History in the Making

2018 Style Resolutions

One of the few benefits of only sleeping 3-4 hours a night is that you have a good amount of time to think and plan. A lot of what I’ve been focusing on lately has been my wardrobe, for a few reasons: 1) it keeps me occupied, 2) I have to figure out if I like the pieces I like because I truly enjoy them for myself, and 3) there is an entire world of style and fashion information out there to keep even the most distracted insomniac focused. Making overall resolutions and plans is too overwhelming at the moment, but deciding on style resolutions is manageable (and useful); these are my 2018 style resolutions.
2018 Style Resolutions

1) Cull My Wardrobe for Fit and Wear
I’ve lost a great deal of weight in the last bit, and now much of my wardrobe doesn’t fit. I don’t plan on getting rid of it immediately, but I do plan on going through my wardrobe and putting anything aside that doesn’t fit properly. In 2-3 months, if they still don’t fit, they will be donated and/or recycled! It is far better to have fewer items that fit properly rather than many that don’t, right? I also plan on culling it for clothing that is past it’s expiration date- faded, stretched, seen better days? Into the rag pile you go. Hanging onto things does no good for anyone, so it’s time to let things go.
pants-1637097_1920
2) Create and Maintain a Wardrobe Inventory 
This will probably take a while, as I’m on the hunt for an app/system that will allow me to catalogue (with photos) my entire wardrobe. (I’m on all Android/Google devices, and it seems to be an area that is sorely lacking.) Before I buy something, I will be able to quickly look at my whole wardrobe and see if it is actually filling a hole, or if it’s just an extraneous purchase. Duplicates of some things aren’t necessarily bad, but I will hopefully avoid multiples for no reason. It will also help me to see more patterns and trends within my wardrobe, further helping me hone my style. If you do know of an app or system that works across operating systems, please let me know!
cabinet-1853504_1920
3) Stick Within My Style 
My style is fairly classic, but every once in a while, a more trendy piece grabs my eye. While theoretically this shouldn’t be an issue, it usually only fits into my wardrobe tangentially and sticks out like a sore thumb whenever I look at my closet. Sure, I enjoy it for the first few wears but then it quickly becomes frustrating. Every piece has to pass the five year piece- no matter what the trends are in five years, will I still be able to wear this without looking dated?  My overall style is mine because I love it throughout the years, and I need to keep that at the forefront when I’m looking at new pieces.
J Crew Perfect Fit Black Tartan
4) Take a Few Risks 
This isn’t really so much in regards to my style (see point three above), but just in regards to finding pieces. I’ve decided to buy myself a purse that is all mine with no memories, and I’ve been eyeing a few different Fossil models for probably the last four to five months. Well, I scoured around and found the exact model and colour on eBay and decided to go for it. Normally I’m fairly hesitant to buy anything off of eBay, but with eBay buyer protection and PayPal’s buyer protection (and the lower price point by saving), I decided to take the risk. If it is in fact the genuine purse I hope, I will have saved over $100 CAD and ended up with the colour I want instead of settling for what is left. (I will try to do a post on my eBay experience, real or fake, after it arrives.)

Fossil Emma SatchelVia 6pm.com

5) Educate Myself 
This is the year that I’m going to educate myself on style and fashion. I’ve started with handbags, but I intend to learn about handbags, jewellery, fabrics, cuts, sewing, creation, marketing, everything. I am hoping that it will help me to make more informed choices in my shopping and wardrobe, and possibly even allow me to slowly take more of a role in my pieces. (I’m quite interested in rescuing vintage handbags the more that I read about it.) I’ve found a few Goodreads lists that are full of non-fiction reads on style, fashion, and everything that could possibly be related. It does seem a bit overwhelming at first, but focusing on one area at a time makes it far more manageable.


