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Lessons from a phone clear up

Sal

Veteran

My phone needed a good edit. I have been removing pics and as a result have gone through many many WIW photos.

A few lessons:

- I don’t like outfits with too much going on.
- I liked about 10% of my scarf outfits
- I am not picky enough about length - I am tall (ish) and I don’t suit things that look too short or small.
- I liked most of the colour combinations in my outfits - both bold and bright, and quiet and neutral. I am confident with colour.
- I am less confident with layering.
- be wary of the belt - especially with dresses. They don’t suit my short waist.

Moving forward this encourages me to keep enjoying a wide range of colours - I can make them work. But potentially I could simplify my silhouettes as there were some I liked a lot more than others.

For this stage of my style journey hats and glasses are my favourite accessories along with loved jewelry. Belts and scarves are less important and I will edit my collection to only keep the most loved.

There’s also a couple of other pieces up for review. Outfit labs coming up soon.

Has anyone else done an edit of their photos and had some clarity over their style?

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Dressing

22 replies

Latest reply was from Style Fan

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Not specifically, I try to delete quite a few WIWs off my phone as I go along, because my photos are still available on my old posts in YLF. I notice lots of Fabbers hide their photos after a while for privacy reasons and some never post any. I am blase about it I suppose, don’t imagine someone would want my photos for nefarious purposes.
What I do notice is that some of my older YLF photos don’t appeal to my eye much now, often ones where I considered editing something out. So that makes me feel I must be making slow progress!

Olive Green

Veteran

I use Pinterest for this. If something I try is not working for me I head to my clothes collection there and look for a key piece that I am missing, that made the outfit special enough to save.
Generally I too am happy with my silhouettes and play with colour more than anything, but the accessories are what makes an outfit speak a certain dialect, so I pull from inspo online (and from Brooklyn DIY’s!).
I seldom take pics of myself. The dogs, however, are actually photogenic and are well represented.

Dee

Veteran

Oh interesting topic Sal, I too have kept a bunch of WIWs on my phone just for reference and through time I can see some evolution with my style as I’ve gotten feedback from Angie and other members.

But I also realize that there are some photos that just don’t seem to accurately depict an outfit properly either for better or worse. So I try to keep that in mind when I’m trying to figure out what really works for me or not.
Some of my lessons so far:

Boxy/oversized looks sloppy on me.
Love the crispness of stripe tops
Need a strong shoulder line
Prefer fluid fits- no body con
Belts help to emphasize my waist, tame volume and finish an outfit.
Scarves are always a challenge
Medium contrast outfits work best

However, its still a work in progress and I’m having fun learning.

lyn67

Veteran

Yess, taking picties of my outfits helped me tremendious to evolve and perfection my style! Love scrolling back them over times and that is when I can be most objective in discovering the less than great things on me- as when rushing out you just cannot see it- even if taking a fresh wiw.

Roberta

Veteran

I only just started keeping photos of really successful outfits on my phone. I know they're in my posts, but that takes some searching and I am too lazy to bother. I will check back in a year and pass on any insights that I might have then. To me, nothing is as useful as a visual. Thank you very much for the idea!

BlueJay

Veteran

So interesting, Sal! I was thinking that I should also edit my phone and create a folder or Pinterest board of outfits for more outfit ideas, or to help jog my memory. I find looking at photos of outfits more helpful than simply looking at them in a mirror, although I'm not sure why that is true. Catherine Summers from Not Dressed as Lamb and Jean Wang from Extra Petite have both pointed this out. Something to do with camera angles and science-y photography stuff!

I really love that shade of pink for your top. The jacket is fantastic. Does it come in blue?! I will check as I would love a blue version for me. I look forward to your outfit lab!

Peri

Veteran

That is a great idea! I can see it being enlightening. For me though, I haven't taken WIW pictures in 6-8 years so I think I'd be judging my current self more than my past clothing!

Runcarla

Veteran

Like Jenni NZ I edit my photos off my device - usually after I’ve composed an ‘annual top 12’ and posted it here at the end of the year. I keep my photos up in YLF, so can reference them anytime. I use the ‘Mentioned in’ function of Finds to locate outfits using certain items from my closet.

Usually I’m dissatisfied with my grooming - how my hair looks or the fact that without make-up (which is most of the time) I look washed out. The quality of my phone camera and my selfie skills have improved. I certainly see a progression (improvement) in my outfits from 10 years ago! I’ve worked at it, but I also thank Angie and the hive wisdom of the YLF forum!

anchie

Veteran

This is very interesting. I haven’t really learned much from analyzing old wiw photos but I did have many what was I thinking moments

Joy

Veteran

My older photos go to the iCloud , I do not edit as I should. I do eliminate duplicates. That helps.

Joy

Veteran

I should notice proportions more than I do. That is hard with photos.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What a great idea, Sal! Or actually, great ideas -- to edit the phone (gulp!) and then to consider what the history shows.

I think establishing a file of best outfits per year as Carla suggests is also clever.

I'm really impressed with your self-analysis. The lessons you have taken away from your survey seem consistent with the feelings you've expressed about some outfits at the time of posting. I love that you highlight your strengths, too -- like your confidence with colour.

I also take others' points that sometimes photos don't tell the whole truth about an outfit so those of us with poor memories might want to make notes at the time about how we felt in particular outfits. I know for myself there are some that just don't photograph as well, but felt great, and others that look great in photos but were not the most successful IRL.

