Fine-tuning My Style

Over the past few years, I'd say that I've been striving to ascertain and fine-tune my distinctive wardrobe style. I tend to gravitate towards the classic pieces that have a bit of a modern twist. And man, do I love me some boho-chic! I've learned, however, that certain tastes don't always compliment my body shape. Lately, I have been able to identify certain trends that will actually accentuate my frame, and weed-out the trends that are more beneficial to drool over from afar. Particularly over the last year or so, I began to fine-tune what works for me and choose pieces that really build off of my preferred style. The looks I've been piecing together are actually starting to became a reflection of who I am, not just something I'm wearing.

I've mentioned before that every season, I delve into my closet and rid it of the well-worn, the over-sized, the under-sized (womp, womp), the unflattering and the out-of-trend. This season, I received some professional help! I enlisted fellow blogger, clothing designer and New York based wardrobe-stylist, Kimberly Cauti, to take matters into her own hands and help me elaborate on my particular taste. She helped identify holes in my wardrobe that I wasn't aware of. For example, I tend to buy big statement pieces, such as a fabulous blazer or a very elaborate dress, and forget to pay special attention to layering pieces, such as embellished tanks and neutral shift dresses, that can be worn under or paired with pretty much anything. As we dug into the depths of my closet, it also became very apparent that I have more fall/winter pieces than I do spring/summer pieces. I suppose the Bostonian in me defaults to clothing more appropriate for cooler temperatures!

Kim also helped me see the potential in some of my more 'boring' pieces. I tend to throw the same style blouses together with the same style trousers week in and week out, which leads to me feeling tired of my wardrobe quickly. She paired vests over blouses I never considered wearing together and stumbled upon a few garments tucked away in the back of the closet that I had completely forgotten about!

We documented my wardrobe overhaul and began identifying my unique style. We fine-tuned my closet solely to my taste alone - and tossed out pieces that weren't in line with it. Currently, my closet (and my style) is a work in progress. I still need a few more additions to round it out and give me better options.  Having a third party perspective (who does this for a living!) really helped shed some light on some of my wardrobe inefficiencies.

The task at hand

Color-coordinate your clothes, and group them by item, so you have a better sense of what you own

A stylist at work - diving in and really inspecting each garment! She made me toss a few tried and true pieces that looked too well-loved

Pairing a shirt I normally wear to the office with an unexpected pair of lace shorts for summer evenings out

That lime green accent shirt is one of the few layer options I had in my closet, which made me realize that I need to put more effort into investing in additional layering options for work and for play

This blouse has cut-outs around the shoulders, so I never considered wearing it to the office. Kim suggested throwing a tailored blazer over it for an easy office ensemble