Today, I’d share how I helped S, a 40-year old C-Suite working mummy, break free from buying the same item in different colours.
When showing me pictures of her outfits, she said:
“I have this blouse in white and teal. I also have this pair of jeans in light blue, dark blue and black. This pair of shoes, I have them in grey and camel.”
She then added:
“I tend to buy the same item in different colours when I find that it works. I’m kind of stuck in this uniform because it’s safe. But… it’s boring and I don’t feel great.”
She is not alone. Many time-starved working mummies tend to do this. It goes something like this:
You walk into a store and happen to find a chic looking top.
Because it’s so hard to come across a great piece, you get it.
Then you go home and try it on, and fell in love… hard.
So… a few days later, you go back to the store, and get it in two other colours. You now have THREE of the same top in different colours.
But, fast forward to the end of the month, you find yourself standing in front of your full wardrobe. And you feel the familiar frustration creeping in again:
“Why do I have nothing to wear, again?”
Well, this was the cycle that I helped S break out of.
What I did was help her master these 3 hacks.
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1. Same colours, different silhouette
It feels safe to pick one blouse that works and buy it in multiple colours. However, when worn in the same silhouette over and over again, that familiar feeling of boredom starts creeping in.
See picture below (images from Pinterest) – the same v-neck chiffon blouse paired with black high-waisted pants. It gets boring very quickly.
Instead of repeating this silhouette, repeat the colour combi. Say if you love wearing a well-cut cream blouse with a pair of black bottoms, stick to the colour combi but change the silhouette.
Example:
Outfit 1: fitted cream blouse + tailored black bottoms
Outfit 2: fitted cream blouse + flared black skirt
You’d get an instant fresh new look with simply switching the bottom silhouette.
Let’s try repeating this colour combi by switching the fitted cream top with a more voluminous one.
Outfit 3: voluminous cream top + flared black skirt
Voila! You’ve built another outfit in your inventory.
See picture below (images from Pinterest) – rather than repeat a silhouette in different colours, repeating the colour combi in different silhouettes is way more interesting.
One final word as you test drive this simple hack: swap only one clothing item each time you repeat the colour combi.
2. Same colours, different textures
I must qualify that keeping to your favourite colour combi all the time is not foolproof. Sometimes, when I take a look at my outfit diary (I will explain the idea of an outfit diary in a later post), I find a certain “flatness” to some of my outfits.
The reason?
It’s because they are in the same colours AND silhouette AND texture.
But….. I just love my grey + blue jeans/black pants outfits too much!
What do I do then?
Add interest back to my outfits by playing around with textures.
Each time you repeat the same colour + silhouette combi, swap one clothing item with a different texture. In my outfit collage below, I demonstrate how I elevated by mom uniform by playing with textures.
Outfit 1: a soft cotton grey t-shirt + dark wash heavy looking jeans
Outfit 2: chunky knit grey t-shirt + dark wash heavy looking jeans
Outfit 3: chunky knit grey t-shirt + light navy linen pants
With just a simple texture switch each time while keeping to the same colour scheme, I easily got 3 different looks.
3. Add accessories and layers
Finally, the last one. Accessories and layers.
Yes, I know you may say “I’m not an accessories person”. I get it. You are not.
You don’t have to wear accessories if you don’t want to.
But… if you want a quick and easy way to get out of your style rut, it is an option.
I’d let the pictures below prove why having accessories (and layers that double up as accessories too) do the talking.
Using the same base – a button up shirt and a pleated midi skirt, I get 3 different looks just by adding accessories.
Outfit 1: base outfit
Outfit 2: base outfit + belt + layered sweater + hair updo
Outfit 3: base outfit + scarf as a belt
Other than shoes and jewellery, play around with scarves, belts and outer layers. A hair updo or tousled hair can also be an accessory.
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With these 3 hacks, you can stop carting out the same item in different colours. You don’t need them! You just need to open your wardrobe and do some remixing.
Finally, I’d love to hear from you!
Tell me – what is one item that you have in different colours? Why did you end up buying so many of the same item, and how helpful was having it in different colours?
Write to me at hello@thewelldressedyou.com.
I read every email. 🙂
Also, if you’ve yet to download my “Ultimate Guide to Restyling Your Clothes” so you can put together stylish outfits in under 5 minutes without shopping or losing weight, click on the button below.