The Psychology of Creative Constraints Somewhere along the way, many of us picked up a neat idea. Creativity means freedom. No rules, no limits, a blank canvas and a big box of paints. So when it comes to clothes, the advice sounds kind: “Just wear whatever you like!” And then you stand in front of…
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You have 200 pins saved. Three style boards. A folder of screenshots you took mid-scroll because something about that outfit spoke to you. And you still stood in front of your wardrobe this morning and felt like you still have nothing to wear, or you just don’t know how to put an outfit together from…
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It’s All About Stress Picture the week from hell. The deadline moved. The kids, the boss or the parent needs you. You got four hours of sleep. On Monday morning, you stand at the wardrobe, and your hand does what it always does. It grabs the black trousers and the grey top. On Tuesday, you…
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Every year a forecaster unveils a colour and tells us what it says about how the whole world is feeling. Calm. Hope. A fresh start. A few months later the shops fill up with it, and plenty of women buy it without asking the only question that really matters: does this colour actually like me?…
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The Psychology of Dressing “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” It’s one of those phrases that’s been repeated so often it’s lost most of its meaning, filed away with other bits of advice nobody quite believes any more. Which is a shame, because there’s genuine psychology behind it, and it’s…
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I know the feeling of standing in front of a full wardrobe with nothing to wear. It’s one of the most common things the women I work with tell me too. It’s easy to think that your wardrobe is lacking; it needs a new garment or two, more options, more choice. That doesn’t work unless…
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You know the outfit. The jeans that always fit, the tee or jumper that goes with everything, the one you reach for without properly looking at it because your hand already knows where it lives in the wardrobe. On the mornings you’re rushed, tired or simply not up for a decision, it feels like the…
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The denim jacket is a staple in many wardrobes. It’s a fashion classic in many ways; it’s around decade after decade and can be a great item to throw over so many outfits. It’s a wardrobe staple for many, so let’s make sure you buy the right ones for you. So how do you choose…
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“I just don’t have a creative bone in my body when it comes to clothes.” I hear some version of this constantly, usually from women who are clever, capable and creative in every other part of their life. They’ll happily design and plant a gorgeous garden, talk someone through a complicated work problem, or throw…
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The Difference Between Wearing Clothes and Wearing Your Clothes Nothing is actually wrong. The fit works, the colours coordinate, and everything is technically doing its job. Yet when you look in the mirror, something feels a little absent. The clothes are there. You aren’t quite there yet. You haven’t done anything wrong. You’ve just done…
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Ask most women what counts as “being creative”, and you’ll get the same short list. Painting. Writing. Playing Music. Maybe baking, if we’re being generous. Getting dressed doesn’t make the cut. It sits filed away under admin or as a daily chore, somewhere between unloading the dishwasher and replying to emails you’ve been avoiding. I’d…
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Have you ever noticed that there are some pieces in your wardrobe that just feel like you? You put them on, and somehow the outfit falls into place. You feel more comfortable, more confident, more recognisable to yourself. It may not even be dramatic. A favourite jacket shape. A particular colour. A print you keep…
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The Real Reason You Keep Buying Clothes You Never Wear Open your wardrobe right now. Somewhere in there is a top you loved in the shop and have worn twice. A jacket that seemed like a great idea and now just takes up hanger space. Maybe a dress with the tags still on, because the…
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There’s a dress in most wardrobes that hasn’t been worn in years. It doesn’t fit, or the life it belonged to no longer exists, or both. Letting go of clothes like this should be simple. In practice, it rarely is, and it’s still hanging there, taking up its little rectangle of space, refusing to leave.…
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Yes, Retail Therapy Works. Here’s the Bit Instagram Left Out. Every so often, a piece of research escapes the journals and goes for a wander round social media, and you’ll have seen this one. Some version of: good news, lovely people, science says shopping actually makes you happier, the effect lasts, and you’re not even…
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Go and look in your wardrobe right now. I’ll wait. You almost certainly own a jacket you’ve stopped wearing, not because you dislike it, but because it never quite feels right. You couldn’t tell me exactly why. It just sits there looking a little off, until eventually it gets pushed to the back and replaced…
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It Was Never the Purchase in the Bag. It Was the Choosing. Here’s a small mystery worth sitting with. You’ve had a rotten day, you’re feeling down. You go shopping, and you feel better. We all know this happens, and most of us are faintly embarrassed by it, because the obvious explanation is a bit…
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I have clients with jackets in their wardrobes that seem like they should be good, but they never reach for them. Nothing is wrong with it technically. Yet when they do try it on, it’s off five minutes later, because even though it might be in fashion, it might even “fit” there is something that’s…
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When the news came in this morning about the death of the legend and diva Dolly Parton, I was saddened, not because I’m a big country music fan (sorry to those who are; it’s just not my genre), but because I am a big fan of Dolly. She had so many wonderful traits. As someone…
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Fifty colours. That’s exactly how many are in my Absolute Colour System palette swatches. And they are a great guide to the 50 000 you could potentially wear. And you’ll look gorgeous when you wear them. But it can feel overwhelming at times when shopping for your wardrobe. It’s hard to build a wardrobe around…
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You Bought It for a Woman Who Doesn’t Exist Yet Go and open your wardrobe. Not metaphorically, actually go and look. Somewhere in there, I’d put money on it, is a garment with the tags still on or never worn. Something a size down from where you are. Something for the gallery opening you don’t…
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