This month I am getting all sartorial and putting my style blogger hat on (a straw trilby I should think). I look forward to sharing my favourite style bloggers, shops, tips, projects, tricks and inspiration. And just for fun: the Wardrobe Games. Get set for a stylish ride!
One of the things that change after babies is the way we dress. Whether it’s a life-style change, a body size change or just a general taste change – our wardrobes tend to look a little different as mothers. That doesn’t have to be a bad thing. But it can be a bit of an overwhelming thing. Perhaps you have gone from a corporate wardrobe into something more casual. Maybe your beautiful collection of designer threads (we wish!) just isn’t appropriate for hanging out with kids. Maybe you were a different shape prior to having kids (which is true for pretty much all of us).
This month is all about injecting the fun back into dressing each morning, without breaking the bank. I have a series of games for you to play this month to expand your existing wardrobe and to identify where you might have gaps.
Game 1: Mix & Match Separates
Take out the three tops you wear most often and the three bottoms you wear most often. Now, find three bottoms that match those three tops and three tops that match those bottoms. The only rule is, you cannot mix and match between the favourites you have just selected. Can’t find three things? There are some holes to fill.
Game 2: Match that Look
Either go people watching, or check out a site like www.streetpeeper.com
See how many outfits you could approximate with your own wardrobe. You will likely find inspiration, a few gaps in your wardrobe and potentially a way to wear something you already own in a way you never thought of before.
Game 3: The Tricky
Everyone has at least one item in their wardrobe that they might love but find difficult to wear. For me, it’s a long black pleated skirt. A quick google of “Polyvore long black skirt” yeilds some inspiration gold.
Game 4: The Game-Changer
Find an outfit that you would only ever wear in a corporate environment. Think about how you could wear it in a casual or dressy way. Perhaps a business button-down shirt or silk top over shorts, or re-think your pencil skirt for evening by pairing with something glamorous.
Game 5: ReInvention
Find something in your wardrobe that you could wear in an entirely different way. For instance, a chambray shirt as a lightweight jacket or tube dress that could also work as a maxi skirt.
Game 6: Wardrobe Roulette
This one is Patricia Fields’ (the stylist from SATC) – select at total random three pieces from you wardrobe and try them on together. You may look an absolute mess. You may hit on fashion gold. But you will probably end up with something you would never have thought to put together.
Game 7: The extra layer
For one week, add something extra to each outfit you wear. Maybe it’s a scarf, or an eye-catching necklace, or a belt. But add one thing more – you will be surprised at the polish it adds.
If you are up for outfit of the day selfies on Instagram, and want to play along, hashtag #WardrobeGames. I would love to see you there!
A modified version of this post first appeared in the Dare2Rewear 2014 blog