Three style practices for January
Whether you’ve made a commitment to ‘low-buy’ this year like
, ‘no-buy’ like , or to ‘buy small’ (i.e. from small businesses) like (see link below for her super useful round up of some small UK businesses to consider supporting - writes an excellent series called Hidden Gems from Hidden Brands which focuses on more US-available small brands), there are some simple style practices that we can be undertaking to start the year off strong.
As an Aquarian, I find that I don’t like feeling restricted, much like my aversion to diets. However what does works for me is a good practice. If I can put a good practice in place, I trust that I will arrive at the same positive outcome. Hence seeking out some simple but good style practices to incorporate into January and with which to follow my ‘intention for 2025…to be more ‘me’ (and more mindful), in how I dress, in what I shop and in how I shop’ (from last week’s post).
These practices can also remind us to consider a period of restraint (whatever that might looks like for you), not as punishment for past misdemeanors, but as a gift, of time. Think of all the doom scrolling we do across our week, and the compulsive seeking, it all takes time. Without this, and the easy lure of apps, we can press pause, revisit our own wardrobe with intention, and untangle ourselves from the habit of clicking ‘add to basket’ and heading straight to ‘checkout’. Taking a conscious break can help us to see the reality of our relationship with shopping - how and what we are shopping, when and why - and can help us to see more clearly what we actually need, what we want and what we shouldn’t be buying.
I’ve been on a style journey this year, of epic proportions, to find a more sustainable approach to style for me and to learn more about my personal style. A key takeaway for me is - trust your gut, it is never wrong. If something feels off, it’ll never feel better; if something doesn’t fit your style, it’ll never fit in; if something literally doesn’t fit, consider if it can be tailored and if not, pass it by. I explored this concept last week with What three words, a review of my three style words, and of how they can be used as a checklist for outfit perfecting. Read about an amazing example of how this can work IRL from
here.What three words
And we’re back! I hope you’d a good festive break, whatever that looks like for you and your family. The ferry ports here in the UK were damaged by winter storms, turning our trip back to Ireland into a 17 hour journey of colossal proportions. But the salve of family (and white wine on arrival) made it all worthwhile.
Create a seasonal mood board
My first style practice for January that I’ve undertaken is to create a seasonal mood board. Pin, save, screenshot to your adolescent heart’s content! My vision for this season (and most likely next) is filled with high-low dressing, sports-luxe, texture, layering, neutrals (with a prompt towards powder pink, thanks
!) and, following the lead set by runaways over fashion month, the addition of the humble hoodie. This ‘trend’ got me at hello, as it speaks of two of my three style words - casual and minimal. Inspiration for how to style this wardrobe basic has come from ’s recent ‘add a hoodie under a nicer jacket’ look, and then Miu Miu’s runway pairing of a grey zip up scuba hoodie with a smart wool coat and chunky gold accessories. Honestly, this is chefs kiss for me. The desire for layers is strong with sub zero temperatures here in the UK this week, hence featuring some of the absolute masters in layering here with , and Dries Van Noten (more on this black layered top later). For expert lessons on this and more, check out Anna at The Wardrobe Edit’s post this week.
Set yourself a style challenge
Now this style challenge could be anything. For example, add something ‘old’ to every outfit during the month of January, or pair seemingly opposing items in an outfit at least once a week. But rather than setting my own, I’ve been following
’s excellent Shop your wardrobe January challenge.
I love Angie’s sense of style and her phenomenal wardrobe, so I’m really enjoying seeing her Shop your wardrobe outfits. Because I now diarize and digitize my outfits in Indyx (more on this later), this challenge is so much easier to complete. I can outfit plan, combine items and sequence outfits to match the ‘prompt’. I have to confess to having to cheat just a little on these first few days. As I’m out of town this weekend, I put these outfits together all in one go. But the joy and the gain here is that these outfits and combinations are now documented in Indyx and can act as a reference for recreation another time.
