Notes on styling | 32 | 10 Recent Things
For those in-between days when your emails can get overwhelmed with sales and you need a little focus.
Do you sometimes feel like a person of many parts? Where dressing can be a bit like a performance art, as you fit into neat little boxes both you and others see you in.
This isn’t meant as a sad thing. More just real. It happens. Your clothes tell the world a little more about you. You get to decide who that is, based both on what you see and others’ expectations.
You can be one person in one situation and feel like you are someone else, in another. Being just you and knowing exactly who that is - can actually be quite a feat. Now and again, it’s worth probing a little to see what bits (of what you wear & how you see yourself) feel like you and what bits you feel ready to put down.
It’s coming to New Year after all.
As I sat down this morning to write, I was thinking about this. It’s all sorts of nuanced and subconscious influences that impact us, our style, what we buy, who we feel we are or need to be.
Maybe, as the year comes to a close, you can join me in reflecting on this for yourself.
And the same goes for our wardrobes. I opened my emails this morning to find about 4,000 sales emails.
If you’ve been in class with me you have probably heard me talk about my long-term style philosophy - my “fewer, better” shopping philosophy. Buy nicer things/ things that have value for your style and wardrobe (that doesn’t have to mean expensive) and keep them for a long time = simplifies getting dressed. To find said nice things, it begins and ends with knowing who we really are (and want to be) just that little bit more - creating our own little style boxes, which we feel happy to fall into rather than being pushed into by others.
We want to be able to delete 99% of those sales emails - because our vision for our wardrobes comes from a deeper place, where we know what we want to add next.
It’s also being able to come back to whatever system we have for filtering the good from the bad and letting go of passing reasons for clicking buy. I use my buying slowly folder (read about it here) and come back to it in the sales to keep me grounded in where I am going with my wardrobe.
So for all of us, dealing with those pesky sales emails this week, I wanted to share 10 things from my little styling folder. I drop back here once I start getting those emails so that if anything is bought, it’s more than likely from this place of personal connection dreamt up long before the sales.
10 Recent Things from my Buying Slowly Folder
A little round up of some items over the last few weeks and months, I’ve loved enough to save, I’ve come back to think about and I can picture hanging in my wardrobe.
Some items feel safe, warm, easy - they just fit my mould. Others are fun, a little ‘wild’ for me but I can see how they will sit alongside other things. This is what styling should be - a feeling of comfort and ease living alongside things that elevate and excite.
In lots of cases, they can be things I can’t afford but live there anyway because, well, maybe someday or maybe it will go on sale or maybe I will find a great dupe to compare it too. It’s all about holding the picture there so you can imagine and focus on building what you want to build.
Hush Rylee Cord Mini Skirt £40
I am in the market for one or two new skirts for my wardrobe. I feel my style is gone past the ‘mini mini’, but everything I see is one extreme or another, mini mini or well below the knee. It’s quite tricky to find a lovely above the knee in between length that keeps a feeling of length in the leg, feels youthful ;-) and modern. I loved this little cord mini from Hush and can see myself styling with my oversized black Arket Alpaca jumper, tights and my Everlane City boots (when I can eventually wear two actual boots again!) but I do wonder if it’s still too short. Though Hush tends to be generous with fabric lengths. I’m considering and think I’ll give it a go now it’s on sale.
Lock Roll Neck Relaxed Fit Jumper All Saints £94
Love the asymmetric cut on this knit. Love the deep rich tone. For my style, I can see myself wearing this with hush mini above (another reason to buy!). Love the idea of these two deep tones together but the real picture I have in my head for this jumper is just with my white Agolde Low Slung Denim in the Spring. Going for the light/ dark opposite colour tones to merge Winter and Spring. I love the idea of lightening up winter colours in a fresh way. It gets rid of the girlie feel of the white and brings in a feeling of relaxed but cool! I would also team with my Everlane City Boots and Arket Leather Belt.
Finola Brown Tall Boots Miista £300
How dreamy are these? The two-tone colour, the exact spot on heel height, the wide calf, the fun! I saved these back in September and now they are on sale. I think because I like style to feel quite pared back, I don’t really like much print but now and again my styling antenna just goes up when I see something I can clearly just picture elevating things a little, you know? These boots for me would dress up some simple black denim, help elevate a simple black dress into something really different. And well, I just love Miista. Such a unique and quirky shoe brand. These were £500 but are now down to £300.
