The New Rules of Getting Dressed

There was a time when getting dressed meant following the rules. Certain colours belonged together. Certain silhouettes belonged to certain occasions. A dress was for dinner. Trainers were for weekends. Work clothes belonged to work. The interesting thing about personal style is that the rules have become much less interesting. Today, the most compelling wardrobes are often built around a simple idea: wear what makes sense for the life you actually live. Not the life you think you should be living.

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“Style begins when you stop dressing for an imaginary audience.”

Start with what you reach for

Look at your wardrobe honestly. Which pieces do you wear repeatedly? Which ones make you feel like yourself? Which ones have survived multiple wardrobe clear-outs because you instinctively keep reaching for them? Those pieces are telling you something. Your personal style is probably already there. You may simply need to pay closer attention to it. Instead of building a wardrobe around trends, build around patterns. The colours you repeatedly choose. The shapes you feel comfortable in. The fabrics you enjoy wearing. The shoes you can walk through an entire day in.

Four questions worth asking before you buy

• Would I wear this more than once?
• Does it work with what I already own?
• Does it suit my actual life?
• Would I still want it without the trend attached to it?

The trend 1. Viral silhouettes 2. Seasonal colours 3. Micro-trends 4. Constant newness

The personal 1. What fits your life 2. What feels comfortable 3. What reflects your personality 4. What you will still love next year

The most important piece is confidence

There is no universal definition of being well dressed. For one woman, it might be an immaculate suit. For another, it might be a loose dress, flat sandals and jewellery collected over years. The point is not to arrive at the same answer. It is to develop your own. The strongest personal style often feels effortless because it has been considered long before anyone sees it.

Perhaps the new rule is that there are no rules. Only a better understanding of yourself. And a wardrobe that finally reflects it. The point is not to arrive at the same answer. It is to develop your own. The strongest personal style often feels effortless because it has been considered long before anyone sees it.