Do you watch MasterChef?
Being a passionate cook, I love it, it’s my Autumn TV binge!
I find seeing what the contestants come up with under such pressure amazing.
Sometimes they have a recipe to follow but generally, they have to rely on their creativity.
I see a definite connection between cooking and styling. Really? Yes! They both involve having the right ingredients, some inspiration, being creative, and enjoying the outcome.
Some of the similarities I see between cooking a yummy dish and putting a great outfit together are:
Here I’d like to share with you my recipe for putting together great autumn/winter outfits
I recommend making a date with your wardrobe, say a few hours on a weekend, the essence is to try everything on in lots of different ways with the aim of creating as many fabulous outfits as you can.
1 – GATHER YOUR INGREDIENTS
– Tops
– Bottoms – pants, shirts and jeans
– Dresses
– Jackets, Vests, Cardis
– Shoes, Boots, Bags
– Accessories
2 – COMBINE WELL
STEP 1 – Take all of your favourite tops out of the wardrobe and draws and lay them in the middle of the bed. Do you have an interesting array of flattering colours, prints, fabrics, necklines and collars?
STEP 2 – Get out all of your bottoms: pants, skirts and jeans and lay them at the bottom of the bed. Try them on with your various tops, think about proportion and colour combinations.
STEP 3 – Collect your dresses, they serve as a top and bottoms
STEP 4 – Gather your favourite jackets, vests, cardis and lay them at the top of your bed. Again, try them on with your various top and bottom combinations you’ve just created and your dresses and work out the combinations you love. You can be as conservative or eclectic as you like.
STEP 5 – Bring out your shoes, boots and bags and work out which ones best harmonize with your outfits you’ve created. When choosing these you may like to match them to each other but also I encourage you to think about which ones ‘coordinate’ together as well as coordinate with your outfit.
STEP 6 – The finishing touch – accessories. Whether it’s a fantastic necklace, a chic belt, a gorgeous scarf, textured tights, a luxe handbag or some fabulous sunglasses, a well-chosen accessory has the power to instantly enhance or completely transform your outfit. So now, think about each outfit you’ve created and work out which accessories compliment. Some ideas here are; coordinate a necklace, scarf or belt with your shoes or boots or match your tights with your hair colour to coordinate your colour scheme.
3 STORE AND ENJOY
Photograph each outfit as you go, keep them in a folder on your phone to avoid those ‘what am I going to wear’ moments…
This is essentially what I do when I do a Wardrobe Edit with a client.AND they are always surprised and delighted at just how many outfits we put together from their existing wardrobe.
So, what are you waiting for? I know you will discover new and interesting outfits that you can wear with confidence that attract compliments.
Make your wardrobe work hard and enjoy the Autumn/Winter Wardrobe Recipes you come up with!
Love your style,
Amanda Curren is the woman behind The Style Manifesto. And she's a woman on a mission: To show you (and everyone you and I know) how to easily achieve style confidence.
