During a very sad year, my style was therapeutic, relaxing, and gave me joy. I was happy with my style and had great luck in my shopping. I worry about a lot of things, but my wardrobe, my style, and getting dressed each day are not among them. I shop in an organized emotional way, I listen to my feelings, and I laugh a lot. Here’s a ten-point wrap up of my year in style.
1. Style Goals
I set fourteen style goals in January and checked in on their progress in June. Surprisingly, I managed to achieve twelve of them. Unfortunately, I did not manage to add flowing midi skirts to my wardrobe. Nor did I find the right blush pink wool coat. That’s okay. These items will roll over into my 2022 shopping list.
Of all my goals, I am most happy about prioritizing quality, expressing my style through my happy colours and favourite patterns, and for making the most sustainable and ethical wardrobe decisions that I can manage.
2. Authenticity
My big picture style goal is to achieve SIMPAT style, which captures what I believe the most important elements of an effective and enjoyable personal style are. My focus is on the ‘A’ for AUTHENTICITY which means sporting a style that feels genuine and true to who I am as a person. So far, with each passing year, my style is a more honest representation of myself. Ongoing soul searching keeps me realistic about what I can wear, afford, and store. I take to heart the types of looks that make me happy and less happy. To that point, I’ve learned that playful and sentimental components are all important for my style because they amplify feelings of contentment. Recognizing, accepting, and putting into practice what is authentic is what gives my style its longevity, and balance. It gives me the confidence to do my own thing, and keeps things fun.
3. Goodbye Lipstick and Tinted Moisturizer
Twenty-two months into the global pandemic, and lipstick and tinted moisturizer are a distant memory. I’ve switched to lip balm, and sport well-cared for, yet naked skin. I cleanse, moisturize, apply sunscreen, and leave it at that. I do wear mascara, tightline, and eyebrow pencil daily, because I like to accentuate my eyes.
4. Fab New Eyewear
This was a big year for vision correction. I now sport two pairs of specs that I switch throughout the day. One pair is for distance, and the other are occupational progressives for my work station and eating meals at the table. I’m thrilled to report that I have adjusted to the vision corrections and LOVE my two new pairs of specs. The light blue pair are for distance, and the transparent pink pair are for my work station. Big thanks to hubs Greg for choosing them with skill and precision. He always knows what works best for me. I’m modelling them for the forum here.
5. Many Fun Dresses
I had bad luck finding suitable skirts this year, but hit the jackpot with dresses. I found fab ones at incredible discounted prices for Summer and cooler days and have worn them a lot. They are super comfortable and a pleasure to wear. I love wearing dresses. With our Seattle Summers getting hotter every year, I can see my dress capsule growing. I’m more of a dress gal than a skirt gal, so it’s just as well. I’m not giving up on skirts just yet, though.
6. Great On-Trend Jeans
I tend to sport the trends in bottoms with the classics for tops. Jeans are one of the trendiest components of my style so I am particularly fussy about them. I passed on and demoted five pairs of jeans this year and replaced them accordingly. Relaxed and wider bottom silhouettes is what I’m feeling, and these dead right options fit the bill, The white pair is torn and shredded in the stock photo, but is not in person.
7. Excellent Footwear Additions
It’s challenging to find comfortable footwear that looks great, fits well, and goes the distance. As a result, I don’t plan my shoe purchases. Instead (and budget permitting) I strike while the iron is hot and commit to the footwear that finds me. Sometimes I commit to several pairs a year, and sometimes I don’t find anything. This year I looked into footwear brands that have worked well for me in the past, but that I’d forgotten about. I’m back to wearing Cole Haan loafers and J.Crew boots with happy feet.
I also had great fun wearing a pair of custom-made blush leather Converse hi-tops, complete with gold eyelets and a “youlookfab” embroidery. They were my most worn Spring shoes.
8. Best Ever Nordstrom Anniversary Sale
Very, very unexpectedly, I had the best NAS of my life, and I was in the Netherlands during most of it. With forum member Gryffin’s help, I nabbed a Hugo Boss suit in my size, and it’s my favourite pants suit of all time. I’ve worn it to several client meetings, and felt like a million bucks. The suit has set the standard for pants suits in my wardrobe, and I would like to get another at some point. I’m modelling the suit for the forum here.
The cream barrel bag and matching lug-sole high-shaft boots are the most worn shoe and bag complement of the year. With weatherproofing spray, the boots are perfect for wet and cold Seattle weather.
9. Fun Wild Cards
After saying that I would never wear a jumpsuit again, I fell in love with an awfully fun bubblegum pink boiler suit because it very fondly reminded me of the ’80s. I had to eat my words and remember “never to say never” when it comes to fashion and style. Pics here.
Although checked and plaid pants are signature to my style, I don’t usually wear them wide and floppy. But when forum member Tanya said that a cream, orange and turquoise plaid pair reminded her of me, I had to try them. I love this retro golfing look, and already had the support act in the right colours in my wardrobe. Dramatic, unique, and comfortable. Pics here.
I have a complicated relationship with corduroy, which makes adding a pair of relaxed cream corduroy pants to my bottoms capsule quite the wild card. I’m thoroughly enjoying the look and have worn them quite a bit.
Committing to a pair of orange vegan leather wide cropped pants was particularly wild, yet they fit seamlessly into my wardrobe. They are super comfy, pack a punch, and feel festive for the holidays. They perfectly matched what I was wearing when I tried them on in the dressing room.
10. Hair Adventure
Just for fun and because I enjoy a hair project, I’m growing out my hair. It will stay short, but not COVID-pixie-short. I’d like a little extra hair to play with, and miss my longer waves. I might darken the blonde a bit too. I’ve gone twelve weeks with only trimming the back, and so far so good. My hair grows slowly so it’s a lesson in patience. But I’m determined and will cope with less sharp looking hair for a while as it grows out. I’m excited for the end results, and will try to enjoy the in-between stages too.
All this has paved the way for clear-cut 2022 style goals, which I will share early in the new year.
