Do you have a set style?

[DreamloverTealover]

If so would you mind sharing?

For years I've been quite a follower. So feel a bit lost and my wardrobe has different style combinations meaning I get really confused when I'm going out with friends, date or events (which isn't often, but that seems to make it even harder to decide what to wear!)

I've went through a phase of loving vintage repro brands so got lovely swing trousers but I've bought them in different colours - black, red, navy, green. And I've paired them with 40s/50s tops or blouses.

I've then got a batch of cigarette / Tapered trousers Audrey Hepburn style, in black , navy and teal (!) I wear to work mainly with a blouse but think I'd like to wear when out but then I stress about what top and don't end up wearing them.

Then I've got different styles of jeans I like - slim, skinny, wide, black, blue, navy 😂

I have several Jumpsuits and dresses and they are easier to wear as don't need to pair with anything but again I end up undecided about what outfit in general I want to wear for going out!

Is anyone else like this? I knew a lady at work years ago I'd see weekly and I never saw her in the same outfit twice and she always looked put together and stylish. But for me it's just stressing me out and I feel I need to get myself a smaller wardrobe.

So yeah, please share your styles or go to outfits for anything really but I particular for going out with friends - drinks, meal etc.

I’m beginning to wear a kind of uniform formula for every day - trousers, top, jacket. The top and jacket could be a tee with an overshirt, it’s about wearing two layers.
I have a set colour palette and I don’t wear prints.
clothes tend to have specific styles that suits my body shape so no high necklines,and only single breasted blazers and coats. No stripes.
silver or white gold jewellery
im slowly introducing an edge to my style too
pits getting much easier to grab something from my wardrobe as it’s all starting to work together.

in summer I tend to wear linen tops and trousers and dresses.

No I don't think I do have a style. I certainly go through phases of really liking a particular look and sometimes I might even stick to it for a few years, but then it either evolves naturally or I get bored and make a conscious decision to move on. (It's why I tend to hang on to my clothes after I've stopped wearing them provided they still fit.)

So for example, I have jeans in different styles just like you do, op. Same with jackets - I've been really into the oversize look but recently I've noticed myself scaling back to something more fitted, and it's all without having to go and buy a whole load of new stuff.

Provided you have enough storage space, I'm struggling to understand why it should make you anxious?

Edited to add, I've just noticed you were asking mainly for ideas from people who do have a set style so sorry if that wasn't helpful. But I do think there's this great expectation that we should all 'find our style' and I think it's worth questioning why.

It sounds to me that you do have a style and it's fabulous! I'm a fellow lover of vintage looks and I'm envious of your collection. Your wardrobe sounds interesting and I don't know why you'd want to change it.

The only advice I'd give you is to arrange your wardrobe into outfits for different occasions. So have a work section with 10 outfits ready to go. Then put together some outfits for social occasions. The criteria should be that when you look in the mirror, you like what you see. It doesn't matter if they are different styles, that's what makes you interesting! Once a month you could rearrange your outfits to ring the changes.

As for the not knowing which tops to wear, maybe you don't have enough? When you've finished putting together a collection of outfits, what are you left with? If you have trousers that don't have any suitable tops then do you love them enough to buy new tops for them? If not, consign to the charity shop but if you want to keep them, have a browse on Vinted.

I wish I could come round to your house and help you (not that you need it) because it's one of my favourite things to do with friends and their wardrobes.

I’m another who doesn’t have a particular defined style!

The most helpful thing I can say is that you seem to have too many clothes. I would be flummoxed and frustrated (and probably badly dressed) if I had so many things to choose from (let alone trying to fashion every outfit into a ‘style’. 😮

I buy clothes I fall in love with and think will work with my wardrobe and life. What I’ve found is that the nicer the individual items, the more easily they work with other things. Often I’m surprised by random compliments on my ‘outfit’ when actually I’d dressed in a hurry with no clear plan beyond covering nakedness and looking vaguely appropriate for the day.

So - you’re maybe overcomplicating things. Try picking out ten days’ clothing and ignoring the rest.

Can I suggest a wardrobe app? It takes a bit of time to organise but I find it really helpful for putting outfits together from the clothes I have.
helps me spot what’s missing.
I agree that the vintage style tops and pants sound great!

This is along the lines of what I'm thinking about. I'm just in a point of my life I don't have time or brain space to think of outfits or worry about what looks good together.

Your uniform sounds lovely!

No I think your reply is particularly helpful! I guess I feel like my wardrobe reflects my current all over the place mental state hence the anxiety of not knowing what to wear. Like trying to have a control on something? I know that probably sounds mad.

I have a style that I have stuck to for years...leather and lace.
It works in the evening, because it can be dressed up very well, but more so in the day, leather jacket, lacy tops or blouses, and anything from leggings to jeans to skirts...and lots of black.

My husband calls it my rock chic look, which is funny, because I am very old.

Thank you! I follow some vintage style ladies on Instagram but I don't usually wear the full on style as I'm quite a shy person and don't want to be too different. So wearing wide leg 40s trousers and a top usually fits the bill. What kind of vintage clothes do you like?

Like the idea of sorting out clothes into outfits. Maybe if I do that when I've got some free time it'll help my foggy brain. I don't feel like I've got enough "normal / modern" tops for going out.

I'd love someone like you to come round and help me 😂

Yes I am definitely overcomplicating things which I normally do with all aspects of my life z😂 as I said in another post I think this is all reflective of how I'm feeling overwhelmed in life in general!

I read on here to try arranging my wardrobe by colour and I have to say it's been really helpful. I can always find my clothes now even though I have loads. I also tend to dress tonally

Sorry about that. For what it’s worth I think your wardrobe sounds great.

"What kind of vintage clothes do you like?"

I particularly like styles that resemble:
Edwardian and 1940s/50s fitted jackets;
1920s/30s/40s shoes (I'm obsessed with these )
Late 1940s/50s dresses.

I also like:
embroidered and decorated jackets from Asia;
good quality silk velvet;
floaty scarves.

My jeans/trousers are all straight and slim fit (not skinny) because I like that style and they suit me. They also look good with any style of top/jacket so I usually mix and match vintage with modern eg navy jeans with 1940s style heeled shoes, a plain v neck t-shirt, a 40s style fitted jacket in teal or peacock blue and a floaty, floral scarf.

Labels I buy include vintage Monsoon, East and Joe Browns.

I think my style is fluid. There are things I particularly like time and time again, but other things change. I also wear quite a bit of vintage/secondhand but mix it up with more current/modern pieces. I wear lots of different styles of trousers, too. I used to be quite indie/gothy when I was younger, so I sometimes have an undercurrent of that eg silver jewellery, printed tees etc.

The best way, imo, to find your own style, is to wear clothes you feel comfortable and confident in. Experiment with jewellery, shoes and bags, wear colours that suit your complexion, and if you have a hang-up about a certain part of your body, disguise it.
If you admire someone's style, adapt it to suit you, but don't copy...what looks good on them probably won't on you, and vice versa.
Once you are ready for the day, be confident, stride out, and add a smile...that always makes any outfit look better.