I've noticed this between last summer & this one. After a big wardrobe cull last year, I noticed that I am very prone to "uniforms" for any season, even though I have a huge variety in my wardrobe. I tend to go back to the same 2-3 looks over & over...whatever they may be for the season.

For example, last year I wore a lot of faux wrap front blouses and peplum tops over jeans, especially flares & bootcuts, and fit-and-flare dresses. This summer, I want to wear cropped skinny jeans with streamlined tops that aren't too fitted but also not too voluminous, and short skirts paired with cropped tops. Im not wearing dressy tops much, though I'm wearing more casual, feminine blouses. I also wear shorts with longer tops (wovens) and joggers with shorter tops (knits).

One reason can be that my footwear preferences have changed. While I wore a lot of sandals last year (heeled & flats), this year I'm wearing a lot more of slip-on sneakers and even laced sneakers. As a result, all hemlines need to be shorter to create more flattering proportions.

I stocked up a lot on whatever silhouette I was loving last year. This year I didn't make that mistake. While I'm still trying to wear the things I got last season in ways that look good with sneakers (I do wear sandals sometimes), I added a few more tops to be able to update my look. I didn't buy multiples of the same style though....I kept it a bit varied.

I already had several skirts so didn't need to buy there. I did shorten some skirts so that I could wear them easily this season. I also own too many pairs of jeans for someone who only consistently wears jeans in winter, so I took 6 pairs to the tailor and had them all cropped. Now I can easily wear them with my preferred footwear choices (ankle strap sandals & sneakers). I still have plenty of full length jeans, so no worries there.

The Lesson: Don't go into any season thinking "Oh, I'm sorted out for this season". Preferences change, our eye adjusts and trends are fleeting. I don't want to feel guilty when a HUGE part of my wardrobe goes unworn because I am not 'feeling' that silhouette all of a sudden. I want to also not force myself to wear something I'm not in the mood for. So I will continue to upgrade a small part of my wardrobe every season and go with the flow.

For now, I feel well-dressed and happy with my outfit choices. It's surprising that while one component of my outfit could be something new, the other components can easily be things I've worn in the past....just that I'm wearing them differently. My biggest success has been with soft, drapey blouses and striped tops. The shorter length tops I wore with flared jeans & palazzos work well with joggers and short skirts. The longer tops work well with cropped pants of all kinds and even shorts. My outfits are definitely moving away from the 'conventionally flattering' category and heading towards JFE. Here are some examples (#1-4 from last summer; #5-9 from this summer)

I think, for me, my footwear choices make a HUGE impact on my overall wardrobe for any season.

Has something like this happened to you?