Step 7: Your Values

If you've been following the long-drawn out account of my 7 Steps to Style  journey, congratulations on being so patient! I told you that you were almost ready to shop after Step 6, but to wait until the final step and here - pause for drum roll - it is. Step 7 concentrates on your values, so what are the implications of this final step?

Once you know your values, you should understand what to look for when you go shopping, to ensure that your wardrobe consists of clothes that you will actually wear and, more importantly, enjoy wearing. Clothes that reflect who you are and also look great on you.

First of all, you might want to watch this eye-opening video, where Imogen talks to Jill Chivers of Shop your Wardrobe about the relationship between self-esteem, value and your shopping habits. It might make you realise why you have a wardrobe of really cheap, poor quality clothes that you hardly wear. Or perhaps you have lots of very expensive items that you keep "for best" and they don't get worn either.

In my case I think I fell into the trap of looking for the perfect wardrobe as defined by many fashion writers: the classic black jacket, white button-down shirt, little black dress, pencil skirt, sleeveless tops in neutral colours, black court shoes etc. Fine, except not all of the colours and styles suit me, even though they have been defined as wardrobe essentials. So what did I do? Regular readers will probably know the answer: I filled my wardrobe with lots of bright colours to break the monotony! I wrote here about how I found my own version of the"essential" black jacket.

Four of my favourite coloured tops

You will notice red, purple, teal and pink in the collage above, however you will also discover coral, blue, green plus all the shades of the rainbow lurking in the back of my wardrobe. I tended to buy items on impulse, either because I loved the colour or because some quirky detail appealed to me. Sometimes this worked and I found that my new purchases went well with other items in my existing wardrobe, but this was by luck rather than by careful planning.

Working through Step 7 I discovered that, out of ten possibilities, my top four values were: sensory, aesthetic, economic and exploratory. This means that when I go shopping I should be looking for clothes that are comfortable, that provide value for money (not necessarily cheap clothes, but ones that will last), that are well designed and harmonious and, finally, clothes which are unique, to add a creative touch to my outfits. Of course not every purchase has to fulfil all of these criteria, but I need to have them in mind before I buy anything new.

I am going to visit friends and family in London in two weeks' time, so I am starting to make a shopping list and there will be room in my case for any new purchases. To recap, I will be looking for clothes in the right colours  (that blend with my Enigmatic swatch) and the right styles to flatter my combination features and H shape. They will need to fit in with my lifestyle as well as suiting my style personality and being true to my values. I will be aiming to fill gaps in my wardrobe, but the important thing is to ensure they will go well with the other items in my wardrobe. If I succeed, I will definitely share my purchases with you all. Wish me luck!

PS The jacket shown above is my version of the "essential black jacket", as mentioned earlier. It's one of my wardrobe staples and will be taken to London - weather permitting!