 
I know that choosing only style related resolutions is considered by many to be frivolous and self-indulgent. I am hoping that as the year progresses, I might be able to start looking at other areas of my life, but this seems like an okay place to start.
What are your 2018 style goals? 
Until tomorrow,
The Historian
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Bloglovin’



42 thoughts on “2018 Style Resolutions”

  • I want to experiment with my style! Go beyond what I usually feel comfortable in. Sometimes I let my own anxiety about myself get in the way of dressing how I want to dress, so embracing my outfit!

    • I have that issue, as well- I get an idea in my head that something doesn’t work for my shape, and write it off completely, even though it might not be true at all. It’s certainly something I need to work on!

      • Yes also I have learned that if you are trying something new, because you’ve never seen yourself in that piece of clothing or accessory, because it’s unfamiliar
        to you, you feel like it looks bad WHEN IT ONLY LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU NORMALLY WEAR! Incorporating new trends always ends up not being so bad especially after wearing it more than a few times!

  • Those are great goals! I love sorting through my closet, it’s such an engaging and relaxing pastime. I’ve had time to indulge in it over the holidays and have resolved to dress slightly less casually for work. Like, maybe only wear a hoodie once a week and dust off the skirts. Consequently, I’ve also resolved to tell the one creepy old guy to quit commenting on my clothes every. single. time. I wear a skirt – he was the reason I stopped wearing skirts to the office in the first place.
    I love the purse you picked, by the way!

  • I am imagining something like clueless where you wake up each morning and use the app to help you plan what to wear. That movie was ahead of its time!! 😉
    I hope you are okay and not losing too much weight. It’s cold over there, you need insulation! Anyway, I’m sending all the hugs.

    • That is my dream closet, but alas, I don’t know that anyone outside of Crazy, Rich Asians has that sort of closet 🙁 Thankfully we have three days of warmer weather, but I’ve been double layering up!

  • I share in your Android/Google Play frustration. A lot of the time when I’m browsing blogs for productivity & organization apps, they only include Apple Store apps – Booo! Android 4 Life!! ? Anyway, I have been going through my clothes to choose what to keep and what to give away as well, and although I’ve only used it for maybe a week, Smart Closet is an app I’d definitely recommend.
    Additionally, have you ever looked into StitchFix? If not, it’s a personal shopping subscription service which quizzes you about your style and sends you 5 or 6 items of clothing/accessories to try. If you like something, your subscription fee goes towards the amount of the item(s), and you send back anything you don’t want. I only tried it once, because the fee isn’t an extra expenditure I can afford right now, but I liked that I could try on a few things at home (especially brands I can’t easily find nearby) and the selections were items I would definitely wear.
    While I’ve never really paid a lot of attention to my clothing, this year I’m going to try to stop wearing jeans to work everyday (I have a very lax office) so that I can start paying attention to what I’m wearing, and so I can actually, consciously, look forward to wearing the clothes in my closet instead of just throwing on whatever my hand happens to grab.
    Happy 2018! ?

    • Finally, someone who feels my Android pain!! I’ve downloaded Smart Closet- this is PERFECT. Thank you for sharing it with me!! I am interested in trying a service like Stitch Fix, but there are only a few in Canada, and they are quite expensive comparatively. Because I keep a running list of items that I need to find, I wonder if a service would let me limit what kinds of things I want- ie. Breton tops, paper bag skirts, etc. That would really tip my decision!! And the jeans option for work is very tempting. If I do wear jeans, it’s usually with a collared shirt and sweater, typically with loafers to dress it up some. I usually default to a skirt or dress, I need to mix it up more!!

      • Oh you are so welcome! I need to mix it up too – I feel so much more confident and have higher self-esteem when I’m wearing more fashionable, put-together outfits; I’m hoping some steps out of my clothing comfort zones will help.