Large Trafalgar Shoulder Bag Jigsaw £220
Shoes and bags are the things that really elevate our style. They matter just as much as our clothes. (I will be writing about this next week!). This bag has been saved in my Buying Slowly folder for ages. It’s not on sale yet anyhow. I love the suede, the everyday size. It feels simple but still with a feeling of cool and just enough interesting detail and colour tone to make it feel special. Styling wise, it would give that contrasting colour tone and texture to my much loved mostly black, grey and denim wardrobe.
Elissa Jean in Coco Wash from B Sides Jeans £235
BSides Jeans are a brand I’ve discovered this year and I saved these denim because I love the style, the length, the colour-way. My blue denim of the year are my Albaray Dark Wash Relaxed Jeans, which I really love so I won’t buy these but wanted to share. Have a look at all their denim. I think 2024 will continue to be the year for wide leg denim.
Novesta Marathon Trail Runner Vegan £109
I’ve been keeping an eye out for a trainer for Spring that just kind of offers something different to what we have been bombarded with this year (Adidas Sambas anyone?). Knowing your own style means knowing when you see a brand that stands out to you, that you can picture with other things you own. They just feel like you. I saw these (and this brand Novesta) and I loved the simplicity. The dark brown tone is also a colour I really am digging as an alternative to black for my wardrobe (bought a wool coat from Mango in this colour this Autumn and love it). Another brand I am loving that feels fun and different for trainers is Hoff.
Ridged Huggie Earrings Daisy Jewellery £79
I’ve been a gold jewellery girl for ages but something this year has been telling me to explore my silver roots. When you explore your skin tone, you will begin to understand a lot about the types of metals that technically suit you better or I should say blend with your skin tone better. Having said that an exploration of your style will give you a more rounded picture of both - what sits well with your skin tone but more importantly what sits well with you and what you love. Silver works best with my cool/ neutral skin tone but I have gravitated towards gold for my overall style. Lately however, I’ve been feeling I want to explore silver again. (I think it’s because I am letting my grey roots come through at the moment which lightens my overall colouring). I loved these, a nice brand if a little ‘on trend’ but don’t cost too much for such an exploration.
No Eleven Navy Cashmere Coat £250 (on Brand Alley)
No Eleven is an expensive brand but they have the most beautiful quality fabrics. They have a shop in Kildare Village which is always worth dropping into. I saved this after a lovely client recently shared her love of Brand Alley and I’ve been browsing ever since (thanks Ali!). It’s great for skincare too! This navy cashmere blend coat has been sitting in my buying slowly folder for weeks so had to share. It’s down from £500 to £250 and would just be such a good wardrobe addition.
The Essential Bucket Tote in Navy Madewell £181
I have a thing for adding a little something fresh to an outfit with a great bag. I’ve two as you can see in my buying slowly folder right now. Navy for me is a great addition to an all-black outfit or to just about any neutral outfit. I hate to keep to the rules of black and navy should never be seen together. Not anymore. For my wardrobe anyhow, it feels fresh, interesting but still pared back and a little undone. You might feel different and that’s what I love - you are building your own style picture.
Zara Soft Chunky Knit Scarf with Fringing £25.99
It’s far from wool but looks so cosy! A nice January treat as long as you don’t mind the polyester. I feel like wrapping yourself in this would be just the treat we need to face the first week in January!
Zara Flower Shaped Suede Bag £59.99
I do find myself always looking at Zara for handbags for clients. You never know what you will find. Yes, the quality can be really crap but you can also find some gems for the price point. I saved this little suede bag some weeks ago and it’s still in stock. Made from 100% leather and Cotton, it’s just fun. I know I would wear in Spring and oh look, it’s that cool deep brown tone again ;-) You see how a buying slowly folder can really help to give you focus and direction.
La Redoute Needlecord Dungarees £35.75
I have to say I am not really a fan of La Redoute, not sure. I just feel it' doesn’t offer a nice wholesome shopping experience but I did save these dungarees. I am a sucker for dungarees. I have too many pairs. My favourites are from American Vintage and Levis’ but I did like these black cord version and the price point is hard to resist. Not a reason but buy but if they made it into my buying slowly folder and stayed there for a while, I feel sure they would be worn in my wardrobe.
Little Styling Questions - Next Week’s Question
I have a great question to answer, supplied by you guys after last’ week’s Substack - thank you.
I asked - What is the thing you would most like to find, know or understand when it comes to your wardrobe? I’ve had a couple of great options come in and I will be answering one for next week’s post (still deciding which one!)
Little Styling Questions is open so if you have one you would like answered, pop it over to me anytime - hi@juliecobbe.ie
Happy New Year everyone and here’s to a happy, healthy and stylish 2024. Excited to spend time with you here and share lots over the coming 12 months.
Julie x