Personal style, and in turn our wardrobes can be developed, improved and refined. In order to do this effectively setting clear, concise well thought out goals is important. Developing and exploring personal style within the individual setting of your life, values motivation and ideals is a skill. Just like any other skill it takes practice and one of my favorite things GOALS!
I hosted a challenge last year on Instagram around setting style and wardrobe goals. I even shared worksheets and templates on my Buy Me a Coffee to help define those goals. The advice I gave everyone participating in this Wardrobe and style goal setting?
"The most important thing to remember when setting your goals for your wardrobe/style is to be super clear the goals and the motivation behind it. Get specific."
One challenge with wardrobe and style goals may also be difficult to measure and gauge, making it hard for you to determine whether or not you are making any real progress toward your goal. However there are more metics than you might immediately consider. Things like budget, wardrobe count or even how many hangers you have empty (or have to purchase) are easily recognizable. But others, like cost per wear take a little more work to document.
I spent my of last year considering my consumption. Of course a major consideration then was my purchasing, and there was a lot of focus on the number of items I purchased. I started with pretty curated wardrobe, of a manageable size I was mostly happy with. My intent was to maintain that, and focus on adding fewer than 20 new pieces. You can read about my reflections and the 20 in 2020 project here.
For 2021 my goal is to hone my wardrobe even further. However rather than focus on one metric, like number of items, as I did in 2020. I'm taking a more encompassing approach. I want to look at the whole of my wardrobe and style aligns with my own personal values. Some I like to call the "Level 10 Wardrobe" - inspired by the Level 10 life in Hal Elrod's book The Miracle Morning.
Measuring my level of success/satisfaction in 10 areas across my wardrobe/style, with a long term goal to be living my best wardrobe/style life at a 'Level 10' in each area. The areas I'm including for the "Level 10 Wardrobe" include:
How well my wardrobe aligns with my personal values?
How well does my wardrobe align with my financial goals?
How well does my wardrobe reflect what I expect and value from brands?
How well does my wardrobe reflect my values around Environmental Impact?
How well does my wardrobe reflect my personal style?
How well does my wardrobe and current style fit my lifestyle?
How do I feel about the quantity of items I own?
How do I feel about the quality of the items I own?
How satisfied am I with the balance and versatility of what I own?
How likely is my wardrobe and style to stand the test of time?
For the month of January I'm starting right where I am at with a true and honest assessment of my current wardrobe as it stands. Of course some of these questions may be a little more difficult to consider at this very moment. It may be hard to reflect on how items fit my lifestyle when I'm living the "pandemic lifestyle". However that's not excuse not to hold myself accountable to what my true values and desires are for each of these areas and how my wardrobe aligns.
If you'd like to try this assessment for yourself I also have downloadable printable worksheets and visuals for purchase on my Buy Me a Coffee.
Over the next few blog posts I'll dive deeper into each of the areas and share my thoughts and mini goals in each, so stay tuned.