Hi all

2024 was a good year for me from a style perspective. I feel like I now have a good handle on how to dress for my casual lifestyle and warm climate in a way that ticks off my style goals.

I know that people like stats here, but I prefer to analyse how my style is tracking, rather than how my wardrobe is tracking. I find that having a deep understanding of my evolving style preferences helps me to make better decisions about my wardrobe and to create a look that I find satisfying.

Colour

I embraced colour, thanks in part to DIY dye. DIY dye has liberated me from retail constraints and environmental norms, and revolutionised my summer wardrobe.

My palette is broad but muted or dusty. I don’t feel good in bright or very clear colours. In 2024 I particularly enjoyed dusty pinks, plums and purples. Dusty plum was my colour of year.

I am also wearing a little white again, despite it being a clear colour. I am always attracted to white in summer, because it feels so right on a very hot day. I have been trying out wearing it in small blocks in combination with larger blocks of the muted, lighter colours that I like (eg tan, dark gold, sage green, olive). I am planning to wear white a little more in this way in 2025 (insert here: happy sigh from Angie).

Almost ombré

Creating outfits that offer an almost ombré graduation of analogous colours that tone but do not exactly match was my favourite styling technique.

I did occasionally wear complementary colours but complementary combinations are harder for me to get right because I often feel like they cut me in half.

Extra long silhouette

I’m loving extra long jeans, pants and skirts. Also long jackets. I even gave some old long tunics a whirl again. The extra long silhouette was a constant in my style in 2024 and I expect that to continue in 2025. I like the sleekness and drama of a long silhouette. The insouciance of slouch. And the practicality of sun coverage.

Texture

I continue to be enamoured, almost obsessed, with texture, and averse to “flat” outfits. Lately I prefer textural mixes to pattern mixes. This corresponds to a movement away from patterns (more below). A textured solid is likely to be a more useful addition to my wardrobe than a flat solid or a print.

Solids over prints

I’ve consciously shifted away from prints. Although I am still attracted to pattern I’m careful about adding it as I find I tire of prints more quickly than solids. Pattern is a short term sugar hit for me, but solids, especially textured solids (pleats, shirring, tweed, ribbing, open knitwear), provide more long term low GI sustenance.

Metallics

The addition of a muted metallic is my favourite way to finish an outfit. An easy way for me to give a lift to a tonal or monochromatic outfit, without veering too much into high contrast.

Old mixed with new

I tend to wear mostly newer bottoms (pants, skirts and jeans). Most of my everyday bags are also newer, although I do have a few old favourites that I use occasionally. But I’m very happy to wear older jackets, tops, coats and knitwear. A lot of my jewellery is vintage. Shoes range from newer (in summer) to older (in winter). I seem to wear out sandals faster than boots. Consequently, I’m better off buying trendy bottoms than a trendy top, trendy sandals than trendy boots, a trendy everyday bag than a trendy jacket.

Style constants

There are certain constants in my style that are guaranteed to make me feel better about an outfit: teal combined with green, dark gold, dark floral, patina, military styling, velvet, thumbhole tops, open knitwear, ombré, stompy boots, double cuffs, slouch. I should revert to these whenever I’m struggling.

Wild and DYOT

My word for 2024 was wild.

I’ve always admired people who have a bold, original style. I read an article about Patricia Field (costume designer for SATC) in which she said her chief style goal was to be interesting. The article resonated and stayed with me. I have always suffered from low self confidence and been risk averse. In 2024 I mentally encouraged myself to take more style risks and embrace doing my own thing.

I think that’s working, because I can’t remember ever being happier with my casual style. When I worked in an office I remember being pretty happy with my work style, but my casual style always took a back seat. I do feel my casual style is interesting now (to me). However, I need to continue to be my own (internal!) style cheer leader. I dress very differently from the norm in my area, in my demographic and amongst my friends, which sometimes unsettles me.

2025 goals

My goal for 2025 is to continue to curate and adapt my wardrobe to suit my style. I want my wardrobe to consist entirely or almost entirely of items that I love to wear.

ATM, I would say I “love” most but not all of my wardrobe. There are some items that I never really loved but soldier on with in any case. In 2025 I want to weed out, modify or figure out how to style items that aren’t working for me. And I want to be super picky about adding more.

If you read this far, thanks for the interest. As always, extra thanks to Angie and to those who comment on my posts. I appreciate any thoughts that you may have.

The photos (to follow) show a representative range of outfits over the seasons, starting and ending with summer, as everything does here.