As I am losing weight I am needing to buy new clothing but I am also working out what clothing works best for me and what doesn't which has led me to realise that I am currently buying clothing that doesn't fit the kind of style I am wanting to achieve meaning either the items are not being worn or I am forcing myself to wear them and my outfits don't look as put together as they used to. I am really starting to work out what works for me and what doesn't whilst also realising the kind of style I am wanting to opt for as I reach my end goal and require the wardrobe rebuild. I don't want a wardrobe the size of the one I currently have, I want a smaller wardrobe filled with items that I know I am going to wear and that I am going to feel good in and actually enjoy piecing together outfits around. I am using this time whilst I am losing weight and aiming for my end goal to experiment with my style whilst sticking to a budget meaning I am learning what works for me in the styles I want to achieve whilst also working out what really doesn't which should help my complete wardrobe rebuild much easier as I won't be worrying about wasting money on my big shopping trip as I will know exactly what I need to purchase and exactly what I need to avoid. 

My weeks are filled with work Monday to Friday and for the weekends most of the year is filled with football but when that isn't in season it is filled with shopping trips and general days out. I am sick of wearing the same clothing for work and days off so I am aiming to rebuild with a work section of my wardrobe and then a day to day section for my days off and weekends, this will just help me separate the two with a bit of a different style for the occasions. For work I want to opt for smart office wear and a smart casual vibes someday's where as weekends etc are going to be more relaxed and casual with a bit of smartness added in if there is a special occasion taking place. I am hoping that by separating the two wardrobes I can feel more like me whilst separating work and day to day something which currently doesn't take place. So here are the styles I am going for and the items I am looking to have in my wardrobe to help me create those styles... 

Work 

I only work at a small company with just a few of us in the office so currently I make no effort at all with my outfits as no-one is going to see them however, I know this isn't the attitude to have and I really need to get out of the mindset and start putting the effort in daily especially as I have come up with an ideal work wardrobe that will require effort putting in but will also probably help me feel so much better about myself daily. I have taken on board the say 'dress for the job you want not the job you have' and this is a practice I am going to put into place going forward to make my work outfits that much smarter and just help with that mindset switch I so desperately need lately. I am going to be opting for an office wear style that is going be comfortable for long days at my desk whilst also standing out as a much more put together smarter look. Here are the items I am looking at getting to create these perfect outfits:

Trousers

Currently I tend to stick to wearing jeans to work and honestly I feel uncomfortable in them so I am looking at switching these out and swapping them for some nice trousers. I just feel 100 times smarter when I am in a nice fitting pair of trousers so I am going to be wearing these more often and adding some nicer ones into my wardrobe. Of course I will be making sure my trusty checked pants are in the section but I am also thinking some nice black & grey pairs both straight leg and ankle grazer and maybe tapered just to add some different options to my wardrobe whilst also making my daily outfits more comfortable. 

Shirts 

At my old job I was wearing shirts daily and I just felt really confident about myself in them as silly as it sounds, how can a simple shirt add confidence to your mentality? I really don't know why but it did. That is why I want to start adding some nice fitting shirts into my work wardrobe in hopes that this confidence comes back. When I hit my goal I will be treating myself to some nice classic Ralph Lauren ones but for now I am going to be playing about with some on a budget in the hopes of finding which colours and styles work best for me. All I know for now is I will over time be buying shirts in various colours and a blue & white striped one is 100% being added to the collection as it is an essential. I think I might get a few short sleeved ones for the warmer weather too although the office never seems to warm up.

Jumpers

Where I work is in a cold building so jumpers are an essential and that means I will be adding a few different styles into my wardrobe to cover all styles. I will have some chunky knits for those more casual days, some thinner wool type ones for with some nice trousers on the cooler days and some nice thin jumpers that will look good layered with a shirt seen as I am most likely to be wearing those day in day out.

T-shirts 

I aren't planning on wearing t-shirts too often however, I do want to have a few good quality plain ones reserved for the work wear section of my wardrobe just so I have the option available to me if I do fancy it. I will just be sticking to the basics like black, white and possibly grey for these as again I don't plan on wearing them too much.

