Notes on Styling | 43 | Little Styling Things.

Conversations with clients this week & the power of little things when it comes to our clothes.

Hello my lovelies,

I love the conversations I have with my clients.

Don’t you find in life that it’s the little things that can amount the biggest shift in how something feels?

A lovely conversation I had this week was one of those.

We were looking at the 5 Elements, which I use to understand what’s really impacted your style choices to date and more importantly, what your most natural instincts can tell you, to help create the types of clothes and style that will light you up.

**I should caveat this by sharing that I do share my own personal style experiences in my coaching. Some coaching would not do this, but I’ve always felt Style Design and what I am creating is coaching by default. Through the lovely process of styling and personal exploration, coaching is achieved.

Back to this conversation. I was sharing my elements - Wood and Metal predominantly. I was explaining that for me, my challenge is getting myself to not go out in tracksuit pants and my dog walking shoes every day. I live in Devon, where life is slow and not all that dressy and this just serves to feed my Wood energy, which isn’t overly bothered by looking good every day. My most natural instincts are fine with looking mediocre and knowing I have the comfort I need and want to get on with the 100 things I want to do that day.

Wood is driven by their ability to be busy.

It’s my Metal, that other part of me, that knows I also love to feel stylish and that a great outfit for me feels relaxed and uncomplicated yes (Wood), but also refined, which is very much a Metal feeling. Without both, I realise I don’t feel my best.

I used to think of my wardrobe in two separate parts. The messy doesn’t care so much side with old tracksuits and mismatched socks. Then, when I’m seeing friends or working or out for dinner I used to go ALL OUT. 0% or 100%. And it didn’t feel good. Neither made me completely feel like myself.

These two very separate parts of my personality did not merge in my clothes whatsoever. Until I started this deeper work with my Elements and slowly over time, (still in process) began to understand how to think about my style as ONE THING - where these two drivers can be satisfied in one outfit.

I think at first my lovely client was aghast. Didn’t quite know what to make of this. She smiled. I had just admitted this and I was teaching others. But then I could see this conversation just melt into my client as she told me she felt validated for her internal wardrobe divisions.

The thing is, we probably all do this in our own ways. We see our wardrobes in more than one part and usually, there is a part that we see as the ‘lesser’ part. The part we think is bad. Not stylish. The one to beat ourselves up about.

The learning in our conversation is that no part of our style is lesser - because we always have our reasons. We all have days where there are crap outfits and we don’t care much about what we look like (whether you have wood as a dominant element or not). That’s life. But there’s also a way to understand ourselves so that we are merging more of ourselves into the clothes we buy and outfits we create. It is possible to make our wardrobe a space that houses one beautiful and fully embraced personality (and style) in all its glory. It just takes a little understanding.

My favourite clothes now are items that feed my wood - comfy, and practical (so still a lot of loungewear!) but also feel a little elevated and refined.

A NEUTRAL COORDINATE LOUNGEWEAR SET + DRESSY WOOL COAT + SMART TRAINERS.

OR

COMFY DENIMS + STRIPE TEE SHIRT OR NICE KNIT IN A NEUTRAL TONE + LOAFER OR TRAINER + SMART COAT.

Conversations are just the best. When there is that time to really just go there.

They lead to seeing how the big reveals we expect on a journey like this, exciting outfits, that although they are very special, more joy and connection can come from the littlest of things understood more deeply.

Speaking of little things, this week I thought it was time I bought some new socks. Yes, in the spirit of my Wood having too many crappy old odd socks, one thing I need is some nice neutral tones that work for Spring with my loafers and trainers.

Proof of the power of little things - and a conscious effort by me to move away from the crappy H&M Multipacks to something that helps elevate my day-to-day outfits just that little bit more. After a browse on Calzedonia, here’s what I bought and can confirm, love..

Here’s what I bought: Diamond Pattern Ankle Socks; Cotton Bandless Short Socks (36-38) in Marrone Nocciola, Black, Blue & Naturale Vaniglia (!); Ribbed Short Socks and Non-Elastic Cotton ankle Socks in Naturale Tortora.

Trying out different Combos with my Spring Loafers and Ballet Flats.

Love the quality. Just enough thickness to keep you cosy and not too much that they feel bulky!

Reach out in the comments if you have any thoughts to share. Would love to hear from you. If you enjoyed this post and would like to support my writing and my work on Style Design, please do share with friends who might like it too.

Thanks so much.

Julie x