Temptation vs inspiration
This is such an interesting and thought provoking platform! Last week’s Sheerluxe’s ‘Inside Monikh’s Wardrobe’ feature propagated a flurry of Substack posts, each with a different and interesting takeaway. Here at My Style Rush, I focused on what elements of Monikh’s style have influenced my wardrobe (see below),
wrote a great piece in her series Truly Great Street Style™ with a focus on ‘the mehs’ and ‘the wows’ of Monikh’s style, AND wrote a really clever piece about ‘infl(uenc)ation’, ‘the rising cost of being trendy’ and the shift in influencers, such as Monikh, wearing and ‘selling’ us higher-end brands. Talk about great minds. Go us!
Speaking of which, I only managed to grab one outfit shot this week (sorry!), but luckily it does include inspiration from Monikh. I’m wearing my COH Ayla which I first spied on her, a vintage tee and a woven bag, from Flying Tiger! Tell me you’re a mum…
Resisting temptation
With inspiration often comes temptation and as
refers to it, ‘aspirational marketing’ - I know, I get it more than most. While no expert, I’m honing my skills to turn temptation into inspiration, on this journey of mine towards a more sustainable style, using these three key guidelines:Know your lifestyle. How often have we bought items which look sooo good on others, but either sit unworn in our wardrobes awaiting that event, or just don’t fit with the lives we actually lead.
Know your style. I say this with the caveat of knowing your style as much as one ever can. Our style choices will change over time, and even over our monthly cycle, so don’t be too hard on yourself to define a ‘signature’ look. My three style words - casual, minimal, street/ feminine - have helped me and provide a framework for knowing if something feels ‘me’ or not.
Know your limits. We all have budgets and financial limits, despite appearances. So let’s try to stick to them! I try to imagine if the 60-year old me will actually give a hoot as to whether I’ve bought something or not. It’s a good test!
And that’s it! I know, easier said than done, but good guidelines to try to adhere to nonetheless.
Mood boarding, inspiration and wish list pieces
Recently I wrote about how mood boarding is one of a few tools which I use to keep me on a steady course towards a more sustainable style:
A mood board feels like it fulfils a slightly different function to what I currently use. It feels more about pure aesthetic pleasure, be that in texture, colour, form, or shape, more instinctive and more ‘mood’ driven, than about creating or constructing curated ‘looks’, or specific outfits.
This post and my mood to mood board is in part inspired by Anna’s wonderful post Seven things to do today instead of buying clothes (see below) and in part inspired by some great pieces I’ve spied this week.
Mood board #2 is all about earthy tones, texture and loose fits. I’ve added a lot of khaki, browns and taupes to my wardrobe this year and I love the idea of adding a buttery yellow to this mix, with this Bondi Born two-piece. While I’d have to wear this tone with caution, having a cool Celt colouring, I really like how set is styled simply with white and on a model of similar colouring to myself. Embrace the pale! The high-waisted bottoms and super sexy cut in the top are right up my street.
I literally gasped when I saw this raffia tote bag from Loewe! How stunning is it?! It’s obviously a completely aspirational piece but I included it simply for the tones, the chevron pattern and the oversized silhouette.
A simple linen tee and good denim is always an inspiring outfit, especially when it’s done with
’s relaxed style. This combination of her olive green linen tee with soldout.nyc and mid blue denim are particularly appealing, with the pop of an off-white bag.In my search for accessories to style with this Other Stories dress for a wedding this weekend, I landed upon these drop earrings in the Massimo Dutti sale. They are perfect - sculptural, textured, not too shiny and actually pretty lightweight.
The next three images are from Zara, yes Zara! When I allow myself to purchase from here, the item must have good material and good cut credentials, and importantly, longevity.
A relaxed fit coord set, in dreamy faded brown? Yes please! And that tan, yes please too.
This ethereal green dress feels very 1920s with the floral jacquard detail and deep v, and a little bit Jenny Packham (and my wedding dress brand ❤️). So beautiful.
This black crochet pencil skirt looks so much more high-end than high-street and I’m really hoping it has a good cut, as I’m in love! The texture, the straight cut, the panelling! I like how it’s styled here with a simple black vest and tongs, but I’d also take inspiration from
on how she styles her ‘wardrobe elevator’ skirts, often with oversized knits and heels.
Thank you so much for stopping by and for supporting My Style Rush. I hope you’ve a lovely week and to see you next weekend, Jenny x
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It’s so important to be realistic with yourself and understanding your life AND style! It helps anchor your purchasing decisions to make sure you’re buying clothes that fit who you are
I loved this! Really thought provoking and helpful ideas.