My fashion manifesto for 2017 and how to pinpoint your style

My-fashion-manifesto-for-2017-and-how-to-pinpoint-your-style // www.xloveleahx.co.uk
I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I want from this year, both personally and on the blog. Last year was a big learning curve for me. I realised I'm happiest when I'm not doing what everyone else is doing, or what's expected of me. Here is my fashion manifesto for this year.

  1. Every day glamour - I will wear luxe fabrics at any time and not save anything for 'best', or just for glamourous occasions like parties/Christmas etc.
  2. Pattern and fabric mixing - wear stripes with floral, camo print with leopard print, tartan and leopard print. Making not just harmonious pattern mixes but loud and obnoxious ones. Think things that wouldn't normally be mixed like glitter and denim, trainers and the fanciest dress I own, or iridescent fabrics with casual t shirts. Tear up the rule book, basically.
  3. Colour clashing - as above, both harmonious colour blends and jarring, ugly ones.
  4. OTT accessorising - does an outfit call for pearls? Then wear allll of them that I own at once, Marie Antoinette style.
  5. Less new/full price purchases and wear my wardrobe in new ways - stop being so trigger happy and buying things on a whim. Wear what I've already got in different ways than I usually would to create new outfits. This might be wearing a jumper over a dress to use it as a skirt, wearing a roll neck top under a party dress to make it more casual, even using a vest top as a mini skirt by tucking the straps into my knickers.
  6. More charity shop shopping/thrifting - this speaks for itself really, but I want thrifting to be my default rather than buying new when I do buy.
  7. More eBay auctions - if I do buy things on eBay they tend to be expensive 'buy it now' items rather than auction bids, which can be very cheap indeed if you're patient. I need to set some alerts and invest time in catching bargains.
  8. Layering - Layering is going to be big this season and I'm pretty rubbish at it. Simple things like wearing a shirt under a jumper, a long sleeved tee under a pinafore dress or a knotted crop top over a dress are different ways for me to layer and experiment.
  9. No crappy sale buys just because things are cheap - this speaks for itself again but I need to stop buying crap I don't need just because it's affordable. Growing up poor means I can't resist a bargain but I need to stop!
  10. Putting together a capsule wardrobe - this is something that's going to be really important for me this year as my wardrobe is missing many staples.
  11. Creating my own style rather than following fashion - fashion changes so often but style is eternal. There are some things that never go out of fashion and I need to think about developing my own individual style rather than being dictated what I *should* wear.

How to pinpoint YOUR style

1. What makes you happy? What fabrics or patterns make your heart sing? Wear more of them! 

I love faux leather, satin, lace, shiny fabrics, glitter, velvet, iridescent fabrics, polka dots, leopard print, pinstripes, stripes, camo, dark florals etc so I'm going to wear as much of them as possible this year. Squeeze as much happiness as you can into your wardrobe, whether for work or leisure. Drape yourself in the fabrics which make you happy. Make every day as happy as a little girl with a dressing up box.

2. What is your wardrobe lacking? Think more of timeless items rather than fast fashion buys. Add more of them, and look at them as investment buys worth spending more money on.

I made a list and here's what my wardrobe is missing - so many glaring omissions! I aim to add one of these to my wardrobe per month, which is doable if I cut down on ridiculous whim purchases.
  1. A good quality white shirt
  2. A classic mac
  3. A camel coat
  4. A good quality pair of tapered trousers
  5. A good quality light coloured knit, possibly embellished, in white, cream, or blush pink.
  6. A good quality Breton striped top or dress
  7. A good quality plain black handbag which will match anything
I aim to spend a lot more on these things than I normally would because if taken care of these items will last for years and they'll NEVER go out of style. Rather than looking at fashion like it's something ever-changing and hard to keep up with, I'm going to build a capsule wardrobe of items that can be worn again and again. Hopefully then the urge to buy lots of unnecessary fast fashion crap will cease.

3. Buy what you know suits you. There's no such thing as bad bodies, just the wrong clothes for them. 

Wide legged trousers made me look like my legs are about 18 inches long, so I go for tapered styles which make my legs look longer. Tops which stop at my hips really make me look boxy and bigger than I am, so cropped styles that finish a few inches below my boobs look better on me. Before I was a blogger if clothes didn't suit me I used to blame my body, but now I know there are the right clothes out there for everyone. If you find something that you look amazing in, buy it in every colour or pattern you can afford. Experimenting needn't be expensive - try numerous things on in charity shops and stores to get an idea of fit and proportions. If you don't mind trips to the post office or arranging courier pick ups, order several items at once to get a feel for what suits you in the comfort of your own home and return whatever doesn't make you feel amazing.

4. Whose style do you love? Emulate a little bit of their style. Which decade is most you? Which pop culture icons do you admire?

I love classically styled bloggers like Chloe in Curve, adventurous layer-wearers like Hanna Wears, the alt babe Margot Meanie and all her dark styling, Buttercup's Frocks for her use of colour, Danie Vanier for her amazing eclectic style and the fierce attitude of the The Advanced Style seniors. Aside from other bloggers my style inspirations are 1980s Madonna, Stevie Nicks, Betsey Johnson, and Marie Antoinette. My inspirations from popular culture are Bet Lynch from Coronation Street back in the day for her heavy use of leopard print, high hair and fierce makeup & accessories. Pat Butcher/Evans from old Eastenders for her love of loud fabrics and huge dangly earrings. Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds for her great use of colour and wild accessories. Peg Bundy from Married With Children for her massive hair, skin tight clothing and general IDGAF attitude. The Countess in American Horror Story: Hotel for her gothic style and deathly glam. My favourite style decade is the 1920s. I draw a bit of inspiration from everything mentioned.

Mood board your ideal style - buy a few fashion mags (even if they all feature straight sized models, bah humbug) and cut out the looks you like. Or create Pinterest boards of your favourites and study them. Work out what YOU like, not what the fashion industry is telling you to buy. Once you feel in control of what you buy and what you wear, happiness will follow. Make 2017 a happy year.

Thanks for reading.
Leah xoxo

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