5 Styling Mistakes I Made so You Don't Have To!

Every fashion magazine told me blue jeans were a wardrobe staple so I rushed out to buy some... and got rid of them almost immediately. Just because everyone else is wearing something doesn't mean you have to. People are always baffled when I float around the house in a dress rather than jeans, but I find a dress or a skirt 200x more comfortable!

Learn from my fashion mistakes and stick to items you know you'll wear, or if you are in the mood to experiment, try to think of at least 3 outfits you already own that you can style a new piece up with before taking the plunge and purchasing it.

Prioritising fashion over comfort and practicality is, in my opinion, one of my style mistakes. I love a pair of heels but these days, when I purchase a pair, I like to ensure they are as comfortable as possible. I like a block heel and I tend to look for wide-foot styles so my toes don't feel pinched.

I thought these Daniel Footwear sandals in the above picture (newer version linked) would be comfortable but they are so much more painful than they look! I did also make the silly mistake of wearing them immediately out of the house instead of breaking them in first. These days, I like to wear new heels over socks while I'm working from home or doing household chores. It makes a big difference when you finally wear them out.

I still love this cottagecore picnic-inspired photoshoot I did with my beautiful dachshund Pepper back in 2020! But these days, I would not make the mistake of failing to maintain balance in my outfits. Now, I like to balance out floatier, more feminine dresses with something 'edgier' such as a leather jacket or a pair of chunky sandals if it's warmer weather.

Here's the same dress under a faux leather jacket:

This dress works under a black jacket as there are some darker purples in the floral pattern which coordinate well. However, these days I would never make the mistake of pairing lighter colours with black, like I did here:

There's nothing wrong with this outfit but it would look more polished if the boots and tights were perhaps brown, or I might swap out the opaque tights for nude ones and wear a pair of cream or grey wellies. (I was on a dog walk in the Peak District, so it would definitely need to be wellies!)

We spoke about balance earlier - I would also probably switch out the lightweight cashmere knit for something more oversized, to balance out the skirt which is more of a bodycon style.

I still think this cape is utterly fabulous and no one can tell me otherwise! However, the fact remains that it is a winter piece yet it is far too lightweight to wear during frosty English winters. This is not a piece that will work in any other season yet it is unlined and keeps you about as warm as a light cardigan - not good enough!

I decluttered this item because, no matter how beautiful clothes are, there is nothing stylish about shivering and feeling like an idiot because you dressed completely impractically.