Recently I’ve heard myself saying ‘I have nothing to wear’ slightly more than usual. A good friend of mine told me about an article she read which explored this statement, and what might be causing someone who definitely has plenty of options for something to wear, think that they do not. According to the article, this statement could mean that we do not have a sufficient wardrobe of staple items.
After I got off the phone to my friend, I slowly had a look through my clothes.
I noticed a pattern; I host a lot of clothes that I find attractive, but do not ever really feel like wearing. They tend to be items that are brightly coloured and made of fabrics that are more suitable for going out. Upon some reflection, I started to consider how I might choose more wearable options that suit my temperament. I am someone who likes quiet and space, deep conversations, and art that moves me. In many ways I can attribute this to being somewhat of an introvert.
So with that in mind, I’m going to share with you some points I’ve been considering to create a capsule wardrobe for introverts.
1. Lengths and shapes
Do you feel sensitive to the cold when you’re wearing ankle length jeans? Do you wish you had sleeves that hugged your arms and were long enough to pull down over your hands?
For a while it was difficult to find full-length jeans or trousers, but thankfully that has recently changed! So now might be the time the time to stock up on a few staple bottoms that will last.
When there are so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming scanning through the shops, whether that’s online or in person. Becoming familiar with your shape means that you can scan through clothes with more ease and narrow down your search.
When getting to know your shape, consider these focus points and whether or not they work for you and/or you enjoy how they make you feel: shoulder pads, halter neck, sweetheart neckline, ¾ sleeves, cinched waist, culottes, high waist bottoms, low rise bottoms, tapered leg, flares, midi skirts. These items do not make up an exhaustive list, so pay attention to cuts and shapes and experiment with your body, noticing how each garment makes you feel.
2. Colour palette
If you can relate to the notion of being an introvert, then the colours you choose are going to be very important.
For your colour palette, consider skin tone shades and how they work with your skin tone. Next, white, black and grey, with soft colours such as blue, green and pink.
Remember, there are many shades to choose from within a colour so consider how these shades make you feel.
Tonal outfits have been making an appearance for a little while now, and this framework can be used for inspiration to build your own outfits. To me, tonal outfits are very New York, but they can just as easily be set against a British countryside backdrop, depending on how you style it.
Tonal outfits are simple without being boring, and can easily be elevated with make up, jewellery or other accessories.
3. Your day to day – attention to detail
Are you working from home full time, with or without children to take care of? Do you enjoy regular workouts? Do you have lots of meetings to attend? Or do you do a lot of DIY around the house or garden?
Additionally, are there certain day-to-day feelings that you experience, that become a part of your routine? Maybe you don’t like to feel restricted by your clothing when you are very busy, maybe you are naturally more on the warm, or colder side, or maybe you know that your menstrual cycle will almost certainly bring a few days of much needed rest and comfort.
If you keep in mind what your day-to-day activities are, you will be more tuned into the items of clothing that are more appropriate and versatile, meaning you will be buying pieces that you will get more wear out of.
4. Accessories
Finally, when it comes to dressing according to how you feel, you might also want to pre-empt external factors that you may encounter as you go out into the day. This could be the weather, hot or cold, wet or dry, it could be the light, the noises, or the smells. As an introvert, you might be sensitive to your sensory experience, and accessories can act as tools to support yourself in the midst of a sensory overload, or something tactile to focus on if you want to take a moment of going inward. Think, hats, sunglasses, and lightweight scarves to wear as headscarves.
And P.S don’t ever underestimate the importance of headphones.
