It has been more than 3 months since I adopted a new approach to personal style, one premised on the notion of style avatars or personas with well-defined aesthetic profiles. My chosen avatars – the Prince, the Adventurer, the Artist, and the Bohemian — have helped me to curate my existing wardrobe and have guided my shopping decisions in recent months, with the result that I feel much more comfortable with both the contents of my closet and my daily outfits. There are still occasions when I find myself stepping outside the boundaries of my style Venn diagram (there is quite a lot of overlap between my avatars), with predictable results — I end up feeling like I’m wearing another person’s outfit — but I am trying to be patient with myself. I am so used to wearing clothes in certain ways that it’s not always easy to re-imagine them in new ways better suited to my new aesthetic. Some trial and error is to be expected.
As I stopped doing monthly outfit recaps a while ago, I thought it would be interesting to revisit that concept now and see if the progress I feel I’ve made is actually reflected in my outfits. Below, I’ve compiled my work outfits for the month of July (less a couple of Fridays because of they wouldn’t fit in this format):
What pleases me the most is the cohesiveness of these looks. I used to feel that my outfits in the past were “all over the map”, so to speak; I never truly knew why, but that always bugged me. I think it has to do with what clothes mean to me. Style is an expression of the individual, a reflection of who they are (or want to be). Looking at collages of my old outfits left me feeling like I was someone who didn’t really know who she was. I was wearing things I thought I should – because the clothes were nice, or they looked flattering, etc. But there was no clear intention to it all.
These looks are much less likely to be crowd pleasers, I do know that; but they very much reflect the person I feel I have become. They are quirky and eclectic and a maybe little bit flamboyant, but in an understated kind of way (if “understated flamboyance” is not an oxymoron). They are not trendy, except perhaps by accident. They are pieced together from thrifted finds, because I am a woman who loves finding beautiful things in the rubbish heap. There is some broader life metaphor in there, somewhere.
What surprised me the most is all the brown. I don’t think of myself as someone who loves earthy colours, but there is an undeniable theme happening in these photos. I don’t mind. I have been increasingly drawn to muted colours, from one end of the colour spectrum to the other, because I find them soothing and peaceful. I do still like throwing in a wrench of a bright colour every now and then, though … just to keep things interesting.
I love your new vibe! Your outfits are and gorgeous and comfy and stylish looking. Love that you’re blogging again and omg the living room looks AMAZING!
Thank you so much! I’m not sure which pleases me more – when someone compliments my clothes or my house. Probably the latter, to be honest 😉
I love looking at your outfits together like this. It is interesting to see the cohesion of style, with a bit of eccentric thrown in on top. Like a lookbook for a cool brand.
Also, I’m going to need you to use the phrase “I am a woman who loves finding beautiful things in the rubbish heap” in your next embroidery project…
Aww, this is one of the best comments/compliments I’ve ever received Thank you ❤️
I’m not sure if I can embroidery such a long sentence (my lettering is still s**t) but I might just have to formally adopt it as my personal motto 😉
I second this. Loved that sentence and it would be awesome embroidered. My family would describe me that way, too lol
You’re the one who got me hooked onto culottes when I have sworn for years I would not like them….
I’ve enjoyed seeing the avatars come together even though it means I’m no longer interested in your outfits for myself as your style has changed. I’m inspired by the confidence and knowing-yourself-ness, and there’s something very cool about seeing the whole, while at the same time I don’t personally like the pieces, outfits, or styles. (The only things I would wear in this collage are the dress and shoes in #4, and even then I wouldn’t want the necklace or bag.)
I see that I’m struggling to express this without it seeming like a back-handed compliment. I guess I mean, I’m glad you’re not playing to please the crowd!
I understand where you’re coming from. I do sometimes feel some internal pressure to go for outfits that I know would be more popular with readers who started following me years ago. But that also feels disingenuous.
I don’t think it’s been long enough for me to connect with people who would be more interested in this aesthetic, but at the same time, I also don’t want to lose the existing community here. It’s a bit of a tough spot from a blogging perspective, but ultimately I have to dress in a way that feels comfortable to me. Hopefully, the majority of people who read BCRL can still find something of interest …
I’ve been following your blog intermittently for a few years and I’m honestly in awe of how your style has evolved. You have always had good taste in clothes, but as you noted, “nice clothes” alone is too broad a category to be the base of a truly personal style. Now I think you’ve really nailed it: this is not just cohesive, but also beautiful, unique, and also flattering (IMO at least) to your individual physical features. I’d love to get to this point with my own style someday.
PS For what it’s worth, I think the second look from top left (white shirt and grey floral sweater), while flawless, sticks out as a tiny bit too twee as compared to the rest, but I might be biased due to my aversion to florals.
Thank you! It’s been an interesting evolution, for sure. I’m still learning how to express this aesthetic, and sometimes it’s more frustrating than even when I started. Like, I felt like I mostly nailed it in July, but August was hit and miss. I have been on autopilot a bit with my outfits lately, because life got busy, so there’s that. Fresh start in September! May have to bring back these recaps to keep myself in line 😂
Your new style meshes better with my taste, but I think you always look(ed) put together so I enjoyed seeing your outfits before as well.
Thanks, Vicky!