Blazers

As an extra layer of warmth in the cold office I think I will be opting to wear a blazer rather than a scruffy old hoodie or fleece. This is just in keeping with the smarter outfits but it also means I can get away with wearing a blazer which just so happens to be a favourite item of mine, I love a good blazer. I will probably stick to black or striped ones for work but I know I am going to absolutely love wearing them a lot more often, plus it gives me an excuse to buy more in the future which I can't wait for. 

Smart coats

Thanks to living in the UK I always need to have a coat to hand. That is why to go with my new work style I am going to be looking at picking up some smarter coats, my current coats are all sports style ones so are no good for with the smarter vibe I am going for. I do have a short black smart coat currently though and a long grey one so as I lose the weight I will no doubt be picking up a few more of these whilst also adding more colours and styles into the rotation.

No sneakers (well most of the time anyway) 

This is going to be a big one for me to be honest as I currently wear my sneakers every day without fail however, I know that half the pairs I own won't work very well the style I am opting for when it comes to work so I will be trying my best to stick to my Chelsea boots & loafers for works whilst possibly investing in a few more pairs over time as I settle into the style, I know I definitely want some more subtle loafers whilst also getting more standout ones plus some more Chelsea boots would also be ideal. I will allow myself to wear sneakers every now and again but only my smarter & basic looking ones when they are nice and clean. No more beat up sneakers for work.

Now most of my weekends are filled with football either watching or playing however, on the rare occassion that I do have a weekend off from football and I am going out elsewhere or have an occassion I am out to celebrate I want to make a bit more of an effort than I currently do as at the moment I am just throwing on any old items together and hoping it works out. I really want to snap out of this though as like I said earlier it is all about the mindset, if I put effort into my outfit I end up feeling more confident and ready to take on the world as silly as it sounds, mentally it just does me the world of good so I am going to be putting that effort in every weekend even if it is a lounging or football day the effort will help me feel comfortable and confident ready to crack on with my day. I am going to be opting for a bit of a more casual style on a weekend where I can go for a bit of a street vibe if I wish however, I will again be aiming for more of a smarter put together vibe where I am feeling comfortable and confident. Some items maybe similar to work day ones but I will be making sure I keep them separate so I am wearing different clothes and keeping work & day to day apart so I don't feel like I am dressing for work daily. This is definitely going to have more of a laid back vibe. So here are the items I will be keeping in the wardrobe for the weekends and days off...

Trousers

Again I am going to be making sure I have a selection of trousers in my wardrobe for weekends and days off, of course I will be including some checked pants in these too as I can't get enough of them however, these trousers will probably be a bit more of a relaxed fit compared to what I would wear for work just to dress an outfit down a little bit. Again the pairs I opt for will probably be black or grey.

Cargos

If you have read the blog for a while you will know that I love a good pair of cargos. That is why I will be making sure I always have a black and a grey cuffed pair in my wardrobe ready for those more street wear and dressed down days. These are very comfortable and perfect for the more relaxed days whilst also still looking like there has been effort put into the outfit which is exactly what I want each day to look. 

Jeans

Jeans might not be comfortable for sitting at work in day in day out however, they are almost perfect for every occassion at the weekend, going to the football? Stick a pair of jeans on, going shopping? Jeans will do the trick. At the moment though I have far too many different styles and if I am honest I am not a fan of them all that is why I will be making sure I am opting for smarter, better fitting pairs from now on. Either skinny or straight fit will be my go to and I will be limiting myself to 1 ripped pair as that is all that I require as I don't wear them too often. As for colours I am going to try stick to black, dark blue, light blue and grey, the colour will definitely depend on the season we are in at that point though.

Chinos

As the warmer weather approaches I love a good pair of chinos and I get a lot of wear out of them in the spring and even in summer so these are a wardrobe essential for me to be able to create that perfect smart casual style. Team these up with a nice top and some nice sneakers either Converse or Vans and you have the perfect outfit in my opinion. This time around though I am going to stick with khaki, grey and navy ones as they are the ones I get the most use out of and what will go with my chosen style better.

Shirts

I might be wearing shirts at work but honestly I love a good shirt that much I would happily wear one everyday of the week. That is why in my weekend and day off section I will be making sure I have a nice little selection of shirts in different colours. I will be having both short and long sleeved denim ones in the selection as well as some nice checked shirts as we all know just how much I love a good checked shirt. I will be having some nice plain long and short sleeved shirts in the selection too along with some nice printed shirts for the warmer weather as I fell in love with them last summer. 

