The Concept Wardrobe guides - worth the cost?

[atgnat]

I was just wondering if anyone has bought any of the paid products from The Concept Wardrobe and found them useful? I'm looking at maybe purchasing either the outfit combos or wardrobe palette guides. I'm not quite sure which to buy, if any, and they're quite steep at £18 each. I just can't seem to think straight when it comes to putting outfits together so I'm wondering whether this will help (or maybe just complicate matters further...)

I'm starting again (again) with my wardrobe after losing weight, and I'm finding it exhausting and frustrating with huge amounts of decision fatigue. I feel especially frustrated that I've technically made a lot of headway in figuring out what works for me since I've had my colours 'done' (and I agree with them) and know my body type. It's helped a lot, but the frustration is still there because fashion still just doesn't come easily to me despite having this information. Combining colours/outfits in general is where I'm failing, I think. However, I'm wondering if these guides might just be adding to the things I need to think of when buying clothes and increasing the stress I have around decision-making...

That sort of thing seems unnecessary - to me! I think if you’d already seen something life changingingly helpful in them you’d have paid already. It does seem a shame to spend money you might otherwise spend on clothes or accessories.

Can I ask how old you are? And where and how you usually shop? And whether you spend any time browsing shops and Instagram online, even when you’re not planning to buy anything? And, finally, whether you have any interest in Art? I find one of the most confidence-inducing things one can do is to wander around a portrait gallery and observe the sheer variety of colours and shapes and ways of self presentation artists felt worthy of recording. I do worry that the more ‘guidance’ one pays for, the more one feels there must be unbreakable rules to be followed. There are no rules! It’s best to cover nakedness in public, cleanliness is always to be aimed at, and dressing for the occasion is the most anyone else can expect of you.

Getting dressed ought to be fun.

I don’t know what lifestyle you need to dress for - but could you not start with a white t shirt and a trouser suit (jacket / trousers) in a flattering neutral colour? At whatever price suits your budget. Add your choice of footwear.

Then buy a jumper or sweatshirt in a colour you like with the trousers.

Etc …

And there’s no need to buy everything at once. It’s just important that you’re constantly looking. Let your wardrobe grow organically, otherwise it all gets stressful.

You're not the first person that's told me getting dressed should be fun 😂But I think there is an element of pressure with it when it doesn't come naturally to you and when you consider dressing as a way of projecting an impression, etc.

I'm 35. I do a lot of browsing, maybe too much - to the point where it's a fixation. H&M is my go-to, New Look, M&S and Next too.

I avoid white because it looks terrible on me as a soft summer colour type (not just thinking of the rule here, I've tested it and it truly does wash me out). So I aim for more stoney hues as a white equivalent, which might suit me better but I think is harder to get right and make an outfit work.

What I kind of didn't say is that I'm aiming for minimalism, so I think I'm also getting caught up on wanting to buy the best version of things/something that will go with the most things. Which is why I find it hard to buy piecemeal - it feels like to know if something is going to work, I have to already own the other items it needs to go with to be able to test it.

I know I'm overcomplicating things and there are more important issues in the world to say the least 😂

No … Dressing is important. (But it may be you’re perceiving a difficulty that doesn’t actually, concretely exist.)

Maybe your browsing places are no longer meeting your needs? Minimalism generally means buying less but better - if that’s what you’re leaning towards then you may want to look elsewhere.

Some suggestions (in addition to & Other Stories, Uniqlo, Zara which are all great for styling even if the quality falls down):

Acne Studios
Goodhood
Margaret Howell
Raey at Matches Fashion
Studio Nicholson

These are all much more expensive than the places you’ve mentioned - but their particular approaches to colour and style are a better use of your time and might bolster your imagination. (There are plenty of less serious brands you can find for yourself!)

Did you end up buying any of the guides? I'm considering buying one myself.