Dressing for the life you have, not the life you want!

[naichick]

I’ve been thinking about the above recently and how I can still feel ‘put together’ but actually mainly be in warm clothes that are fairly practical. I live fairly rurally and wear a uniform for work, I’m mid 30s, tallish and a slim pear shape.

I’m gradually sorting through my wardrobe and getting rid of the aspirational purchases on vinted, as they were giving me the feeling of having lots of clothes when in reality silk blouses and floaty skirts don’t work for the reality of my life!

I buy the vast majority of things secondhand or from ethically conscious brands, usually in natural fabrics.

Can anyone identify with this? And recommend any brands or influencers/blogs(are they still a thing?!) that could possibly fit the bill?

I don't have much advice but following as I am in a similar position! I'm also in my 30s and a slim pear, live rurally and mostly WFH with only a handful of days in the office per month.

I've recently been trying to think more about cost per wear when buying clothes. I always used to feel wrong about spending lots of money on jeans and jumpers. But actually, they're the items in my wardrobe which get most use. It makes far more sense to splurge on them than on a nice occasion dress which will only get worn 1-2 times per year.

A different age group but this blog mentions exactly that phrase - dress for the life you have

www.midlifechic.com/autumn-wardrobe-planning-a-new-start-for-a-new-way-of-life/

For me it's about coats. I am pretty much a goth, and I would love (and have tried) to live in leather jackets and long wool military style coats. However, I live in Cumbria and it's just too wet and cold for those. So I got rid and now I have a collection of black waterproof jackets . On the plus side, all of my giant boots work quite well in the rainy climes here.

I have been doing the same, had a whole wardrobe full of stuff that I might wear one day for a special occasion or a job that I will never have. I have spent 2 weeks selling in vinted and buying a few bits too.

I live rurally, I walk a lot, I spend a lot of time outdoors, I eat out occasionally, meet friends for coffee but mainly I do outdoor activities so I don’t need high heels, fancy dresses and skirts.

I mainly live in dungarees, skinny jeans, leggings (for the gym) and harem tripe trousers. Shoes…mainly walking boots and trainers.

I'm rebuilding and starting with outerwear- the right coats, boots, bag, also jewelery and lipstick, then jeans and trousers, something smart that suits my lifestyle (an occasion dress as I sometimes have to go to work events), then skirts as I find these especially hard then jumpers blouses and shirts, then the tops. I seem to have lots of tops so don't struggle with these. Coordinating colours is the bit that makes me feel most put together. I'm going for a few different neutrals.

@VanCleefArpels lots of nice ideas on there, particularly keen on a corduroy dress, I did have one from warehouse but I wore it out and didn't replace it. They are so good for layering up.

I've got coats pretty much covered I think, I've got two nice long wool ones in burnt orange and a grey and then a Patagonia puffa, a huge old Henry Lloyd number that is for really freezing weather. A rains jacket, a sea salt yellow raincoat (might get rid its always been an odd fit for me) a barbour in olive, a suede mushroom leather biker that I can never match anything up to properly and a borg levis denim jacket that I decided this weekend makes me look bulky (that may be put on vinted too!) I guess the problem is that Jackets/coats make a huge difference to an outfit but they are quite an expensive purchase so its so disappointing to get it wrong!

I think my money should maybe go on jumpers and well fitting trousers. I like high waisted as I am quite long of bod so it helps divide me up better. I'm trying to be strict even with charity shopping and vented as sometimes there that temptation to get stuff that's not quite right but it fun or a bargain?

@yellowgingham I think you're right but I guess these things don't seem as exciting!

Things I have learned:

Spend money on good quality plain t shirts (Jigsaw and Arket for me) - good under a blazer for work, layered under a jumper or worn casually aloneg

Spend money on coats and boots, as we spend so much time in them in the UK

Dresses are easier than tops and skirts - I aim to buy ones I can wear with a jacket for work or a denim or biker jacket for play

Don't need too many summer clothes - it's rarely as hot as we think it might be. Denim shorts, floaty white cotton tops and a few cotton dresses mostly enough for me.

Don't spend loads on occasion outfits or buy too many.

I thin our summers are changing. I don't know about anyone else but here in the north it has been consistently hot for nearly 8 months, with barely any cloud or rain at all. I havent worn anything with even a small sleeve from late march to last week.
I dearly love the colder months so feel a bit confused.
I wonder whether our regular attitude to summertime will change in the future. For me, at least, the past two winter's were shorter than the summers.
It's weird!

Here in the SE the summer was a completely wash out! I spent most of it in jeans and never got too hot... Hardly wore a summer dress and shorts only came out a handful of times.

I've culled a lot of my workwear post pandemic. I used to enjoy dressing smart for the office, but even though I'm back in 3 days a week, just don't see the point any more! No one else is smart either. And with the windows open for covid safe ventilation, it is freeeezing in there so warmth and comfort win out.