Hi all, bit of a navel-gaze post but I've been toying around with my style descriptors and feel I have landed on a refreshed set of words to direct my shopping for the next while.

Practical, polished, pretty (triple P!)

Practical: This is my foundation and will really direct what pieces I purchase (and importantly, if I buy!). To me, this is about buying for my real, post-pandemic, post-menopausal, work from home, uber casual lifestyle. Which means jeans are now dressy, gear is every day, and dressy things are almost never needed!

Polished: This will direct what specific version of a practical piece I choose. This is second nature to me, I don't have much if any RATE sensibility, but I see the word functioning as a reminder to put as much effort into choosing a well-fitting, decent quality sweatshirt as I would a blouse or dress.

Pretty: This is something I want to focus on a little more, and it really comes down to a few subtle finishing touches. To me 'pretty' is something like, "aspects that are aesthetically pleasing in a light or delicate way, that are not strictly necessary." This stands in juxtaposition to practical, and I think that will help me not get bored or feel 'meh' or clunky in my practical items. Pretty for me could be as simple as my sheer pink nail polish, remembering to refresh my lip gloss through the day, and adding a few bits of jewellery every day (which I'm generally good at, but it's the first thing to fall off when I get busy or distracted). Also, because I've done a good job at replenishing my essentials in neutral colours, I will "think pink" for future practical pieces if a shade jumps out at me in the right piece, such as an additional deep winter weather sweatshirt or warm scarf, or summer basic tank or tee in a rosy hue. Pink makes me happy!

I don't think this will result in a particularly different look for me, but I think these words are a little more aligned with my current mood and will enable more ease in terms of decision-making and adding some organized-emotional direction to my style this year.

Thanks for reading! Have you switched up your style descriptors recently? Was it a drastic change or a small refinement?

Photo: A keep-it-real version of this formula -

• practical, warm sweater and flared leggings and UGG slippers
• polished, everything fits well, a tuck to keep the sweater neat, neat ponytail (if you ignore my roots!)
• pretty, pink sweater (reads brighter in the photo than irl), small gold hoops and gold Claddagh ring, clear frames, pink lip gloss and blush, sheer pink mani