Ever since getting back from our recent trip to France, I’ve been itching to make a purchase. And I mean a substantial, stand-out, maximalist purchase. I’m not sure what’s gotten into my minimalist brain! Maybe it was the vibrancy of the French sunshine, maybe I’m being influenced by
who shares all the pattern and all the colour in her joyous outfit videos on IG, or maybe it’s simply hormonal 😆 Who knows. I’m not throwing in the towel on my three style words (minimal, casual and street/ feminine), but I’m definitely seeking a thrill, some excitement and gripped with the urge to go big!To that end, I’ve been searching up textured petal jackets (Zara appear to be leading the charge on these this season), all the pattern and big silhouettes. Sale season is not helping with this fanatical charge nor is having some actual events in the summer diary to dress for, including a wedding on an island in the Irish Atlantic and a very dreamy evening with Take That 🙌🏻.
With this urge to go big comes the very real risk of making an ill-advised and knee-jerk purchase, which is completely against the ethos of this blog, so I’m threading very carefully. I had originally entitled this post, ‘Slow and Steady’, to remind myself to take a breath, to pause, to consider my next move.
Wish listing is a key tool I use to slow my urge to shop and to help make a more considered purchase, which I discuss here. I love how
, in an effort to change her approach to shopping, took an honest look at hers and separated it out into her actual wish list and her craving list (see below). I’ve struggled with this lately so will definitely be taking on this tip.Virtual styling is the second key tool I use. By this I mean introducing items into my wardrobe in a virtual sense via the Indyx app. I previously discussed the value I’ve found in using this tool to catalogue and play around with my own wardrobe (see below).
By adding wish list items into my existing catalogued wardrobe, I can create outfits and see how these potential purchases might ‘fit in’ - so simple but so effective! It’s almost instantly obvious what will work and what won’t. As a final check, I ask myself these four questions:
Does the item fill a wardrobe gap that no other piece does?
Does the item fit with my existing wardrobe, my style words and my colours (see an earlier exploration of this here)?
Does the item require other new items to make it work for me and within my wardrobe?
Can I style the item in at least three ways?
Honestly, using these tools and asking myself these four simple questions has proven invaluable and has halted many a notional purchase!
Wish list pieces
So here are the pieces which have caught my eye this week. You see, definitely a diversion from my usual, but oh so much fun! Sheer, sequins, lace, balloon and puff sleeves, and Ring 4 on the Tibi colour wheel, it’s all there!
Tops
Let’s do a bit of analysis, starting with these tops. Do these fill a gap that no other does? Will they work with my existing wardrobe? And can I style them for both day and night?
I should start by saying that I don’t strictly need any of these items and may not make any purchases, but playing with them has been fun. We’ll see!
While I’m loving the sheer exuberance (sorry, not sorry) of the Yuhan Wang sheer top and the dramatic silhouette of the Farm Rio cropped guipere top, I know that it’s Rhode Farrah top that would work best for me. Despite my fairness, a raspberry pink is one of my colours, a square neckline is one of my favourites, a puff sleeve balances my pear silhouette. Before making the purchase, I’ve created a virtual ‘try on session’ below using the Indyx app and styled the top in three different ways with existing pieces from my wardrobe. This top is a ✔️✔️✔️. Plus I nearly bought it last year so clearly it has maintained its appeal.
Dress and jacket
Next up is a random collection of items that bring me joy! I’ve styled both this Stine Goya floral dress and Zara textured jacket in three ways (see below) and I have to say I’m pretty pleased with the results. While I really love the feminine vibe of the Zara embellished cardigan, I’m not feeling excited about it enough to style it. Cute though.
I’ve been so inspired to search for a shorter length statement jacket since seeing
in her vintage Valentino one here:This Zara one is a great length, definitely makes a statement by virtue of its colour and texture and is so versatile. I’ve styled it below for going out with my Levi’s ribcage jeans and Aeyde heels in black, and two more casual looks with my COH Ayla jeans and Adidas Handball trainers, and my Agolde ripped jeans and Aeyde heels in hazelnut. I would need to see the colour in the flesh work to ensure it would work but 🤞🏻.
I often find dressing for ‘an occasion’ a bit daunting. I’m a casual girl at heart and while I do love to dress up, there’s always a casual spin on it. Enter this dress! It’s a bit of a wild card for me as I don’t typically wear or am drawn to bold patterns. But what I like is that it’s dressy enough for a wedding but has a casual edge, meaning I can style it in other ways too. With this Irish wedding, I’m anticipating that comfort, stretch and having the ability to hop a fence might be required 😆
Creating these outfits has given me the confidence to make a more considered decision and has helped to slow the urge to shop. I really hope you’ve enjoyed this smorgasbord of maximal pieces and to see you next weekend when normal minimalism services reconvene! Jenny x
I am so happy to know that my little story inspired you. Happy, and grateful. Thank you!
Also, separating those two lists really helped. I now know what the real gaps in my wardrobe are, and I haven’t gone berserk with all these sales happening. Can’t wait to see what your heart settles on ❤️