What to Do When You’re Stuck in a Style Rut

Are you stuck in a style rut?

Are you bored with your style? How do you get out of that style rut?

The first question to ask is how did you get into the style rut in the first place?

Too Many of the Same Kinds of Garments

One of the most common reasons you end up in a style rut is that you keep buying replicas of the same kinds of clothes over and over. So your style doesn’t change and you don’t have any variety in your wardrobe. There are no other options other than sporting the same look, or a mild variation of it, day after day.

Be careful not to purchase the same item in every colour (reality is, you will probably wear one colour and the others will languish in your drawers unworn or rarely worn).

Instead, look for items with significant differences from each other so that you have more options and you can put together outfits that feel more different from each other.

What are the patterns in your wardrobe?

You’re Following an Outfit Formula

This can become very restrictive and dull. If you’re following someone else’s outfit formula (or even your own and you have no variety) then you’re going to start getting bored after a period of time.

Even if you are wearing a staple item (such as jeans), take inspiration from the Uniform Project where Sheena Matheiken wore the same black dress every day for a year. Check out the photos though, she doesn’t look like she’s wearing the same outfit over and over. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to notice it’s the same dress as she styles it in so many different and creative ways.

Adding different colours and layering make a huge difference to each and every outfit when you’re wearing a version of the same garments over and over. Use this as inspiration for your own style!

Now how to get out of your style rut?

bored with your style and stuck in a style rut? Get my professional tips to get you out of it and create new outfits

Sometimes it’s the smallest changes that can make you feel like you’re no longer stuck in a style rut. Try different shoes and accessories with your outfits

Take a Style Challenge

The reason I developed my Evolve You Style 31 day style challenge is that after doing some brain research on why we get stuck in style ruts, I discovered that this is the fastest and most accessible way to get you out of your style rut so easily, without it feeling painful!

This is because making a small change each day, having a daily focus to try something different, will give you the impetus to push yourself just a little out of your comfort zone, and within a month you’ll discover your comfort zone has expanded so much you’re no longer stuck in a style rut!

Have a Go-To Outfit Photos Album

Every time you do create a new outfit that you love and feel stylish in, photograph yourself in it and pop it in an album on your phone. Then when you’re feeling pushed for time, you have a ready reference guide to inspire you, with all the details there, from shoes to layers to accessories, so that you don’t have to think too hard, but you know this is a great outfit. The more outfits you get into that album, the more options you’ll have to select from!

More tips on creating Go-To Outfits here.

By changing up my accessories and wearing a cluster of whippets brooches (or should that be a pack of whippets?) makes a standard jeans and knit outfit feel a little more special.

Start Planning Your Outfits Each Week

Often in the mornings you are pushed for time and can’t think about outfits. If you spend a little time creating some outfits and noting them down in my Weekly Outfit Planner and you can collect these over time and have lots of resources you can refer back to! Download the outfit planner here now free!

Use Pinterest as a Search Engine

Want some visual inspiration? Pinterest is a brilliant search engine that will help you find lots of options of ways to wear your existing clothing. Just search either for a clothing item with the word “outfit” after it, or if you want a broader sort of inspiration, try using colours, textures, or even your style recipe words along with “outfit” and see what comes up!

I’ve written a post about how to use it here.