Hey gals! This is Jessi from Naptime Diaries and I’m popping in over here to talk about some freedom I’ve found in my wardrobe. Being friends with Hayley and picking up tips from her over the past year and a half has seriously helped me get to a good no-brainer place regarding my closet. The new freedom I’ve found has a lot to do with the fact that I’ve realized my boundaries and recognized that in general, I’m pretty particular when it comes to my clothes.
For a long time, I felt like the key to having a fun wardrobe was trying lots of new things and being open to trends that were important for the season. I would try all the things to help my wardrobe stay semi-up-to-date until I finally owned the fact: I’m incredibly particular about my clothes. I don’t THINK I’m a fussy girl, but my four babies later body just can’t slip on anything and go. I have a pretty strong sense of what works for my strengths and weaknesses and this means that a lot of styles are off limits to me.
A few examples:
I need shirts to not hit too high on my neckline because I have a super short torso and when I’m covered up to my neck, I look super short and stumpy. This means peter pan collars and most scarves are out for me.
I really like bohemian styles, but I need structure on bottom so flowy pants or palazzo pants are all out.
Rather than get super bummed about my style limitations, I get excited about the freedom that these little bits of structure bring to my wardrobe. I can go crazy on bohemian and edgy shirts, because I know my pants are always going to be pretty standard. I can get really funky with rings and bracelets because my necklaces and scarves are never going to overpower them.
I also find that using a styling service like StitchFix REALLY helps when you have limitations. As long as you’re super clear about your likes, dislikes, and extreme particularities – it’s like you’re narrowing down the whole parts of shopping that you don’t have to look at. I can tell my stitchfix stylist – nothing high on the neck, structured on the bottom, loose up top, colors here, neutrals there, and let her do the hard work of filtering it all out. This is a huge benefit to me.
So – main point: embrace your limitations in your wardrobe. Don’t spend another minute sulking over the fact that maxi dresses don’t work for you or that high-waisted pants are so on trend and so not right for your legs. Head straight to the things that do work for you, wear them out, and get funky in the places you can find freedom.
And if you need a little help seeing outside your limitations (or you just want a fun afternoon), give Stitchfix a try and let someone else work around your wardrobe limitations! You might be super blessed by what they send and at the least, you’ll have fun mixing up your style and seeing what a professional would suggest you add to your wardrobe!