The Style Habits to Form in Your 30s

I recently celebrated my birthday and I’ve being doing lots of reflection of late about all the things have changed since my 20s (mostly in a good way, although I would mind having my twenty-something skin and metabolism back…). Amongst other areas, my thoughts turned to my wardrobe, and how much my approach to fashion has changed now that I’m in my mid-30s. In some ways my tastes have remain unchanged and I still frequently wear a lot of the pieces I’ve had for 10+ years, although now both the heels and hemlines are a little lower (how I used to wear 4″ heels everyday to university is beyond me). But my approach to shopping and building my wardrobe has certainly evolved. Whereas I used to feel the need to buy all the latest seasonal ‘must haves’ (according to the magazines I used to read religiously), nowadays I prioritise quality over quantity, and shopping is more of an exercise in curation than a recreational pastime.

It’s definitely a work in progress, but I like to think I’ve put some solid habits in place to ensure I’m consuming fashion responsibly, but also have a functional wardrobe that makes me happy. Here are the style lessons I learned along the way and live by now:

1. Wear your favourite things often // I’m not suggesting you wear a ballgown to the office, but rather: stop saving your favourite things for a ‘special occasion’. It really hurts to discover that really expensive perfume went off before you could finish it, or that you only wore your favourite dress twice and now it’s too small. So wear your favourite dress to work, your favourite perfume everyday, and pull out your favourite jewellery often – because life is the special occasion!

2. Buy less but better // Not everything needs to be an investment piece, but try to spend most of your wardrobe budget on a few really good quality pieces you know you’ll wear for often or for years (vs amassing a high volume of cheaper pieces that won’t last the year), and save money on anything ‘trendy’ or that you know you’ll wear out quickly. Generally I invest in good bags, shoes, jewellery, underwear and dresses, and save on boring things like socks, jeans, trainers,occasionwear I know I’ll only wear a couple of times a year, and anything too trendy.

3. Impose a ‘one in, one out’ rule // Once you’re in your 30s, chances are you have an abundant wardrobe so anything you buy is usually a ‘want’ rather than an actual ‘need’. If, like me, your wardrobe is at maximum capacity, you can impose a ‘one in, one out’ rule: if you’re going to buy a new piece, which similar item would it replace? It makes you think twice about buying anything new, and ensures that every new purchase is actually an upgrade.

4. Build a multi-tasking wardrobe / One of the positive side-effects of my strange double life (a day job in politics and a blog on the side) was a necessity to seek out the sort of pieces that could take me from a breakfast meeting with a brand, to a full day in the office, to a fashion dinner or drinks with friends after work. As a result I collected lots of go-anywhere dresses and pieces that could work just as well on or off-duty, depending on how I styled them; swap white trainers and a leather jacket for great heels and red lipstick and the same dress, blouse or blazer will work for almost anything. Get out of the habit of buying pieces you’ll only wear once, and instead collect a few dresses that will work for any event that may arise. When in doubt: a chic black dress + classic accessories will never do you wrong.

5. Don’t buy something just because it’s a bargain // When clearing out my wardrobe recently, I realised that almost all the things that had gone unworn were pieces I had bought on sale because they were ‘a bargain’. Now I have a rule that I don’t go to sample sales unless it’s one of the brands I wear all the time, and I don’t buy anything on sale unless it’s a brand I regular shop and an item that was already in my wishlist but couldn’t quite be justified at full price. The same goes for high street fashion. Unless you can’t stop thinking about it, you’re unlikely to reach for it often enough once it’s hanging in your wardrobe. Things don’t need to be expensive, but you shouldn’t buy something just because it’s cheap.

6. Make friends with a tailor // Regardless of size, it is nearly impossible for a single item of clothing to fit all of our beautifully individual shapes and proportions. I used to think it was a waste of money to have clothes tailored, but have since learned it’s a small investment towards a wardrobe full of things that fit just right. Pleats, embellished pieces and lace hems can be tricky to adjust, but otherwise a fit that’s not quite ‘you’ can be easily remedied for around £10. Now at the start of every season, I’ll take a few of my new pieces to the my local dry cleaners (who also do alterations and repairs) and have hems raised, shoulder straps shortened, and waistlines nipped-in and it makes such a difference to how they fit.

7. Learn how to properly look after your things // I think this must me peak adulthood, but I secretly love doing laundry (but still hate ironing). If you’ve invested in nice pieces, there shouldn’t be any reason for them not to last you for years. Treat stains and repairs straightaway. Get a gentle detergent and some laundry bags and you’ll be able to machine wash almost anything on a delicate cycle – I pretty much only dry clean coats and very structured pieces. And as soon as you know you’re keeping a pair of shoes, protect them with a waterproof spray + take every pair (with the exception of trainers) to the cobbler to have a rubber sole put on – it’s inexpensive but should extend the life of your shoes by years.

8. Dress for yourself // Unless a new trend really speaks to you, ignore what’s in fashion. Don’t buy into something just because that’s how everyone else dresses, because you think that’s how a man wants you to look, or because every magazine or cool girl on Instagram is telling you to (I’m looking at you, puffer jackets and ugly sneakers). Instead, find your own style, buy only what you love, and wear whatever it is that makes you feel wonderful.

9. Stop buying things that don’t suit you // Generally I don’t buy into the outdated rules about only wearing pieces that are ‘flattering’ to your size, shape and age. But sometimes I’ve fallen into the trap of buying things just because they look amazing on other people, only to realise they’re completely wrong for me. If something is uncomfortable, makes you feel self-conscious, or it just doesn’t suit your lifestyle, then don’t buy it. For me that means nothing strapless or too short, and no more corporate workwear (freelance life means I can get away with a more business-casual dress code compared to when I worked in Parliament).

10. Celebrate what makes you ‘you’ // Whereas I used to feel like I needed to be more experimental with my style and keep up with trends to stay in fashion (see point 8), I’ve since accepted that I have basically two styles when it comes to my wardrobe: preppy or feminine, depending on the day or season. Rather than feeling boring for always wearing the same things, I’ve learned to lean into my signature styles: bows + feminine details, a little black dress for winter or a floaty midi dress for summer, navy blazers + blue jeans, red lipstick, lots of jewels and pearls with everything. Figure out your style signatures and embrace them.

Wearing: Gap dress (similar style here) // Skinnydip bag (also in black + love this clear version) // Christian Louboutin shoes (past season but similar style here) // ASOS tights // Tom Ford sunglasses // Anthropologie headbands (sold out but similar style here) // Astley Clarke earrings c/- (inexpensive version here) // Astley Clarke necklace c/- // Chanel ring // Bobbi Brown ‘Red Carpet’ lipstick. 

Which style habits have you adopted (or ditched)? I’d love to know if you have any style rules or resolutions you live by too.

Love, Briony xx