Are you in a style rut? What can you do to fix it?

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My dear blogger friend Alicia at Sea of Ghosts wrote a marvellous post yesterday that couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time. She lamented that due to work restrictions and lack of funds she has found herself in one hell of a style rut which is a frustrating and rather ironic place for a fashion blogger to be.

Like Alicia, I also have a ridiculous number of jobs and like Alicia many of those jobs are physically demanding, constantly changing and to be honest pretty filthy which equals Style Rut, population… me.

So far this week I spent Monday researching, writing and doing general admin for which I wore footless tights, a grey t-shirt dress and Mr Smaggle’s hoody. Sad but true. Tuesday was spent visiting suppliers and outsourcing some jewellery work and stressed up to my eyeballs I threw on a charming ensemble of an ugly summer dress with a giant poo-brown cardigan and my studio boots. Sexy. Today my hands were plunged elbow deep in poison so I wore my crud-covered jeans, industrial leather apron and my ever stylish OH&S clogs. I’m feeling Alicia’s pain.

She writes of discarding her sleek yet dark style in favour of a more relaxed aesthetic. I feel similarly in that, once upon a time I would never leave the house with out adding at least two more accessories yet these days I find myself wearing simple hoop earrings with an understated ensemble in neutral tones and little else. What’s up with that?

Is it convenience influencing this shift in me? Is it laziness? Maturity? I decided to write a list to pin point exactly what my beef is with my current style slump and the solutions to send me back into sartorial heaven.

Work

It’s messy, busy and unpredictable.

Solution

Not all jewellers dress like hobos and not all writers dress like Eminem. Note – consider these points and apply to self.

Being too fussy

I need to really love a piece before I’ll part with my hard earned cash.

Solution

Get over it. It won’t be the last grey t-shirt dress you ever buy dude.

Lack of time

I maniacally sewed leather for sixteen hours straight yesterday in my aforementioned ugly summer dress combo with a massive hunk of cereal in my hair that I didn’t notice until Roomy Smaggle got home from work. At 6pm. I ate the cereal for breakfast, you work out the time difference.

Solution

Would it have killed me to take the time to choose a less offensive dress? Comfort doesn’t always mean stretchy pants and giant knickers. Or the complete relaxation of ones personal hygiene resulting in the storage of breakfast food in ones hair.

Exercise

I’m a regular inhabitant of my local gym so at least three times a week I get dressed knowing that I have to change in to gym gear in the near future and I think – what’s the point?

Solution

The point is I look feral enough at the gym so there’s no need to book-end the gym feral with extra hours of feral, am I right?

What about you? Are you in a style rut? Is there anything you can do to change it? What are your problems and solutions? Would love to hear your thoughts!

I can’t guarantee that I can implement all of these changes because sometimes I’m cold, late, feeling lazy or simply out of clean clothes. You know what though? It’s completely acceptable because no one can expect you to wear a ball gown to work. You wear ball gowns to a ball, that’s what they are for.

For Alicia, my friend in cruddy fashion crime.

Love,

Carly

http://www.seaofghosts.com/ Alicia – Sea Of Ghosts

Oh my word, the gym thing totally eats at my angry bone. In fact I’ve pretty much stopped going to the gym because the effort of dressing, showering, redressing, etc is too much to bare.

You know in the last 24 hours I’ve whinged about the “effort” involving in doing basic things so many times that I’ve come to the conclusion I’m just lazy as all shit.

And the best way to fix that would probably be having an invigorating workout.

Fuck.
http://twitter.com/magatha_may Maggie Carey

my style rut is jeans, vest and boyfriend cardi. I usually repeat that outfit at least 4 times a week. Think I need to overhaul my look a little.
http://www.project-kathryn.com kathryn

The showering, changing part always seems like more effort than the actual exercise. I used to go to the gym early mornings so I could do bed-> gym clothes -> shower and change rather than after work and having to change twice a day!
Alison

Oh, your timing couldn’t be more perfect! I moved from a job that most days I could dress fun and cute and have a great time with fashion. I have a great assortment of dresses and skirts and really fun shoes. Now, since May I have been working in a bike shop. Dirty, unpredictable and I can walk to work. Love the walking to work part, but, I’m way to lazy to change once I get here. I have been living in jeans, Tee’s and some sort of hoodie, sweater or jacket. Argh, I miss dressing nice and fun. I look forward to seeing how you guys can solve this problem…
Zoe

My style rut consists of having the same suitcase of clothes to live out of for the last 3 years – yes, I’m travelling, but man I’m sick of the same “go with everything” grey cardis and striped tees!! I have been adding little bits and pieces to my cardi-tee-jeans/grey skirt regulars – chopped a scarf up and added ruffles down the front of one cardi, spotted grosgrain ribbon in a random folded “caterpillar” on one shoulder of another. Worked well for summer/autumn, but I’m seriously DREADING winter where I definitely go back to a “uniform” and can’t afford cute cold weather stuff (nor see the point – what will I do with them back in Queensland?!!!!). I work from home – hello trackies and fleece
http://www.nessbow.webs.com Nessbow

When I get into a style rut, my solution is to clean out my wardrobe. I usually find a couple of forgotten pieces. Then, I make a pact with myself to work them into my everyday wear for the next week. Works a treat.
Rach Westrum

I’ve worked in a vintage inspired boutique for two and a half years. I like dressing like I’m going to a party five days a week, but at some point every summer I realize that most people can’s tell if I spent 15 or 50 minutes fussing with my hair, makeup and accessories. So I end up wearing my hair the same couple of ways with the same makeup and pairing nice silk dresses with flats that I can only still wear because I super-glued the sole back to one toe. Yikes.

My favorite pick-me-ups are new silk flowers for my hair and dramatic eye makeup. Planning an outfit around a single makeup item or accessory makes me focus more on everything else I put on AND makes me feel like a grown up My Little Pony
Smaggle

I feel the same! I become a little disillusioned in summer as well. There’s only so many ways you can wear a dress!
Smaggle

I remember travelling in my early twenties. I wanted to BURN everything by the time I got back.
Smaggle

I just cannot drag myself out of the house in the morning. And I always end up forgetting something if I pack my stuff.

Smaggle