Day 1: Wear one item that you wore yesterday - This is a strong start to the challenge as it forces you to think about your previous day’s outfit and how you can creatively revise it for another day. I combined a basic black turtleneck (yesterday’s) + summer top (Sancia) + blue jeans (Levi’s). I’m weaving in some layering here and I like the results, very
- cute and a bit unexpected!Day 2: Wear what you wore yesterday and switch one thing - Similar to the day before, but an encouragement to make another switch, from the base outfit of two days ago. Rewear at its best! I removed my summer top from the mix and went full winter with the black turtleneck + taupe cashmere jumper (H&M Premium) + blue jeans. I added my beloved Casa Ayllon pouch bag to match the delicacy of my pointed flats from Flattered. Double turtleneck-ing - who knew it could be a thing!
Day 3: Pair a top + a bottom you’ve never worn together - This seems like an obvious combo for me, given my love of oversized silhouettes and sports-luxe pieces, but I’ve never actually put this outfit together. Another win! Track top (Adidas x Wales Bonner) + horseshoe jeans (COH) + trainers (Autry Reelwind). Yes, these trainers have passed the test drive and have now been promoted from wish list to ‘add to wardrobe’. Thanks for the inspo
!Day 4: Wear something you haven’t worn in 3+ months - I don’t own many skirts so the fact that this outfit has made the cut is, well, big. I love the vibrancy of this linen number worn in the summer with a simple grey T-shirt, but this outfit has brought it new life for the other seasons, combining my navy cashmere jumper (Uniqlo) + green linen skirt (Zara) + tan boots (Office). For me, this is a very soothing colour combo and feeds into my love of all things Dictionary of Colour Combinations.
Day 5 : Wear something that makes you smile - Oversized + oversized + oversized, it’s fun and makes me smile! This outfit features my taupe cashmere jumper (H&M Premium) + check blazer (
x Warehouse) + horseshoe jeans (COH). The silhouette is balanced for the more delicate mesh shoes.Day 6: Wear an item in a new or different way - Last week I featured a street style image from Milan Fashion Week, which combined loose leg pants, an above-knee dress, blazer and shawl, which I found really inspiring. I set about recreating this using a khaki dress (old Warehouse + black trousers (Filippa K) + triangle scarf (Rise & Fall). I’m really pleased with the outcome!
Getting diarizing
My third style practice for January is to diarize your wardrobe. Honestly, this is one of the best style actions I’ve taken this year, other than starting this Substack ❤️. I’m sure that there are other apps which do similar but I use Indyx every single day to outfit plan, to wish list and ‘test drive’ items, to diarize what I’m wearing most and to ultimately better understand my personal style. See below for a very satisfying full month of outfits.
My top tips for wardrobe diarizing using Indyx are to:
Add a few items to your digital wardrobe every evening to avoid the task feeling overwhelming.
Add lay flat images from brand or stockist’s websites to avoid having to steam items or to get them to ‘lay’ perfectly.
Avoid adding items if you’re feeling on the fence about them. Come back to these another day and see if your feelings towards them have changed. If not, pop them into your sell or charity shop pile.
Add item category, colour and season if you can as this will help make seasonal styling and storage an easier task.
Inspiration and wish list pieces
With all of our inspiration in the seasonal mood board above, I thought I’d include two items that I’ve mentioned above and a preloved item as the third, to keep with my 2025 resolution to include a preloved item every week. This Dries Van Noten top is simple, but packs punch with its semi sheet finish and gathered finish. I am very into this, and how it was styled for the runway (see mood board above). Miu Miu have given us full permission to elevate the humble hoodie, so I will be exploring using this scuba hoodie from Topshop to create excellent high-low looks. Feeling inspired again by
and by , who style similar bags from this brand so perfectly against a classic white t-shirt and jeans, I bought this Paco Rabanne minaudière bag this week on eBay. I can’t wait to play around with this piece!
I hope that you found these musings on style practices for January useful, and, as always, I’d be delighted to hear yours. Thank you for reading and I hope to see you next weekend, Jenny x
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Thanks so much for the shout out!💕 I love the bingo challenge, it looks like fun. A great way to shake up your habits.
Absolutely love this. I’ve just wrote a substack with a similar theme. I’m seeing so many low-buy / no buy which I do love the intention behind, but do feel there is a band wagon people are jumping on. I much prefer to practice a more conscious approach to adding new items to my closet and the practices you’ve highlighted are such great ways to do that!