Six Questions to Ask Yourself If You’ve Got Nothing to Wear, Again
A lean, perfectly coordinated wardrobe can solve all our fashion woes and more. This is how to start building yours.
Don’t worry, you are not alone. We all live with an angel on one shoulder, and a swarm of brands on the other, mumbling in our ears that we’re not exactly worth it unless we buy just One More Thing. Fashion brands are the smoothest talkers of the bunch; so we cave, and we buy.
It’s hard to see the style for the clutter that manifests sooner or later. But even before we reach for the clothes, there is one thing that needs to be done to ensure the coordinated wardrobe you build will be the solution and not yet another problem.
It’s time to go on a date with yourself!
When was the last time you took a moment to enjoy a cup of joe or a glass of red without any distraction? Yes, social media and TV count! This time, grab that beverage, take yourself out to your favorite coffee shop or your home reading nook, and turn on the airplane mode (figuratively, although…)
Just like we rarely enjoy a quiet moment without scrolling through a digital distraction of choice, we hardly ever step aside to put into words our relationships with clothes, specifically those hanging in our wardrobes. Normally, we wear the clothing equivalent of “rice and beans” every day or follow “style recipes” just like we cook: stocking up on random ingredients that later clutter the back of our clothing pantries. Except it’s much cheaper and easier to buy a tomato that’ll go bad on its own in a week than a top that’ll be an eye sore for years. And oh my, does it drain time and energy!
But enough talk. The goal of this exercise is to see the real worthy whole You behind the clutter. If you ever wondered how do people find their personal style, this is it. You’re doing it.
To get to the bottom of your personal style, answer these six questions in writing without reading further:
- What do I do with my time on the weekdays? Weekends?
- Which activities I say or think I do but in reality never get around to?
- Which work or school outfit makes me feel like I can move mountains?
- What did I wear on the best date of my life that made me feel irresistible?
- If you could wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- What do I want my style to say to the people who see me?
Let’s now look at each of these closer.
What do I do with my time on the weekdays? Weekends?
The main trick to building a successful functional wardrobe is designing it for the life you live, not the life you imagine. It doesn’t mean you can’t up your style game, stir your life in the direction you want, and get more from it than you ever imagined. But, baby steps. We want to create the best style that will work for your day-to-day. So you don’t end up binge shopping when you need enough office clothes and are left with party dresses.
Which activities I say or think I do but in reality never get around to?
Guilty as charged. Just like with crafts, it’s easy to get tempted by a new resolution — I will dress super professional to work! I will dress up to go out more! I will ditch jeans and wear dresses! — but when push comes to shove, familiar and comfortable usually win. And it’s ok! Accept your real life and that that sequin mini probably won’t see the light of day anytime soon.
Which work or school outfit makes me feel like I can move mountains?
Here at Epytom, we like to call this ‘power outfit.’ It makes you feel invincible and inspired. The goal is to supercharge your whole functional wardrobe to this standard — and keep or upgrade the outfit that started it all.
What did I wear on the best date of my life that made me feel irresistible?
Different clothes serve different purposes. The main benefit of building a wardrobe with intention is that each piece and each outfit doesn’t waste your time and space but is there for a reason. Feeling beautiful when you most need it and every day is one of the best reasons out there.
If you could wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Here is a controversial thought: you don’t need to label your style to know yourself. A single outfit will tell you much more. Skirt or pants? Casual or classic? Heels or flats? Style every detail as if it was the only set of clothes in your life, your uniform. Then, dissect it piece by piece asking ‘why.’
Pull out some photographs, dig through some sweet memories of mind-blowing and ass-kicking, and your best style moments will emerge from the noise. After you are done, you will have listed 5–10 clothing items from your ‘power outfits.’ And just like that, you started building a coordinated wardrobe that’s all about you.
