KLM10 Summer 2017 Challengers

If you took part in the Summer 2017 KLM10 challenge, leave a comment below linking to your looks. A winner will be announced Monday, July 10th.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated! The first of anything is always uncertain, and Summer can be the most difficult season, so I'm really grateful for those of you who jumped in and led the way <3  It was also a lot to ask you to put together 10 looks, but YOU DID IT. I was so impressed by what you came up with and how well you created looks that not only were true to type but also showed your personality.

Anyone else super excited for the autumn challenge already? The equinox is September 22, so we'll wait for Monday, September 25th to begin. Lots of time to dream up cozy layers (or just a new set of 10 if your weather will be hot then).

The Average U.S. Wardrobe

From various data gatherers I read that the average woman in the U.S. has a closet with 103 items, and 20 pair of shoes (5 of which are worn). She spends about $92/month on clothing, an average of 2 items online and 3 purchases in-store. She regrets 78% of her purchases and only wears around 10% of her closet.

I did a fresh wardrobe inventory of my own, finding I had 101 items (coming in close to average), including 18 pair of shoes (again). I tried on every single piece, and photographed myself wearing each item for evaluation. My Keeping pile dropped my list to 9 dresses/gowns, 6 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 outerwear, and 6 shoes for a total of 28 pieces. How's that for spring cleaning? 

Most of what was cluttering my closet was of good quality and fit, but wasn't as well suited to me as the 28 pieces that made the cut (this is a major benefit of photographing everything at once and seeing your looks side by side). I don't want B grade looks stuffing up the back of the closet for if one of my A looks falls out or for the sake of "variety"- If an A look falls out, it needs to be replaced by another A look, and even 28 pieces is more variety than I need.  

I don't mean this to be a numbers game, other than to determine what you actually will wear, like to wear, and feel good wearing. If you have 100+ A garments, kudos to you. If you don't, consider letting items go. Let it to go to someone who will wear it and feel good wearing it today. It needs to leave your sight so you can see with clarity the wardrobe that serves you, and only the wardrobe that serves you. You need an A+ wardrobe for your life today- not a museum of your past life, nor a monument to the life you wish you had, but a wardrobe that supports the body, aesthetic, and lifestyle that you have right now in the best way possible.

So my brave and stylish Beauties, dare you count how many items are in your wardrobe and see how many of those pieces are actually your best? Will you be doing any closet spring cleaning this season to clear the way for your very best?

Personal Style Uniform Part 1: Definitions, Celebrity Examples, and Benefits

What is a Personal/Style Uniform?

It seems to mean different things to different people, so let's clarify what I personally mean by a uniform, because while both a personal uniform and a signature style are great minimalist approaches at simplifying your wardrobe, I consider them to be different. This three part series is focused on personal uniforms, but many of the points are applicable to building a signature style as well. 

A personal uniform will be nearly indistinguishable from day to day and stick to both specific colors you've picked for each item and specific form you've chosen for each item. (e.g. your top is always a white button-up, your bottom is always black straight jeans, and your shoes are always red sneakers). 

A signature style will have some aspects chosen (color palette or silhouette, for example), while some aspects will change from day to day (e.g. always a sheath dress but variety in color/print and always with black shoes but variety in form).

When the world of style feels overwhelming or joyless (Marie Kondo / KonMarie people, I'm looking at you), I think it's best to start with a uniform, and then when it feels fun, allow it to expand into a signature style. This way you don't waste a lot of money and time on looks that don't work out.  

 

What does a Personal Uniform look like?

Personal Style Uniforms by katilmoore featuring white shirts

A few celebrity examples of personal uniforms shown left to right are:    
1. White button-up, black full midi skirt, black ballet flats inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Carolina Herrera
2. Black turtleneck, blue jeans, white sneakers inspired by Steve Jobs.
3. Navy pant, navy blazer, white button-up, black dress shoes inspired by Barrack Obama. It would be fun to add a blue statement necklace in place of his tie. 

Personal Uniforms, much like other uniforms, tend to look boring, and usually consist of neutrals, but that's part of their simplicity; and with uniforms, simplicity is the point. It's an anti-style approach to wardrobe. It takes much of the art out of dressing. It's also likely to be a timeless and unoffensive look for this reason.    

 

Why Would I Want a Personal Uniform?

While the main benefit of a personal uniform is that you save an enormous amount of time and hassle shopping and getting dressed every morning, there are a couple other clear benefits:

• You will be infinitely more memorable to others when you're always wearing the same look- a kind of self-branding. In the past I had people tell me that I look so different each time they saw me that it's like meeting a new person. I also had people tell me that they didn't see me at such and such's party, because they didn't recognize me. While that is great if you're on the lam, it can be beneficial to be easily spotted and remembered too.
• Another unsung benefit of a personal uniform is that it provides a canvas or backdrop for playing with accessories if you so choose. If you love style, but find it expensive, time consuming, and generally overwhelming, limiting your style play to accessories can be a great boon.

Watch for Part 2 and Part 3 of this series for how to create your own uniform.