Style refinement is…

  • Recognising my unique set of needs and priorities, and developing a similarly unique style that matches

  • Building on what exists, focusing on small changes and adjustments; not starting from scratch, not always thinking that a grand overhaul is necessary

  • Being precise, not ball-park

  • Looking at the details. Understanding the little details that I really like; understanding the little details that I really dislike

  • Being in-tune with my intuition

  • Protecting myself from too much external influence

  • Developing knowledge of different fabric types - knowing the ones I like to wear and the ones I don’t

  • Knowing precisely which colours both flatter me and totally float my boat; not wasting time or money on colours I neither like nor can wear easily nor really fit in with other items in my wardrobe

  • Learning the right way to make up my face to the most pleasing and flattering effect; not just blindly following the basic advice that gets thrown at me that doesn’t account for the uniqueness of my face

  • Understanding, appreciating and working with my body shape when dressing; not ignoring it, not pretending it is something different, not despising it

  • Knowing which accessory types I like to use; not bothering to buy the ones I don’t

  • Only having makeup in precisely the right shades and right finishes

  • Having a wardrobe made up only of clothes that fit; not keeping clothes that fit poorly, no matter how cheap or expensive or cool they may be

  • Having enough footwear, clothes and outfits that are suitable for the climate where I live (not necessarily adhering to what the fashion industry proposes is ‘for x season’)

  • Assessing whether a potential purchase meets my unique set of criteria and not keeping anything that doesn’t

  • Spotting the little changes I need to make to an item to perfectly suit my figure, tastes and uses

  • Putting in the effort ahead of time to make day-to-day styling more effortless

  • Continually evolving my style to meet my needs, and recognising that my evolution happens on an entirely different timescale from the fashion industry’s idea of ‘seasons’

  • Happily decluttering anything that is no longer useful or attractive to me

  • Being able to shop easily with a laser-focus for the pieces that match my priorities; not getting distracted by the new, the trendy or the things that look good on someone else

  • Having some sense of cohesion in my wardrobe; not having ‘lone wolf’ items that don’t go with anything else I own

  • Being able to assess a piece’s value to me, not just its cost (cost is what you pay; value is what you get)

  • Owning a collection that works for me, and only me

  • Finding daily joy in getting dressed and using what I have chosen to keep

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Herringbone wool dress from 1970’s Givenchy pattern

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Researching potential destinations