This blog post is about how to find your postpartum style in fashion
It has been almost 18 months since I’ve given birth. 18 months of finding my way back to a shadow of my former self and discovering this new person I’ve become.
About a month ago I told a friend going through a difficult sleep regression that she would and will survive because she has to. There will be days, weeks, and months that it doesn't seem like you will make it, but you will, and you will become a battle-scarred, stronger version of yourself.
Just because you made it doesn’t mean it’s all rosy because there will always be new challenges as a mom. Challenges that we face as moms who love our children more than anything we’ve ever experienced, but also struggle to find who we are in this world as individuals.
Watch Me Go Through The Process
Dress Yourself Happy
If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because this phrase was the foundation of my social media career. Back in early 2014 I started to dress myself happy through YouTube videos and blog posts.
Over the years I’ve evolved and my content has reflected this, however the core principle of dress yourself happy has always been the foundation of all my content. My goal is to continue to follow my passions and journey to find happiness. Part of this journey is also redefining happiness therefore happiness to me equates to a strong sense of self and peace in the everyday.
My recent endeavor has been how to find your postpartum style because after the last 2 years, I defiently need a little help.
How to Find Your Postpartum Style in Fashion
Almost 2 years have gone by since I became a mom. Working through severe postpartum depression which has been mentally and physically taxing, I found that I lost my style.
My closet no longer reflected me. Getting dress was a chore, so I started Mom Fits on IG and Tik Tok as a way to document myself trying to dress myself happy again.
Through mom fit, I realized my wardrobe was cluttered and spurred the urge to shop. This is dangerous for me as an ex shopaholic, I started to feel a lot of my old tendencies creep in from before my no buy year. Therefor I wanted to figure out how to find your postpartum style without breaking the bank and hopefully curb my previous spending habits.
The Capsule Wardrobe Fail
Mentally I was not prepared for another capsule wardrobe experiment. In the past I’ve done one and it felt limiting. A capsule wardrobe also requires time, energy, and mental space I don’t have right now. The biggest issue today is I’m not sure who I am style wise anymore. So in an effort to figure out how to find my postpartum style, I decided to try The Closet Editing System.
The Closet Editing System
Therefor I decided to try Allison Bornstein's The Closet Editing System. Allison Bornstein is a fashion stylist and I re-discovered her on TikTok recently.
Her system for editing your closet is a simple and effective way to quickly declutter and organize your wardrobe in 5 steps. After watching this video, I figured I could accomplish the 5 steps in a half day or less which was a big selling point.
Step 1 - The Regulars
The first step is to look at your closet and pull out all your regulars. These are the pieces you wear the most. What you reach for all the time.
Step 2 - The Nevers
Next you’ll go through your closet and pull out the pieces you never wear. These are the pieces you love, but don’t know how to style. Pieces that don’t fit and of course anything that you hate and never reach for.
Step 3 - Categorize The Nevers
After pulling out all the items you never wear, categorize them into 3 categories.
- No’s - it doesn’t fit, damaged, or don’t like
- Not Now - pieces you’ll wear, but not now. Things you love, but are not ready to give up yet.
- How? - these are the pieces you love, but don’t know how to style.
Step 4 - The Revival
Taking the things you don’t wear and mixing them with The Regulars. Create new outfits and take quick photos of them on your phone. Create an album for these outfits so you can always refer back to them when getting dressed.
This step seemed the hardest before I got started, however by the time I got to step 4 I found it not only easy, but fun to create new outfits using my regulars and hows.
Step 5 - Categorize Entire Closet
The final step is putting it all back in a way that makes sense for you when getting dressed. I like to categorize my clothing by the type then color. For me I also placed my how items front and center so I see them first thing. Ideally this will encourage me to reach for these items that have been neglected in the past.
With the no pile I packed up items in good condition for consignment and for donations. For my not now pile, I folded them and placed them in storage containers to be taken to storage.
Shop My Summer Staples
New Outfits Created From The Regulars and The Hows
Final Thoughts
I was really impressed with The Closet Editing System created by Allison. If you are looking for a quick and easy way to overhaul your wardrobe without spending money I definitely recommend trying it out.
My biggest takeaway from following Allison’s five steps was creating all these fun new outfits with what I already own. As an ex shopaholic who was starting to have the urge to shop excessively again, this really helped reset my wardrobe and mindset with what I’ll be adding to my closet if I do decide to shop.