T-shirts

T-shirts are perfect for layering under my checked shirts and hoodies but they will also be perfect for the warmer weather and help create a good smart casual look. I currently have a whole host of printed shirts however, I am going to reduce the number of those right down and only wear them on the casual days and only buy printed if I really, really like it and can create a few outfits with other items of my wardrobe. The main t-shirt focus will be the plain basics of black, white, grey & navy t-shirts that will go with all the bottoms I am planning on buying. Who knows I might get some different colours for different seasons but that will definitely be trial and error of what works and what doesn't.

Jumpers

Again I will be wearing some jumpers for work but I will be purchasing some more casual ones for my weekend looks. These are going to be a more relaxed fit and possibly in different colours however, I think the main type I will get are chunky knit ones for the autumn as I don't usually bother with jumpers on weekends unless I want to dress a bit smarter, I tend to stick with hoodies or shirts layered for warmth when needed. 

Hoodies 

I have already mentioned hoodies a few times in this post and no matter how smart I change my style to be I will also have a selection of hoodies available as I always feel good in a nice fitting hoodie. This time around though I am going to limit the bold colours and big prints and I am going to try stick to plain basic ones that are going to go great layered up in a smart casual look. I am even going to pick up some Nike ones for those lounging days as they are super comfortable. 

Tracksuit bottoms

Lucy you said you was smartening up your style didn't you? Yes I did but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy a good pair of tracksuit bottoms. A nice fitting pair teamed up with a hoodie and blazer or denim jacket can work really well plus not every weekend I am going to be out and about, some weekends I will just be lounging around doing jobs around the house so comfort will be key those days and tracksuit bottoms tick all the boxes for those days. 

Shorts

I am a sucker for a pair of shorts, you will find me wearing them all year round as they are very comfortable and perfect when just lounging around that is why I am going to make sure I have pairs available for all occasions. I will be getting some jersey ones for lounging around and those really casual days then I will also be getting some suitable for holidays etc where comfort is key. For those smarter days though I will be opting for chino or denim shorts as I love the look of those and know I will get my wear out of them.

Jackets 

As I said earlier I seem to only have sports jackets available at the moment and I am planning on changing that so that I can make sure that my jackets don't downgrade my outfits and they fit the theme much better. I have sat and looked at what jackets would fit my style the best and I know that a basic windbreaker, a nice thick coat (maybe the North Face puffer I have wanted for years) and a black & light blue denim jacket would work perfectly with that dream style whilst providing me the extra layer of warmth that I require here in the UK.

Sneakers

Here we go I might be limiting the use of sneakers throughout the week however, weekends are where I can really get the wear out of my collection as they will definitely go much better with the style I am aiming for on days off and on weekends. I know exactly what sneakers are going to go best with different outfits I have in mind and I will be honest I am specifically looking forward to the warmer weather as this is where I get to wear my favourite sneakers and really use them as the start point for my outfits.

I am sure I will have missed some essentials off for my weekend / day off style but as I am experimenting with what works over the next few months even possibly the next 12 months I am sure this list might change a fair bit. 

Even when it comes to working out I am going to make sure that I am putting more effort into my outfits as when my outfit is co-ordinated I have a much better training session and as that is a big focus of my future I need to make sure I aren't slacking and making sure my outfits are on point each session but that is a post for another day. 

So there you go those are the styles I am aiming for and what I am going to be experimenting with as I work towards my weight loss goal. Let's hope that by the time I reach the goal I have 100% settled into these styles and know exactly what I need to purchase to make this style absolutely perfect whilst not over running my wardrobe like I currently am. I think even the accessories are going to be looked through and possibly changed to go with these styles, every detail even down to the socks.

For now thought it is time to get experimenting and see what works and what doesn't, I am looking forward to seeing how this progresses and finally finding my style rather than purchasing items for the sake of it like I currently do. I can't wait to see the final wardrobe result when I hit that goal and I really can't wait to start piecing together outfits around these styles. I guess you could say it is going to help me level up my life.