New Year Style Resolutions

There’s a lot to be said about starting the new year with a clear head and even clearer style intentions. I’ve put a lot of thought into realistic changes I can make towards my wardrobe, personal style and shopping habits in 2023, and thought they might be applicable to you, too. Here goes!

• Buy the best you can afford at the time.

  We’ve all heard the mantra “buy less but better”, but I fear that sentiment comes with a lot of privilege that not everyone can attain. I’ve read the countless Substacks and essays on the price of fashion and of course, like most people, I totally get it, but I can’t sit here and promote countless big-ticket items without feeling like a bit of a fraud.

  My intention for this year is to shop with purpose and avoid the cheap-thrill panic buys we are all guilty of at certain times. Will I stop buying Zara and Mango? Probably not, but I’m hoping I buy much less of those brands because I won’t need to rely on them.

  I can’t afford The Row and Celine on the regular, so the argument around “quality over quantity” by so many fashion editors and influencers irks me senseless, to be honest. The way I am approaching the entire conscious shopping idea is by committing to the mid-tier brands that tick so many boxes in terms of style, sustainability and price-point. Ganni, Arket, Cos, Sandro, Raey, The Frankie Shop, Rixo, Staud — there are many others — make relevant fashion for this stage of my life, so I’ll be giving them more of my attention and money. Focusing on better quality garments (that means better fabrics, cuts, styles and less-trend based items) means less re-buying in the future. I’m wearing 11 year-old- Isabel Marant sandals as I type this, so it seems I’m off to a very good start!

• Have a buying plan

  This ties in nicely with the above, and definitely does not tie-in with the emotionally-driven shopping pattern I am guilty of. Feeling sad? Shop online! Feeling happy? Shop online! Feeling overwhelmed? Hey, why not shop online! You get the drift…

  I’m aiming to go through my wardrobe this month and make a list of where the gaps are, keep that list handy on my phone and refer to it every time I want to make a purchase. It’s strict, but considering I only wear approximately 10% of my existing wardrobe, it’s also very necessary. I’m happy to still make a few impulsive and feel-good purchases, but they have to be the exception and not the rule. Shopping with your head instead of your heart… look, I’ll try! Remember, the only way the “buying plan” scenario will work is if you take the time to go through your wardrobe first. Here are some handy hints on how to do that, if you’re wondering.

• Dress up, not down

  I’m not talking about ballgowns but I definitely am talking about less activewear and actually putting together outfits more often. When you work from home, have kids, and squeeze in some form of exercise most days, it’s easy to slip into a leggings rut, but I no longer want to be that person. It takes all of 15 minutes to get changed and pop on some makeup (if you like), and to be very honest, no matter how cool your activewear is, it still never looks as good as normal clothes! Lockdowns are over, let’s celebrate by actually getting dressed!

• Have fun with accessories

  I’m not a big crazy prints or clashing colour person, but I can get on board with some lighthearted accessories. I already do this in small doses with fun coloured sunglasses and jewellery, but I could definitely take things up a notch this year. Scandi influencers do this really well so look to them for inspiration if you need — there’s always a fun bag or piece of jewellery or unexpected pop of colour with their outfits and it gives a great dose of individuality to their looks. There’s no better way to prove you aren’t a slave to fashion trends than by adding a little personality to your outfit. I’m currently feeling hair accessories for summer and am already planning my sock-attack for winter.

• Work with what you’ve got

  As mentioned above, we only wear approximately 10% of our wardrobes, no matter how big or small, and I’m guessing that we all have far too much of what we really need. Along with shopping smarter, I’d love for 2023 to be the year I (we?) normalise wearing existing things in our wardrobe, either on their own or styled alongside newer pieces.

  I’m guilty of buying new pieces for holidays or events, but I really need to start shopping from my own wardrobe before making such impulse purchases. Catherine, the Princess of Wales, is a pretty good role-model for this! I don’t want to entirely blame social media for making everyone think they need so much “newness” all the time, but it definitely doesn’t help! There are a lot of “shopping haul” content videos online at the moment, but I’m hoping we flick the switch and make re-wearing the trend du jour this year.

On that note, as I’ve always said and believed in, shopping should be fun and if it makes you feel good to buy new things, then go for it. Hopefully these resolutions make us all a little more mindful without taking away the feel-good factor of wearing something you love.