I haven't done a really careful survey of photos from the past but I do look them over sometimes to search for a specific combo or idea and a few things I've noticed:

My basic style personality has remained quite consistent, at least after my second year on. YLF. (My first year or so was a year of experimentation and mostly second-hand clothes, gifted by others. So my clothes didn't entirely represent my own taste.)

My silhouettes shift with the times and that feels fine.

My colour palette has remained consistent, (with the exception of silver replacing gold as my metallic when hair went from blonde to silver) and has become signature over time.

I like outfits with a certain amount of "movement" or (I guess?) stuff going on -- stripes/ diagonals/ asymmetry/ pattern mixes, and what I call drama, which can mean a lot of different things, which I ought to analyze to understand better!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I feel we probably all get into our own patterns of what helps us. I can definitely see improvements in my outfits over time to my own eye but then I’m not otherwise that good at specific analysis, I go on gut feel a lot.
My way of thinking about my style is through obsessive reading- for example about Kibbe once I first learned about that from Style Fan here who suggested I could be some kind of gamine. And since then various other stylists, lately another very knowledgeable one, Gabrielle Arruda. I recommend her.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I don't really edit my outfit selfies but I do look at them to see if what I see matches what the camera sees. I find it particularly helpful to take pictures when I am editing my closet.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

It's neat that your photo cleanup project gave you these insights into your personal style.

When I look back at my WIWs, sadly enough, I find it kind of depressing. It pains me to think I thought some of these things looked good. I think the most insight I have gotten may be about hair styles. As much as I liked wearing my hair longer, in the photos, I much prefer the shorter cuts I've worn. The photos help me discern differences in the short cuts, too, which I can use when I talk with my hair stylist.

I can relate to Suz's point about photos not always conveying what we felt in real life. I believe that happens a lot with me.

Sal

Veteran

Thanks all - the weekend got away on me. I will be back!!

Joy

Veteran

I use it to see what I liked to wear in years past at about the same time and weather.

Jonesy

Veteran

What a productive exercise! I agree that it helps to review a bunch of pictures in order to really see the patterns of what works, what could use some improvement, and so on. Sounds like you have such great clarity now, which can only making shopping and getting dressed easier!

Joy

Veteran

So true. I need to pay more attention to photos of outfits like some of you do. I have lots to learn,

Sal

Veteran

Jenni - I agree - some of my older ones don't appeal either....but some do - for me the simpler ones still do.

Olive Green - Pinterest can be great too - and dogs always look perfectly natural...

Dee - you have some great learnings here (another one who struggles with scarves). I do think a sharp, defined shoulder suits you - I think you can wear some looser looks but crispness does seem to really work.

Lyn - yes - looking at something a couple of years later can be helpful. It is interesting what still appeals.

Roberta - my phone sorts selfies - and I do have a folder where I save my faves too. But I had a lot to edit....I found it useful to look at 4-5 years worth at once - some were even older but not many.

Thanks BlueJay - that pink sweater I do struggle with - but I adore the colour. I am thinking of converting to a vest? And the wrap wool jacket looks better in person than in a photo - I think!! I hope you have success.

Haha Peri - I actually think taking the photos even if you don't post them is still worthwhile. But it is another thing to do...

Carla - good work editing them! I seem to have a lot of storage on my current phone so I am not so prompted. But I had an app for a couple of weeks to help delete easier so I wanted to make progress. And yes - often my grooming feels a bit inadequate. I think we both have the sort of hair that varies from day to day...

Haha Anchie - we all have those!! I found some shockers too - and it was thinking about what those looks had in common that prompted me to this thread. It was being a bit too busy and/or the wrong lengths and proportions. It was rarely the colours or the shoe choice....

Joy - you are a style icon here - you have immaculate style and wonderful looks. We can learn off you!

Suz - thank you! I agree your style is consistent but also evolving - you do have a trendy element that moves. And I think as some sort of gamine (like Jenni) you suit outfits with a bit going on - with detail, and horizontal lines - and flair. It's why I do think the kibbe approach has some validity - I suit natural type looks - I can veer to the classic and the dramatic - but romantic and gamine just don't work sadly....

Sal

Veteran

Jaime - I agree. Photos then can really clarify your opinion!!

Firecracker - I always love your style. I liked your hair long - but I think I do prefer it short. Some outfits are better in a photo - I think tailored looks better than floaty - because floaty relies on movement which the photo does not capture. And I know (having seen my sister pose for pics for years - she is very photogenic) she relaxes, smiles, always heads to the back row, and takes a lot of photos.....

Jonesy - it has helped me clarify a few things. The main thing is to be myself and stick to simple bold pieces - but not too many..... and to wear scarves for warmth - not style......

Style Fan

Veteran

I have started an outfits folder on my phone. When I review the folder, I notice:

My selfie skills (is that the correct term?) need work. I can't seem to find the right angles, etc., to take pictures.
Grooming makes a big difference. I don't wear a lot of makeup, but it does matter. I put on some eyeshadow, mascara, and a bit of lipstick, and I look like I have woken up. I need to brush my hair before the picture is taken.
I prefer simple, minimalistic pieces. I don't wear scarves. I stick to what works for me. My colour palette has always been earth tones.