Taking Selfies to Figure Out Your Style

I’ve been trying to find my style, and seriously it has been challenging! When I look at my wardrobe, I see a lot of odds and ends that don’t really match each other. I see my typical home attire of jeans or yoga pants and t shirts, hoodies. But then I see nicer clothes that get pushed to the back of my closet for those times I want to look more put together.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a mix match wardrobe! I’m not the kind of person to scrap everything and create a capsule wardrobe of thirty pieces that look nearly identical. That just isn’t me, and it probably isn’t you either. Men can pull that off rather easily, however it is very feminine to mix up your look.

Photos are so revealing! You can learn a lot about how your clothes fit by taking selfies, along with learning what you love about your current wardrobe and what would be fun to change. This is also a great project to try before a date or job interview. It gives you the benefit of understanding how your clothes look, before you commit to an outfit.

Here is my method of taking selfies!

1. Find a spot in your home where you can close the door and be comfortable.

2. If you have a point and click camera, it should have a self-timer mode. Learn how to set that in your camera manual or online. The best setting on my own camera for selfies is the auto setting, which self-adjusts focus.

3. Place your camera across the room from you, ideally on a table or shelf with a small box or stack of books under it. Aim the camera toward the spot where you plan to stand. Then press the button, and a light should come on along with potentially a beeping sound. Give the camera a few seconds to auto focus before you step into frame. Then step in the frame and get the photo.

4. Lighting is important, but with today’s editing software it is easy to bump up the brightness, to a certain extent. Make sure there are overhead lights in the room you are in. I take photos day or night, and typically they turn out great as far as lighting goes. The key is to let the camera focus before you step into the frame. Use bright light, or daylight if possible.

   5. The idea is not to take pics of yourself when you already know you look sloppy, lol! If an outfit makes you feel good, take a photo. Experiment with pairing different pieces from your closet together. Choose accessories or other fashion elements for your looks. Try to get photos of yourself in the clothes you wear the most, and what you wear for going out.

Selfies can really help you figure out what clothes make you feel the most confident in your wardrobe, and fine tune your look. You never know how clothes really look on you until you take a photo! The great thing about selfies is you can close the door and get in front of the camera without anyone else seeing you. It gives you privacy to play with your style. Once the photos are finished, go back through and look at them all! Take some notes about the things you like and what you wish were different. If there are certain pieces you want to stop wearing, do that! Bring in some things to make yourself confident and refined.

Reasons for Defining Your Personal Style

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.” - Orson Wells

Lately I’ve been giving my own personal style a lot of thought! I’ve been researching personal style by way of books and even a class I’m taking. I signed up for a suite of classes hosted by Kimberly Wilson, author of “Hip, Tranquil Chic”. Truth is though, I’m taking what she says with a huge grain of salt. She only wears black, which seems like a “safe” way to dress. It doesn’t seem all that risk taking to just suit up in black clothes every day? I might have a bias though, because I love color! And I love experimenting with clothes, because it is just plain fun.

Here are my reasons for trying to define my personal style! I’m going to document my process on the blog, with hopes that someone out there might be grappling with some of the same questions.

1. I am tired of wasting money on clothes that don’t work. It might seem cute on a model online, but once a lot of items get home and I actually try them on, many pieces just flat out either don’t fit right, are uncomfortable or wind up going unused. Also, clothes have gotten way more expensive! And I already have plenty of clothes, I don’t need anything from a store.

2. I have too many clothes. And I know the quick answer is to just donate everything extra, or give it away. Even though thrift stores are a great step in helping reduce the impacts of fast fashion, I don’t think they quite go far enough. Because really, even thrifting encourages the cycle of production. If you think about it, the more people buy, the more businesses create. I just want to buy less clothes in general. I am interested in thrifting, but I don’t rush it. Typically clothes sit for an entire year unworn in my closet before I thrift those pieces, just to be sure I won’t wear or alter them in the future.

3. It is hard to take care of a huge wardrobe. I have about ten loads of laundry to wash on any given week. So a lot of it doesn’t get done often enough. I’m looking to streamline down to just what I need to get through a week and a half, and then upcycle or sell the rest. I will not be throwing pieces away though, because storing some back up clothes is always a good idea. That way, I won’t have to buy anything for a long time to come.

4. I’m going through a transitional time. Now that I’m 45, I’ve been reassessing my wardrobe. But not quite in the way you might think! I just want to rock my upcycled clothes on a more regular basis. A lot of women get to 45 and want to dress more matronly, but that isn’t my intention. I’m not actually trying to “dress my age” at all. I more want to express myself with clothes more of the time. Life has transitions; age related, work related or otherwise. Those are great times to redefine your style!

5. I want my clothes to make me feel more confident. You know that feeling you get when you are wearing something that makes you put your best self forward? I want that feeling more of the time.

Those are my main reasons for defining my personal style! You probably have some good reasons of your own to add to the list. You just know when it’s time to redefine your personal style. Especially when you open your closet and can’t find anything you want to wear. I’ve got more posts coming soon on this topic so be on the lookout!

Ideas for Sewing with Bandanas

I purchased two packs of bandanas on Amazon two years ago, hoping to wear them as head coverings. One pack was made with a polyester fabric, which is super slick and doesn’t breathe. The other was just a bit too small. So the packs of bandanas have been in one of my bins in the sewing room, taunting me, beckoning me, playing with my head! After they played with my emotions for a while, I finally decided enough is enough! I set out to use up those bandanas, and came up with some clothes I’m excited to wear this fall.

