what's your { style }

Do you ever look into your wardrobe, at your piles and racks of clothes and think 'I have nothing to wear?' Yup, that's me at the moment (and it drives my boyfriend crazy!)

I was reading this post Nikki wrote over at Styling You and I thought 'yes - that's it!' Despite the fact that I have a wardrobe full of clothes, I've changed in the last few months and my old wardrobe just doesn't feel like me any more.

My old job was corporate and I worked with all males who had a propensity for elastic sided boots and chinos on casual Friday - I got (not flattering) comments whenever I ventured out with something as bold as a red lippy. Naturally, the place didn't really foster sartorial daring. However, now I work in an office filled with natural light, where we talk about clothes and where brightly coloured lips are the norm.

So, my old wardrobe doesn't fit with how I want to be perceived - the new me.

Naturally, the ol' interwebs has come to my rescue. I don't want to rush out and replace my entire wardrobe this week (well I do actually, but inconveniently have a mortgage to pay) so these steps are going to help me work what I've got by replacing a few staples:

Wardrobe Rehab
I'm a big chucker. I don't hold on to things and seasonally clean out my wardrobe but this time I held on to a few things I probably shouldn't have just to 'keep my options open'. I've actually realised it's a lot easier to have fewer options because not only does it make it easier to see what you've got hanging in your closet, it reduces your chances of trying on 37 different tops every morning only to decide on the first one you chose. So - less is more. If you haven't worn it in 3 months, chances are you won't. Chuck.

On the note of having more space in your wardrobe - once you've done a purge, hang up everything. And not on ratty, wire hangers either. Go out and get yourself some pretty hangers and hang up everything except for your underwear. I could never find my t-shirts when they were folded - ten white shirts look like one big mess when stacked. It's way easier to choose an outfit when things are hung up like you would find in a boutique.

Define your Style
This is probably where I am struggling at the moment - basically because I change my mind every five minutes. One minute I'm feeling girly, full skirts, then it's leather and skulls, then classic french chic. Lucky for me, there are common elements across all of these styles, which is made easier to see when you create a bit of a mood board for yourself. I've started pinning images of fashionistas whose style I love to pinterest which makes it easy to see what I'm missing or how I can create the look with pieces from my own wardrobe. Checking out a ton of fashion blogs also helps with finding inspiration - I'd have to say I would love the wardrobe of Lucy Laucht, Atlantic-Pacific or Karla's Kloset (and her hair!) and I also follow some pretty stylish women on tumblr - so I have no shortage of style inspiration! 

Mapping your Wardrobe
You might want to make sure you've got lots of time because you're going to have to pull eeeeverything out. And it also helps to have your inspiration pics at the ready. Basically, pull everything out of your wardrobe and put it in piles - shirts, skirts, shorts etc. Now comes the fun part - mixing and matching! Using your inspiration images as a guide, replicate some of the outfits using your own flair - don't forget to add jewellery and accessories too. I've then taken a bunch of polaroid pics of outfits I loved and stuck them on the door of my wardrobe - if I'm stuck for what to wear at 8.42 when I'm due to start work at 9, I know I've always got a backup plan! It's basically like Cher from Clueless - and what girl didn't want that computerised cupboard thing...

Stocking Up
If you thought mapping your wardrobe was fun (I did say that, didn't I) then this next step is even more so. Shopping! Now you've got an idea of what you're missing, it's a lot easier not to get lost in the shops with an armful of sequins when you really went in for a basic black singlet. I know I'm missing the perfect white tee (and black tee for that matter), a pair of tan wedges that will go with anything and a white button down. Any shopping destination tips for these elusive items much appreciated!

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What's your style? How do you organise your wardrobe? Any tips for me in defining my personal style? Share your comments below - we love hearing from you!

(eep! Some of these images have been on my computer for a while - if they are yours please let me know! Other images from Lucy Laucht, Atlantic-Pacific, Gal Meets Glam)