After going through all of the Coletterie Wardrobe Architect exercises and now that I know how they work together, I'm going to revise my answers. With this post, I'm going to go back over weeks 1 to 2.

Week 1: Making Style More Personal

This first exercise is designed to make style "more personal". We were to discuss different parts of our identities and how they affect our style.

For the most part, my answers are the same as they were before. However, I missed discussing a big part of identity in relation to clothing: philosophy.

My philosophy could be a mix of Feminism, Socialism, Humanism, Anti- consumerism, Environmentalism, and maybe Anarcho-syndicalism. whew... All of this, in relation to clothing, means that I don't like the way clothing is made and consumed currently.

I don't like sweatshops and the horrible labour conditions people work in (the fire in Bangladesh is an extreme example).

I don't like that women who buy RTW clothing are made to feel horrible about their bodies, because the mass produced crap doesn't fit.

I don't like that our closets and garbage dumps are full of fast fashion.

All of this is why I got back into sewing in the first place. So, while this may not point to an exact style, it does say that I want clothes that fit and make me feel good, I want clothes that weren't made in a sweatshop, and I want clothes that are good quality and not fast fashion.

Week 2: My Core Style

I thought a lot more about this. I really wanted to get a better handle on a style than I did before. I want a style that will work with my goal to create a wardrobe that will last. It needs to be about quality and not quantity. I'm not as young as I once was, so it needs to be 'grown-up'. It needs to somewhat androgynous and to work for indoors and outdoors. Basically, it needs to reflect my lifestyle and what I am comfortable with.

What I came up with is going 'preppy'. Imagine the types of clothes worn by someone going yachting. The kinds of clothes you might find at Ralph Lauren or J. Crew. Or think of the likes of Jackie O.

While dressing 'preppy' is kinda "in" right now, most of the basics have been the same for decades. These outfits are simple, yet have a bit of a timeless quality to them. Certain colours might change and pant leg styles definitely do, but for the most part it is a way of dressing that emphasizes the quality of the clothing rather than being at the height of fashion. It is also a style that is more about comfort, which I also appreciate.

I'm not going to be strict with myself and only dress in preppy styles, but I think I can use it a a guide. Lots of clean lines and solid colours.

It seems a bit weird/shallow/obsessive to spend so much time thinking about what style of clothing I want to wear. I recognize that worrying about my wardrobe is absolutely a 'First World Problem'. However, if I'm going to care about how my clothes are made (especially, if I'm taking the time to make them myself) and the environment, it only makes sense to pick a wardrobe that is comfortable and will last. And by last, I mean not only the quality and durability, but that it won't look out of place in years to come.

PS. Here is an interesting blog post on the Roots of American Preppy and the Wikipedia page on Preppy.