Reader Question – Can you help me see the whole picture instead of paying too much attention to the details in my outfits?
Whether you have good attention to detail or whether you can see the big picture easily and clearly is generally part of your personality.
Some of us think in detail and we get to the big picture from the detail. Some of us think in big picture and have to work down to the detail.
But it can also be a learned skill, if you wish to develop it.
There are systems and processes that can help you override your natural tendencies for big picture or detail orientated thinking, if you wish to develop the skill.
To See A Bigger Picture
If you are a detailed person, then I suggest taking an outfit photo would help you see a bigger picture and allow you to see the whole ensemble with your own eyes.
Taking outfit photos is such an incredible tool for so many reasons, especially if you are tossing up between a few different outfit combinations.
Often when we look in the mirror, we don’t see ourselves in the big picture. We tend to zoom in on details.
When we are looking at an image, we are able to view ourselves as other people and see our outfits as a whole.
By thinking big and looking at the overall outfit, you’re less likely to fret over the details that won’t matter in the long run.
To help see the big picture of your outfits, stop seeking perfection and don’t sweat the small stuff. There is no point in aiming for perfection. Perfection doesn’t exist. Pick the 3-5 rules that really matter for you. This is much easier than struggling to work with 20+ rules and getting stuck in the minutia of them.
To Be More Detail Orientated
Putting together an outfit is all about the aesthetics of design – incorporating aspects that create harmony when put together. A detailed oriented person delves into the specifics of an outfit, preferring to edit or tweak an outfit than to come up with it from scratch.
I spend a lot of time reworking what I own into different outfits to keep my style interesting and to stretch my style muscle. Sometimes the outfits work well, other times they don’t. But if I’d never experimented, I would never have discovered my style.
If you want to improve the details in your outfit, break up your big picture goal into smaller chunks and practice noticing repeating features to train your eyes to see specifics. For example, you want to increase the refinement levels of your shoes so you start to notice the shoes that other people are wearing and how they relate to other elements of an outfit and you take note of how certain shoes feel when you wear them.
Want Personalise Outfit Feedback?
If you feel you struggle with figuring out how to improve your outfits and want a more objective and trained style opinion, then join my 7 Steps to Style program – inside you get not only me and my opinion on outfits and what works for you, but also you get feedback from trained by me personal stylists who have great perspectives on how to improve your outfit – it’s seriously like having a personal stylist in your pocket! Just upload your outfit photo to the community, ask for the feedback you need and you’ll get your questions answered! It’s incredibly valuable – find out more here.
Further Reading
How 3-5 Style Guidelines Are All You Need to Be Super Stylish
Why Taking An Outfit Photo Can Really Help You Become More Stylish
Taking a picture of your outfits is a great idea that I will have to try out!
Imogen, these are really great tips for creating an outfit and a personal style aesthetic. I agree that taking outfit photos is a wonderful tool to help with this. My style has evolved more over the past 6 years since I started blogging than it ever did before. And I honestly believe that it is because of the picture taking. You really can look at yourself and your outfit with an outside perspective much more than just looking in a mirror.
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com