Thoughts on a month of photos

I have now been taking (almost) daily photos for over a month and I have to say it has been one of the most helpful things I have done in terms of thinking about my style. I have had a few realisations from this exercise that I thought I would share with you.

1. I have enough clothes. Really. I have sufficient items to dress without repeats for about a fortnight, and that is plenty for me. Any new additions will need to be justified on the basis of love, rather than need.

2. Shoes make a huge difference. I bought 3 new pairs of shoes this season. I have worn them almost exclusively. It is possible that my shoes need to be the first candidates for seasonal updates each year.

3. Although many of my items will play nicely with each other because I have mostly neutrals, there is usually one combination for an item that makes me feel happiest. I think in the future I will be content with being able to make one or two great outfits from an item, rather than seeking versatility at the expense of a lower level of outfit happiness.

4. I like variety in my silhouettes. I was hoping that the elements of a uniform might emerge from this exercise, but what I have discovered is that I have high happiness for a number of different silhouettes. But I think that will be OK. Claire (I think) talked about "1 and done" for her item choices and I think that concept, in combination with points 1 and 3 will actually work for me.
Silhouettes
-pencil skirt and loose top
-loose pants and cropped top
-A-line skirt/culottes and various tops
-shorts with a trapeze top
-shift or trapeze style dress

5. The outfits I feel best in are both structured and feminine. I think part of the reason I have re-embraced shorts this season (apart from the weather) is the structure that exposing some skin provides. It allows me to wear loose and waist-surrendering tops without feeling sloppy and boyish. It also explains why I have fallen out of love with skinny pants - I need more femininity than I feel they provide for me.

One of the unexpected and positive outcomes of this exercise has been that I have been able to be much more thoughtful and circumspect about what comes into my wardrobe and much more aware of what I actually need as opposed to what I think I might need. As a result, I have been able to implement the "fewer but better" concept that many here adopt, and have put my clothing budget into buying a few pieces from Australian designers.

I would definitely recommend daily outfit photos as a way of clarifying your wardrobe planning issues.

11 years ago

Dimity

Active Member

I wear those exact silhouettes too! They are so flattering and easy, but they look stylish too. It sounds as though it's been valuable to do the photos. Thanks for the suggestion.

kkards

Veteran

I did the same exercise a year ago, and you're right, daily photos really do help you to think and see more clearly. It sounds like you've got got a great understanding of what works for you, and a game plan for moving forward. Good for you.

Staysfit

I like the idea of daily outfit photos. How do you store them and then go back and compare them?

Elly

Wow, these are amazing observations. I'm hoping to get to the point this season with wardrobe happiness where I can try an exercise like this. I'm very similar on points 2, 3 and 4 and can definitely understand with your changing body type why you would want to embrace 5.

Caro in Oz

I couldn't agree more Sharon - outfit photos give us such great info I've been tracking how I feel in my outfits too. Shoes are the first thing I think about each season - without the right footwear my outfits are never going to work.

Alassë

Very thoughtful analysis, Sharon.

Deborah

Really enjoyed reading this Sharon. I am totally with you on 1, 2 & 3. I don't need as much variety of silhouette as you though I think I have rather embraced the uniform concept. And I am totally on board with 'fewer but better". Agree that footwear is so important and needs to be a huge consideration each season ... I still have loads of shoes but not all are being worn... I sense the great shoe purge of 2014 will be repeated in 2015 lol.

What I have seen from your photos over the last few weeks is a very consistent style. Modern, elegant, feminine with a touch of trend without being 'trendy'. It seems that you have really 'found yourself' stylistically speaking.

Truecolors

(website)

Love this exercise, Sharon! You summarized your observations so beautifully. I am adding this exercise to my style workshop (maybe 2 weeks instead of 4). I think it will ALSO serve to identify all the clothes you DON'T wear over a period of time. I like your shoe observation -- as I get older, I need to pay closet attention to my feet!

deb

Oh, good insights. I totally agree with the shoes. They can update even the oldest outfit.

Karie

I agree, you can learn so much! I took daily outfit photos during the 2013-2014 school year. I stored them on my computer in iPhoto by month. It was, and still is, quite a learning experience.

Suz

Sharon, I have favourited this. These are such wise insights and so helpful to me. I love your summer style so much and plan to come back to this when our seasons change to consider whether these silhouettes might also work for me.

I have come to recognize that I truly like a change of silhouettes as well. At the same time, like you, I don't mind repeating outfits if I am extremely happy with them. So perhaps I need to think in terms of "enough complete outfits for two weeks" and if there is any mix-and-matchability within that, so much the better -- but if there is not, no loss.

Trapeze tops seem much more available in Oz than they have been (at least for the past few years) here in North America. It's a shape I absolutely adore and one that I agree works well with shorts or a shorter skirt (or a tube skirt, for that matter). My two Zara summer tops were the closest I could come to that shape this year. I absolutely adored them.

I could not be more in agreement about shoes. I have to say that I wait for Angie's seasonal shoe updater posts even more eagerly in some ways than the clothing ones. The more current your shoes look, the better your outfit feels. And then there is the struggle to find comfortable versions...it can take some time.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Your insights are so helpful to read, Sharon. I have been taking outfit photos since last spring, with the idea of seeing what I might discover from them. I haven't analyzed them. I could imagine myself coming to similar conclusions to your 1 through 4.

Sal

I like all your observations. I too like the two week rule, this to me feels about right.

I notice that while you have variety in silhouette you have some continuity with colour. I think you are a in a "purple patch" with your fashion, well done:)

Lyn D.

This is very interesting Sharon!
Does #1 mean that you have a smallish wardrobe?
I am aiming for this but still find that I crave variety and new items each season.
You have to me a dressy style that is really lovely and to be admired.
I am finding that trying to buy more ethically and better fabrics, is curtailing my purchases somewhat, and that is a good thing!

Sharon

I'm glad others have found this helpful, and interesting to see how many others are also taking daily photos.

Staysfit, I download the chip in my camera onto my computer once a week and keep them in electronic folders that I can open and look at.

LynD, it doesn't FEEL like I have a small wardrobe - probably medium. I have a bunch of clothes I don't wear at the moment because it is too hot, and then a drawer full of clothes that are on probation from last year. I am like you in that I crave variety and novelty, and this exercise has helped me to slow down my purchasing and enjoy what I have. It is easy to justify new things by saying "I need.." and seeing that I really don't frees me to ask if I truly love the new purchase I am contemplating.

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