My spring ‘style staples’ wish list.

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I recently did a MASSIVE wardrobe cull and damn, it felt good. I ditched the crap I wore while pregnant – the stuff that wasn’t maternity wear, but gave me god-awful flashbacks every time I looked at it. The stuff that we all know I’m never going to fit into again, so there’s no use being in denial. The crap that I wore around the house as a teenager (think daggy old souvenir tee shirts and those over sized ones that have art work with wolves and whales on them – only I wasn’t wearing them ironically). The stuff I’ve bought on a whim (probably while tired and hungry and rushed) and never worn, because in the light of day it turned out to be horrible. I had about three large, stuffed garbage bags worth of terrible things in my wardrobe/floordrobe. There was even the stuff that had sat in the bottom of my washing basket for goodness knows how long because I never knew what to do with it. I got rid of the shoes that hurt me. The shoes that I’d worn out and wrecked long ago. At the time I wondered if I was doing the right thing. I mean, money doesn’t exactly grow on trees. What if I threw everything out (read: good stuff went to charity) and then couldn’t afford to replace it all and ended up with nothing to wear but garbage bags? I thought about selling some of the items on eBay or somewhere similar, but I knew that if I told myself I was going to sell the stuff, I would never get around to it in usual Kez style.

Besides, I kind of loved the idea of some pretty pieces making someone less fortunate’s day when they visited the op shop, praying to find something that wasn’t poofy or old ladyish. None of the things I gave away were horrible – they were just horrible on me!

I am so glad I cleared everything out. Now I look into my wardrobe and I see nothing but wearable items. I have one aspirational LBD from a fashion week sale in Sydney and a couple of higher end party dresses which I don’t quite fit in, but hope to again. But otherwise, it is all stuff I can throw on almost every day. It makes me feel good because I know everything fits and flatters, and it saves me time!

I’m enjoying (very) slowly building my wardrobe again with fresh, new pieces. Lots of cheap and cheerful basics, mixed with the (very) occasional label splurge and I think I’m hitting the right balance.

I’ve got a bit of a style hit list I’m hoping to achieve this spring and even though I am so not a style blogger, I thought I’d share my ideas.

Warm, bright lip colour

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I got hooked on this look during the winter. It’s amazing what a bold lip can do for your confidence. On days where I felt a little flat or boring, I painted my lips a bright red and felt like a rock star all day. Gwen Stefani, eat your heart out. I used to think that lipstick made me look too dressed up for day time errands, but now I feel under dressed without it! It’s a small thing, but it really makes me feel good. Like I’ve got my sh*t together and I’ve gone that extra mile.

Stretchy mini skirts

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While I won’t be wearing mine with flannelette any time soon, I am looking forward to getting my legs out (they need a bit of sunshine). Sure, I have the staple mum shorts and denim cut offs (still a necessary practicality), but some stretchy, easy to wear minis will be another great basic to add to my outfit rotation. They’re not expensive to buy, if you know where to look and they go with almost anything! Dress them up or dress them down – winner! I love that I’m a short arse because the average mini skirt sits at a reasonably modest length on me, so I am not as at risk of “showing what I’ve had for breakfast” as my mum likes to say.

Flowy tops

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When the sun is out, nothing makes me feel more cool and breezy than a bright, flowy top. These can be layered over singlets or as a single layer (probably depending on how sheer they are or how brave you want to be). They go beautifully with the aforementioned mini skirts, or with almost anything, really. They are forgiving during the festive season or more importantly they help hide that bit of winter flab when spring arrives! I always feel good in these tops. They move with you, you feel like you can relax in them (breathe out!) and they flatter almost anyone.

Flat sandals

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I love my heels and wedges but I only get to wear them sometimes. They’re just not practical when you’re running about after a toddler. I know that there will be a lot of day time events as the weather gets better – barbecues, childrens’ birthday parties, casual dinners etc. A cute, flat sandal can add a bit of style. I would choose something in gold, just because it’s great against my skin tone and I tend to favour gold accents and accessories these days, as opposed to silver.

Sparkly nails

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I’m loving a sparkly nail polish right now. The glitter hides the imperfections of its application and it’s cheerful and bright! I’ve been lazily topping up the glitter on my nails every couple of days and you can’t even tell where the chips have been! While glitter can seem a little OTT for some, it suits me just fine because I am usually pretty dressed down in my day to day life so it just adds a little bit of pizazz without being over powering. If I do get a rare chance to dress up, my nails are all ready to go (great when time really gets away from you).

I’m feeling quite enthusiastic about the change in season and I think I’m going to enjoy fashion/style for fashion/style’s sake. The first summer the Little Mister was born, it was all about slap dash improvisation. Fashion was the last thing on my mind. Last summer was all about practicality (I had a little one who was always on the floor and grabbing at my neckline and pulling) and trying to get my bearings – I had a whole new body and was trying to regain confidence after having a baby. This spring onwards, I feel like I can just enjoy working on my ‘look’ and let loose just a little.

Also?

I now know my bra size again. Since I got pregnant, I lost confidence in knowing my body. I had no idea what my bra size was. I kept forgetting. It kept going up and down. It’s nothing like what I was before I had a baby. I had a fitting the other day and I feel so much more comfortable and happy (I was wearing a cup size too small). It’s the simple things. I highly recommend you do the same if you are in the same boat as me.

Wear some nice sunglasses. Last summer I kept forgetting. I now have little sun spot type sun damage around the corners of my eyes. It seriously only took a year for it to appear (and I have naturally tanned skin that hardly burns). I let time get away from me and I was always on the go with the Little Mister. I would do everything to make sure he was safe in the sun and his needs were looked after when we left home, but I forgot myself. Lesson learnt. I have resolved to wearing them when I go out. It’s not the kind of risk I want to take, when it comes to sun safety. For vanity’s sake, it’s also not the best look. I want to age gracefully thank you very much!

I am definitely not at my best weight, but I refuse to let it stop me feeling good about myself. I will continue to try to better my diet and exercise habits and I will celebrate my progress with taking pride in my appearance from day 1 (rather than telling myself I can’t be happy until I reach my goal weight).

What’s on your list for spring style this year (or what was on your list this past spring/summer if you’ve been in the northern hemisphere)?

x

Blogger’s note: All pics have been sourced from Pinterest (links are all included) and I have not been sponsored in any way to promote any of the items shown.