut and fit. I especially like at the moment these Madewell high waisted jeans from John Lewis.

High waisted jeans, Madewell, John Lewis £128.00

4. Trousers

For months now trousers are top of the list when it comes to shopping for myself and for clients. Everyone is steering away from everyday jeans and wanting to wear smarter, more comfortable trousers with trainers. I have found the best pairs to be from Me & Em, whether its smart joggers, wide leg trousers or some everyday trousers you can’t go wrong with the fit and quality of this brand.

Grosgrain stripe trousers, ME & EM, £129.00

5. The cable knit

I love it when it gets really cold and you need to wear your chunkiest piece of knitwear to stay warm. But you shouldn’t have to compromise on style when in knitwear and choosing something with a cable running through it ensures it looks more stylish and gives your knitwear personality. &other stories have a great selection of cable knits right now, my favourite has to be this polo neck one.

Oversized cable knit polo, &other stories, £79

6. The cashmere jumper

More and more we are looking for quality over quanity when we are buying items, yes we might need to spend slightly more money on something with better quality but it will last us longer. I am currently loving Boden’s cashmere jumper offering, this stripe one has got some great colours in it for brightening up your wardrobe.

Cashmere stripe crewneck, Boden, £130.00

7. The maxi dress

The maxi and midi dress were a favourite of mine this Summer and I have continued to wear some so far this Autumn, layered with blazers, my leather jacket and tights. But I have found the perfect dress from Baukjen which is currently on my wishlist!

Luna star print maxi dress, Baukjen, £189.00

8. The knitted dress

This piece is always very hard to find every season, so comfortable but can end up being very unflattering if not the right shape and style for your figure so tread carefully. I think this grey midi dress from Kin at John Lewis will never go out of style, but ensure you size right.

Contrast colour knitted dress, Kin, John Lewis, £79.00

9. Boots

I featured these boots on my Autumn ‘lust-after’ blog post back in September and they are still my favourite boots I have seen out there at the moment. I love the casual but formal feel of them, biker boots but can be worn dressed up too. These Kurt Geiger boots come in 3 colourways too.

Snail leather biker boots, Kurt Geiger, £169.00

10. The ultimate bag

You can never have too many bags in your life, as we navigate our daily lives we need large shoppers, cross body bags for hands free life, bags big enough for laptops, evening clutches…the list goes on. BUT there is an ultimate large shopper out there in Leopard print from Day Birger et Mikkelsen that is irresistible and needs to be added to your wardrobe pronto!

Leopard print shopper, Day Birger et Mikkelsen, £190.00

If you need help with your Autumn wardrobe, please contact me on email nina@edits-styling.com and we can discuss your needs, wants and how we can ensure your style has longevity.