Help me find clothes to feel more like myself

[Gettingdressed]

NC for this but longtime poster

Im in desperate need of a whole new wardrobe! I mean EVERYTHING! ideally I’d like to get rid of almost everything and start from scratch. I don’t feel like I have anything I really love anymore. I’ve saved up 2k for this.

I’ve recently changed careers - swapped an office job for my passion selling antiques! My DS has grown up a little more so need less practical clothing than I did a few years ago.

I’d like my new wardrobe to reflect who I am now, it would be small, just a few quality outfits. This is my question to the style gurus on mumsnet - give me options! What would a modern antiques seller wear? I am early 30s quite slim, look best in cool muted colours - I can also pull off a jewel tone. I look drab in neutrals.

when working in the office I wore a lot of smart casual jeans and blouses combos - but bored of that now. When my DS was small I wore a lot of toast, feel like I’m a little over that aesthetic.

looking forward to some help/ suggestions

I suspect your clothes will need to be practical to some extent, presumably you’ll be travelling a bit to get stock and shifting things around within the place youre selling from. Will you be inside a shop, or a bigger hall/ warehouse, or outside or online? Will you need waterproof and warm, or just elegant but practical enough to move around in? On your feet all day or sedentary?
I’d probably work from the feet to outer wear then work out what to put underneath. So a decent coat, some kind of jacket or blazer,and take inspiration from that. Maybe like a patterned velvet jacket from One Hundred Stars, or a dark leopard print jacket from Sezane. Then you work out what basics to go with them, black cashmere jumper and cigarette pants, or a jumper in a paler muted colour with lighter coloured trousers or jeans. Comfortable boots, DMs or something more elegant if that’s what you like, with fur lining if you’re outside a lot. But without knowing the practicalities of your new lifestyle, it’s hard to suggest anything specific.

Washable blazer rather than has to be dry cleaned. You might get dirty sourcing those rare items!

I imagine there are as many ways of dressing as an antiques dealer as there are people engaged in this occupation. Isn’t style better when it’s personal and organic rather than imposed according to an artificially created list?

I guess, if you’re anticipating days filled with cosy flirtatious chats with tweedy divorced dads in your bijou shop in Bruton you might look at:

Batsheva

or

Horror Vacui

If, on the other hand, you’ll be flying around the world to do deals with hard nosed business people, a wardrobe from:

Studio Nicholson

might work better.

Hmm … If it were me, maybe I’d want to lean in to a crunchy, ‘authentic’ We found this in the abandoned barn on the other side of the woods - hasn’t been touched for five hundred years; Sotheby’s are saying maybe three million … thing:

https://www.carriercompany.co.uk/

or

Cawley Studio

or

Toogood

Whatever you choose, you may need sturdy boots!