The great thing about bandana packs is they come in sets with an assortment of colors. They aren’t usually safe to iron though, and the fabric can be somewhat questionable because they are cheap. Another peculiar thing is they are often slightly off in size. And the fabric is typically really thin, which can pose some challenges while sewing. Just be sure to use a solid zig zag stitch on the edges so the bandanas don’t fray if you decide to trim to a raw edge.

If you love bandanas like I do, or even just need some fresh inspiration, here are some ideas for sewing with bandanas! They are seventies chic, and oh so cool! Some of these would even make great gift ideas for the holidaze coming up.

1. Decorate with ‘em! You could deck out a living room or bedroom on the cheap. Think bandana curtains, a little bandana blanket, bandana pillows. You could drop twenty bucks on bandanas and add some of your own materials and completely redo a room for pennies!

2. Sew a bag or backpack! Fall is perfect for hikes in the woods, and campfires. If you want a Pinterest-worthy fall bag, look no further than a bandana bag.

3. Use bandanas to sew all kinds of clothes! Bell bottoms, skirts, tops. One thing to remember is bandanas are often pretty thin, so you might have to line the clothing to make the fabric more substantial.

4. Make eco items with them. Reusable shopping tote bags, handkerchiefs, etc.

5. Cover a notebook or journal, or use in a junk journaling project.

6. Do a bathroom makeover, and trim towels and a bath rug with bandanas!

7. Sew a bunch together to create a quilt for your bed. Just sew a patchwork of bandanas together, and then line with faux fur fabric with a couple of layers of batting in between for a super plush quilt.

8. Wrap gifts with bandanas for the holidaze.

9. Last but certainly not least, rock them as a head wrap! If you haven’t tried this at least once, you haven’t really lived! LOL!

The list is really endless. Bandanas are like precut squares, but I love the way they look because they are so reminiscent of Seventies style. They are fun to create with because you can use them as is and whip up all kinds of things really fast. I hope this post inspires you to get sewing! I’m getting back in the sewing room to dream up a way to use the rest of my bandanas.

Epolstyle on Etsy

It is not every day that I come across a store that blows my mind….but for the last two months I’ve wanted a dress! Not just any old dress, but a dress that stands for my values…a dress where I can wear my heart on my sleeve.

Enter Epolstyle on Etsy! Her makes are what upcycling clothing is all about! When you see her pieces you can tell that so much effort and care goes into everything she creates. April’s designs are top notch hippie meets grunge. So I ordered some things from her, and asked her a few questions! It’s fun to be fans of Etsy sellers, because many of them are so quirky and generous of heart. And that sums up the maker behind Epolstyle!

upcycled dress by epolstyle on etsy

I asked April of Epolstyle a few questions about her makes. I wanted to understand how she got her start, and learn more about her design process. When you see her designs they make you just feel good! What is the secret sauce that goes into that design?

April Marie said, “When I was 12, I wanted to go to a dance. My mom couldn’t afford to get me a dress, and I decided to make my own. I grabbed one of her button up tops and began to rework it until I had my dress. Sewn by hand. I was teased of course, because handmade was not the cool thing, but I didn’t care. I loved it. From then on, I just did my own thing.”

“When I first really began to create for the public, it was patchwork skirts and bags…. Slowly expanding…. My emotions inspire most of my more elaborate designs. Usually sorrow. It sounds funny, but out of the ashes comes a Phoenix! I inspire easily. A funny hat, or a character in a movie…. I would love to change the way the industry views the size gaps. I began intertwining my sizes to fit multiple bodies. As someone who has fluctuated in weight my entire life, it is sad To find a piece I love, and can’t wear because it is Ill fitted or not intended for my body. No matter what my size is at that time. My goal has always been to blow up those lines, and make my pieces to fit all the bodies that love them!”

Pacman bag by Epolstyle on Etsy

What I love most about April’s makes, is that she isn’t afraid to have fun with her designs! Each piece is carefully crafted to be comfortable, colorful and out of this world! Epolstyle has an Instagram and Facebook! Follow her to stay in the know about new releases, updates, sales and more!

Epolstyle on Instagram

Epolstyle Shop on Etsy

"The Re:fashion Wardrobe" by Portia Lawrie

Alright…so I think I have been living under a rock for the past few years! Because I kept searching for upcycling books and not finding what I was looking for. Once I changed my search to “sew clothes”, it opened up a doorway to a bunch of incredible books!

This gem of a book, “The Re:fashion Wardrobe”, is a great book for women who want to take pieces in or who have lost weight. You know when you lose a bunch of weight and suddenly all your clothes are too big? or do you have a bunch of men’s oversized items to alter? If you have either of those quandries…this book is perfect for you!

There are lots of projects for working with oversized men’s button down shirts. And for altering jeans and pants. The projects in the book are polished and preppy! Think uber stylish woman who lives in a swanky loft downtown kind of swanky! Or for the woman who loves a streamlined capsule wardrobe with basic colors and finely crafted fitted pieces.

My favorite part of the entire book is the intro about the clothing waste cycle. The author puts a huge emphasis on the carbon footprint of clothes. Which are lessons we can all stand to really learn more about and take to heart.

So, yeah, I recommend this book! The projects look very achievable and you will come away with a whole new skillset on custom tailoring your clothes!