Style evolution is something that fascinates me. How certain outfits can pinpoint a moment in time. A phase. A life transition. I think it’s one of the reasons why I’ve felt compelled to share my own style journey, as looking back I can see the shifts and changes that I’ve undergone since my late teens.
Uniqlo U knitted tank (old but similar here); Witchery wide leg jeans (old but similar here); Nine West pointed toe flats; Acne Studios musubi bag; Monica Vinader chain bracelet (20% off with code JAMIELEE20); Linjer necklace; Rosefield watch; & Other Stories sunglasses
More specifically, I wanted to hone in on what a style defining moment adopting a sense of minimalism in my outfits was. Previously, I’d taken to wearing bold flashy prints daily. My closet was awash with colour and vibrancy, so it’s little wonder that I generally felt like I had nothing to wear. It was all so loud. To me, it felt like I’d worn an item 100 times, even if in reality is was only just a handful. The journey began as I started to feel the burden of my closet weighing down on me, and chased the desire of having great staples that worked back with each other with ease. That’s what we all want, right? A functional wardrobe.
It set me up on my mission to find perfection (which, side note, doesn’t exist). But more so, once I had the basics nailed down (again, and again), to start identifying more nuanced details which felt inherently me, but could function or hold the place of a “basic”.
The idea here being that, a black tank with some sort of defined texture or a slightly capped shoulder detail would be more interesting than a simple cotton muscle tank. And by default, feel more exciting to wear. Which, when your closet is comprised of 95% basics, can be the difference between loving an outfit, or hating it. While it might not seem immediately apparent in the photos above, it’s those little details which make the otherwise basic equation of tank + jeans + pointed toe flats feel like “me”.
Once I stopped focusing on having a “super cute” top to have a nice outfit, I was able to realise what it was that I actually felt good in. What combinations I could reach for without fail, knowing they’d be great. More effort put into fit, form and function, and less on obvious optics. And I think more about accessorising. How pulling my hair back, or leaving it loose will translate. Whether a bold red lip might add a much needed pop. Or how chunky or refined I want my jewellery to be; is it the “star”, or an accent?
More recently, it’s been a shift in mindset. In once again embracing more capsule elements in my closet; a core set of items which form the foundation, and complementing it with other items that lack the same versatility. And not just that, but embracing simplicity. Loving a shirt with jeans, which previously felt so basic, but is now fresh with a change in styling. The shirt worn partly buttoned and fully untucked.
It’s this less is more approach, which has revived a sense of excitement in dressing in simplistic outfits, just with nuanced details.
