Wardrobe Therapy

October 11, 2012 1:37 PM

Are there any books out there in the vein of The Artist's Way and Apartment Therapy, but for clothes?

I'm at wit's end with my wardrobe. Fashion intimidates me, makeup and beauty routines flummox me, and I have no clue what is flattering and what isn't. I want to overhaul my style completely. I've been reading fashion and beauty blogs, but I end up getting so overloaded with information that I don't know where to start. Previous AskMes about fashion are similarly overwhelming. I'm looking for something more step-by-step.

Books like The Artist's Way and Apartment Therapy have worked well for me in the past. They both work over a structured time period (Artist's Way lasts for 12 weeks, Apartment Therapy for 8), with each week covering one major theme. Each week also has a list of activities - some concrete, some more self-reflective - that are small and manageable, and that build toward the subequent week. Those are the kind of tiny steps I need; things like "buy a bra that fits" or "list five colours you like to wear".

Is there a book, blog, website, or even TV show out there that will help me find my personal style, step by step?

For context: I'm 29, female, urban, with an office job and a love of jeans.

posted by sheprime to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

I love You Look Fab, which is very accessible and accepting. Scroll down and look to the right, where it says "Style Advice Archives." Read each of these posts, not all at once, and you'll get some great ideas for where to start.

Here are a few good basic posts:
1. Do a closet review
2. How to set style goals
3. Describe your style persona
4. Wardrobe Capsules 101
5. Wardrobe capsules for your lifestyle
posted by chickenmagazine at 1:55 PM on October 11, 2012 [5 favorites]

Kendi Everday has what she calls a Working Closet series that's along these lines. It's not super in depth, but could be somewhere to start.

You could also try Gala Darling's Wardrobe Taming series, though her writing style is not for everyone!
posted by wsquared at 2:49 PM on October 11, 2012 [3 favorites]

I ordered The Lucky Guide based on advice in a previous Ask Me question and it's quite helpful. Concrete answers as to what basic pieces you need in your wardrobe, what works with which body type, which accessories to spring for, and so on.
posted by Addlepated at 2:59 PM on October 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

I gave my daughter Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, and she and her suite mates seem to like it.
posted by Ideefixe at 3:07 PM on October 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: These are all great, thank you!
posted by sheprime at 5:27 AM on October 12, 2012

I really like Putting Me Together's Building Your Wardrobe series:

Part 1 - Reimagining Clothes
Part 2 - Shopping for Remixable Pieces
Part 3 - The Importance of Colored Bottoms
Part 4 - Layering Pieces
Part 5 - Accessorizing

She has a way of putting words with pictures that illustrate exactly what concept she's trying to get across - the Accessorizing post is a really good example. She shows an outfit without accessories and the same outfit with them, and it's easy to see how much of a difference it makes.
posted by meggan at 1:35 PM on October 12, 2012 [4 favorites]

I like the blog Already Pretty - she has a mini "style journal" workbook (PDF, 5$) and a book, but what helped me was going through her "greatest hits" archive of blog posts.
posted by gakiko at 5:21 AM on October 15, 2012