Shaking off the winter outfit slump
by styling what I already have :)
Hello my friends!
It’s been a while. I’m writing to you from the depths of the dreaded Winter Blues, which for me often goes hand-in-hand with a big old outfit slump.
The line between outfit repeater (cool, sustainable, creative) and outfit slump (sad, unimaginative, boring) can be a fine one, and because I rely so heavily on outfit repeating throughout the year I sometimes don’t immediately notice when I start to slide into slump territory. I’ve been meticulously logging my outfits in Indyx every day since June 2024, and the bird’s eye view of my style has been *so* eye opening. Being able to look at my recent outfits all together played a huge part in diagnosing this outfit slump.
For me, an outfit slump is evidenced by a lack intention. I wear the same few pieces over and over again without changing up the styling, I stop accessorizing, my outfits aren’t exciting or expressive, and I generally don’t feel like I’m having fun getting dressed. Personal style is one of my most treasured forms of self expression, and it directly impacts my mood when I’m intentional about what I wear.
Lucky for me I’ve got lots of tricks up my sleeve for getting out of an outfit rut. This time around I wanted to see if creating outfits ahead of time would help the process. I put together some ideas in Indyx the day before I planned to shoot, and I found it so helpful to have a jumping off point!
Some questions I keep in mind when I’m planning and during my styling session.
Are there any specific pieces I want to feature/reconnect with?
What Colours, Textures, Silhouettes am I hoping to explore?
Is there any inspiration (Pinterest, past outfits, etc) that I want to translate through my own lens?
For this particular session my goal was to build outfits that felt, above all, realistic. None of these outfits are intended to push the envelope. They’re intended as wearable and practical ideas for my very casual day-to-day life. For me this means comfortable footwear, no fussy layering, and simple but impactful accessorizing.
If you want to watch me work through these outfits in real time, I’ve got a new Youtube video with the styling process.
Okay here are the outfits!
The Inspiration- I created this look for my Fantasy Outfits with Indyx post (one of my favourite posts ever) last Summer. I love that it feels cozy and wearable but still special. I knew that I wanted to include my mohair lego sweater in this round of styling, so I tried to recreate the feeling of this look with pieces that I own.
The Idea in Indyx- I love that these paint splattered jeans feel cool and personal, and I gave myself a few different options for accessories to play with. This version definitely leans more casual/sporty than the inspiration, which feels more realistic for me.
The Outfit IRL- I hadn’t worn the blue paint jeans in months and the fit was wildly off, so I swapped for something that brought a similar energy into the mix. I could have done a different blue denim to keep the colour palette similar, but I felt that the patina of the paint splatter was the more important element. I loved this with both of the bag options but the tan added a touch of lightness that I appreciated.
The Idea in Indyx- One of the ideas I wanted to try within Colour was this combination of vintage-y turquoise (one of my seasonal feature colours!) and red. I think they make such a dynamic combo and I loved how this outfit looked in Indyx when I added the deep indigo denim (Quinn jeans from Decade- the best)
The Outfit IRL- The accessories didn’t go as planned with this look, but I’m really happy with the result after I pivoted. The neckline of the sweatshirt was just not vibing with the beaded necklace, but the look felt flat without the added visual interest up top. I said in a recent Youtube video that for me often the difference between a good outfit and a great outfit is as simple as a brooch, and this is my evidence. High waisted denim is definitely not what I’m reaching for when I’m working from home, but this outfit feels perfect for bopping around and running errands. Please ignore the untied shoe laces, I was overstimulated.
The Iteration- One of my favourite things about a styling exercise like this is that I’ll often stumble on other combinations by accident, and that’s exactly what happened with these olive trousers. I was pulling my jeans off the hanger and saw the sleeve of my turquoise sweatshirt beside my olive cords- I immediately knew I had to try them together. This crappy screenshot really doesn’t do the colours justice, but you’ll just have to trust me that it looks great in person. I still wanted that red in the mix so I added my clogs and a bag with a touch of print. This looked great styled with the brooch, but I liked it even better with my mismatched silver drop earrings.
The Idea in Indyx- This look is all about Texture. I wanted to play with something that felt a bit more refined- still casual, but a bit elevated. I love the way these orange scrunch flats look with my fluffy cashmere socks, so I used that as a jumping off point and built an outfit around the juxtaposition of textures. The worn in denim with the cozy knit, the sparkly rhinestone necklace and the distressed leather bag. This is the outfit that I felt the least sure about before trying it on.
The Outfit IRL- But I loved it once I made a few adjustments! The rhinestones and the sweater look great together, but I wasn’t loving them paired with the sock/shoe combo- I’ll revisit another time. In the end I swapped the necklace for my mismatched silver drop earrings and added my Magnetism bag charm for a bit of personality and to unify the colour palette. I really love that the cropped jeans let the shoe/sock combo have a moment. This was one of my favourite looks of the day!
The Inspiration- I put together this outfit back in the Fall during a similar styling exercise. This vintage hunting vest is such a special piece that I really want to be wearing more, so I used this look as a jumping off point.
The Idea in Indyx- I loved the turquoise sweatshirt and olive cords from my earlier outfit so much that I decided to riff on the colour combo again with this look. The deep teal-y/navy sweatshirt and the brine-y olive vest really pop next to each other, and you know I can simply never resist a hit of red. Because practicality is the name of the game for this session I added two of my most worn shoes as options.
The Outfit IRL- Maybe the worst screenshot of the bunch? Loved the outfit though! There’s something about this vest that always has me feeling like Frog & Toad, which is perfect because they’re on my Winter moodboard. When I wear this out in the real world I’ll probably do a cluster of a few brooches on the vest, and I’d try it with my brown clogs as well as my Nordas.
The Idea in Indyx- This sweater is one of the items I wanted to reconnect with during my session. I absolutely love this piece and I haven’t been reaching for it as much as I’d like to be. The granny smith apple green is an outlier in my personal colour story, and I often find myself pairing it exclusively with neutrals. I wanted to challenge myself to pair it with something fun and freaky instead.
The Outfit IRL- I love this look so much! My stick of dynamite sweats were exactly the freakiness I was craving, and the whole outfit feels so fun but still so easy. I love this look with my Norda sneakers, but I wanted to add another layer of colour play into the mix so I went with my brown clogs and bag. I don’t always love a matchy-matchy shoe and bag moment, but sometimes it’s exactly what I want. This ended up being my favourite outfit of the day and I’m thrilled to report that I’m wearing it as I write this (with shearling slippers of course).
Often our knee-jerk impulse is to shop our way out of an outfit slump, but I think there is so much value in taking the time to connect with what you already have instead. The idea that you are somehow one purchase away from your perfect wardrobe is so tantalizing, but that cycle often leads to more dissatisfaction and fewer ideas. Shopping is not the enemy (especially and particularly when you shop secondhand and from sustainable/ethical brands whenever you can!!), but it’s also not an effective solution to the wardrobe doldrums.
If you can set aside half an hour to make 3 different outfits for the upcoming week I promise you will at the very least have some new ideas to play with. Try thinking about colour, texture, and silhouette! Reconnect with something you love but haven’t worn in a while! Put together a combination that you’ve never tried before! Bonus points if you get some ideas sketched out in Indyx ahead of time!
And if that process feels overwhelming for you, I’m here to help. I offer 1:1 virtual Personal Styling Sessions AND 10 outfit Lookbooks through Indyx.
Thanks so much for reading my friends, I’ll be back soon with more sustainable + attainable style for you.