    • The Curated Closet is a FANTASTIC read!! I think that anyone wanting to learn more about style needs to start there- it provides so many building blocks and really helps you identify your personal style

  • A few comments here. This is such a smart post and I really enjoyed reading it. It sounds like you and I have somewhat similar taste. If I could afford any store in the world, it would be Anthropologie. Since I can’t afford full priced items at Antropologie, I buy things at Francesca’s and Target. Anyway, I need to do this. It’s such a great idea. Since blogging and no longer working at fashion companies, I’ve let my style slide downhill. Although I seem to have a ton more money in my account, I still miss fashion. Very good resolution! And my last comment, have you thought about developing your own app? I’m seeing dollar signs as you are right, I don’t believe there is an app out there.

    • Aww, thank you 🙂 After reading the Curated Closet, I really started paying closer attention to my closet. Anthropologie is hit and miss for me, only because most things are far too tall/long for me, but they have such gorgeous pieces!! I’m mostly shopping at J Crew lately, and Banana Republic. What did you do in fashion??? How did I not know you worked in the industry?? And I don’t trust my tech skills for an app, haha. Apparently Stylebook is working on an Android version but I think it’s said that for over a year- I’m guessing if they wanted it, it would have already been done 🙁

      • It’s not something I’ve really talked about but given the stories I have, I should. Hmm….possible blog post??? I graduated in Fashion Merchandising and interned with Ralph Lauren in NYC for a summer. I then went on to work as a new store coordinator for Express. After that I worked as a merchandise coordinator, planner, etc. at several well known brands. Columbus, Ohio has a TON of fashion brands thanks to Lbrands. I now want to read Curated Closet so thank you for the suggestion!

  • Smart Closet gets good reviews, I haven’t used it as I’m on iOS, but it’s supposed to be similar to Stylebook in how it work. It’s run by ShopStyle, so also has a feature where it will notify you when things go on sale, so if you have a gap you need to fill in your wardrobe you might be able to get it for a bargain! Could be dangerous though…! x

    • I just downloaded it- it’s taking a bit of time to upload the images but I already love it 🙂 ShopStyle is one of my favourite sites to browse, so the fact that they are integrated makes me very happy!

  • I think style resolutions are a great place to start! There was an Yves Saint Laurent exhibit in Seattle last year that was amazing—got me interested in the history of style. It’s fascinating!

    • YSL is such a fascinating figure- I’ve slowly been making my way through the biographies of different designers and moved from Coco Chanel (whom I detest) to Yves (who was the best surprise). Dior is one of my favourite houses, though- I might be biased!

  • My resolution is to stop buying new clothes! I have so many clothes, I’ve done a recent clear out but I really don’t need to buy any more!

  • You’ve inspired me to put The Curated Closet on my reading list. I have been feeling lately, as I buy more appropriate and well made clothing, that I have too much.

  • I like it 🙂 Don’t know if there are any good textile museums out there but if so (and you’re up for it) you could check them out. That way you can see if you still like the history aspect while learning about the clothing (or shoes etc). If you stay longer in Toronto, The Bata Shoe Museum is great- and reasonably priced!

    • I did go to the National Museum of Ireland at the barracks to see their textile exhibitions, it was quite interesting! And I’m so sad that I will miss the Dior exhibition at ROM!!

  • THere’s an app!!! I was going to use it but sadly I don’t have an iPad and the way it looks on iPhone is not cool. It’s called StyleBook. Yes you have to pay for the app, but I’ve heard fabulous things about it and I’ve been putting off getting it myself. You can pair things together and save when you last wore it so it also helps with cleaning out the things you haven’t worn in a while!

  • I’ve always avoided taking risks when it comes to style even though deep down in my heart I know I can pull off multiple slaying looks. This year I’m taking risks with my appearance… wish me luck!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

If you are interested in exclusive:

-history posts
-book previews and recommendations
-period drama reviews
-article, podcast, and book list recommendations
-current royal news analysis,

Please consider subscribing to my twice-monthly Substack newsletter! 

You have successfully subscribed to the newsletter

There was an error while trying to send your request. Please try again.

An Historian About Town will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing.
%d bloggers like this: