The time has finally come to rebuild my wardrobe and the decision has been made to make this new wardrobe a bit of a hybrid one to flow with the direction life is heading in. To make sure I have all basis covered the plan is to build a smarter looking wardrobe that leans towards the more luxurious side of things that I want for my job whilst I will also have a bit more of a street wear style of the wardrobe so I have items to wear for my football trips or days out where I want to look put together but more casual. This rebuild is going to be all about finding a balance and in all honesty some items may actually be suitable for both side of the wardrobe but we will see how that goes. The focus at the moment is going to be on clothing with footwear to follow in the future as I do have a lot of nice & versatile footwear already. So here are the sort of items I am planning to add to my wardrobe as I make a start on the rebuild.

Work & Elevated days out 

This is where I am going to be levelling up the most. The plan is to head to work looking much more put together that the jeans and t-shirt I currently wear. I want to add items of great quality into this section and head out in a more luxurious looking outfit daily. The saying dress for the job you want not the job you have comes into mind a lot with this and honestly I can't wait to get to creating outfits around this saying. I also want some items that will serve me well for events or elevated days out, smart but not too much. So here are some bits that will be being added into my work wardrobe...

Tailored trousers

I am wanting to scrap the jeans for work unless I do a bit of a dress down Friday (you will see why later in this post) so the plan is to get stocked up on some nice tailored trousers, in the correct length for my work wardrobe. The current trousers I own are all patterned, I want to have some patterned ones in the wardrobe rebuild however, I need to get some plain ones in neutral colours for more versatility. I need to move away from the elasticated waist too as these do nothing for the overall look of an outfit. I feel like M&S, H&M or Mango may be best for these but I will certainly be shopping around.

Chinos

I love a good pair of chinos however, I haven't had a pair that have fit me correctly for a while now. These will be much better for a bit more of a relaxed look whilst looking put together still. Again the plan is to get a few pairs that fit perfectly in some nice neutral colours which will see me through the warmer days in the office. These would be great for shopping trips too where I want to dress up but not too much.

Linen trousers

These maybe wouldn't be the best for work due to the office I am in not being the warmest at anytime of the year however, if I wanted to I could definitely have these as part of the work outfits with a nice shirt and some nice shoes. I would definitely opt for these for those elevated days out though especially in late spring & summer as they just make a brilliant outfit when done right. These with some nice loafers or driving shoes, I already have the outfits in mind.

Straight leg jeans

Now these could be worn for a bit of a dress down Friday at work however, I would much prefer these for those days where I want to look put together for a day out but don't want something too structured. A good fitting pair of straight leg jeans can really help even the simplest of outfits look fantastic so maybe a few different colours of these will be purchased to see me through all the seasons. I even think some cropped ones could be added as time goes on. I swear by M&S jeans so no doubt this is where they will all come from. 

Plain t-shirts

Every wardrobe needs the basics and I am going to ensure that the ones I am purchasing are ones that are going to fit me properly as an ill fitting t-shirt can certainly ruin the whole look. I am definitely shopping around to find the best ones however, when I do eventually find them I want to pick them up in simple colours that are going to go with a whole host of items in my wardrobe. These definitely need to last though as I will be wearing them for work, day to day and the football wardrobe.

Shirts

These are going to be budget purchases until my weight goal is hit but I am going to be adding some nice shirts into my wardrobe for work and day to day I just need to make sure they aren't going to be see-through which is a trap I have fallen into far too often. Once that goal is hit for the weight though I am going to build a whole shirt section in my wardrobe filled with the likes of Ralph Lauren and more importantly Hawes & Curtis shirts which I absolutely love browsing through online. A trip to Leeds to their store for a try on is definitely on the cards when that weight loss goal is met at long last.

Jumpers

The office I work in is cold all year round so jumpers are going to be an essential and these can also be used for the day to day elevated outfits as I absolutely love layering. I am thinking some good quality knitwear from the likes of M&S will help cover this and then once my weight has settled down a trip to Ralph Lauren for some elevated pieces can take place. A good few thinner jumpers then some chunkier knit ones will certainly do the trick.

Quarter zips

Now quarter zips aren't just for the males and you can get some great quality women's ones (I will probably buy some men's ones too) and they can really help keep you warm whilst also keeping the outfit looking smart. A fair few quarter zips are on my to buy list from a variety of brands however, the plan is to go for no logos or small logos just to keep a bit of a quiet luxury vibe going with the style. These are definitely one of the items I am really looking forward to heading out to purchase so I am hoping I can find some perfect ones.

Blazers

Dressed up or dressed down a blazer is a great addition to any wardrobe and I am on the hunt for a few in different styles to suit different occassions. I need smart ones for work & some more casual ones for day to day or if I want to dress down a work outfit for a change. I also want some that match any patterned trousers I pick up to create more of a full suit look for when I want to look extra smart as women can wear nice suits too.

Coats

It is in the coat department where I really struggle as I don't have anything smart for the warmer weather as I only really own sportswear jackets at the moment. I don't tend to have anything weather appropriate for the cold and wet either so I am really looking forward to shopping around and building the perfect coat rotation for all weathers rather than just throwing on any old coat and ruining the outfit like I currently do. This is going to be a journey but hopefully a fun one.

Football days & casual day to day

Now this is the side of the wardrobe where I will be spending my weekends if things go to plan so I really want to make it right. If I am heading out representing my football site or any other site I do work for I want to make sure I don't look scruffy when attending games. Gone are the ill fitting tracksuit bottoms and in is making intentional choices when it comes to getting ready to head to games. This also comes into play for days where I may be heading to the shops, I want to dress intentionally and not look like a slob. So here are the items I want to add into this side of the wardrobe...

Cargo's

I love a good pair of cargo's however, gone are the days of the cuffed ones which I currently wear. My plan is to get a good rotation of the Nike woven cargo's which I love as these are perfect for dressing up or down and are super comfortable so would be perfect for travelling to games and sitting in stadiums. I have these in a few colours now and my plan is to make sure I always have these in rotation.

Straight leg joggers

I have realised lately I am totally over cuffed pants and the hunt is on for the perfect pair of straight leg joggers that can be dressed up in a street wear style. What I have noticed though is these aren't going to be cheap as the pairs standing out to me currently are all over £50. I guess the splurge won't be too bad though if they help provide a comfortable outfit.

Baggier jeans

A pair of baggy jeans, some nice trainers and a hoodie would be a great match day fit and also a great shopping fit so I am on the hunt for the perfect pair in a few different colourways. I don't want them to be too baggy though and too long in length as it is no secret I am not one of the tallest people around. I have seen some nice ones in Hollister & from Unlike Humans so I need to get trying these on.

Plain t-shirts

As I said earlier every wardrobe needs the basics and these plain t-shirts will serve both sides of my wardrobe well. A plain t-shirt will be perfect for layering under hoodies and jackets just to give me an extra layer of warmth for those cold football matches. Again though it will be nice simple colourways rather than anything too in your face.

Graphic t-shirts

I actually went off graphic t-shirts for a while but the love is back as some stores are doing great ones at the moment. These might be sports related or something totally different but it is definitely going to be interesting to see what I do end up getting as these are likely to be for the casual shopping days rather than the football days but we shall see.

Hoodies

It is always cold at the football thanks to the time of year games are played therefore I am going to need to add a few hoodies into my wardrobe to make sure I am layered up and kept warm when attending games. I would love to add some nice simple colours into my rotation that are over the head or zip up. This just gives me a few different options when getting ready & I think I may try get a few different shapes too.

Retro looking jackets

I am absolutely loving these retro looking jackets from Nike and even though they are on the expensive side of things I think a few might be added into the wardrobe just to give the outfits a different look. I am thinking of picking a couple of these up in different colours just so that I have options for any outfits I am planning on wearing.

Puffer jacket

For the colder nights I need a really thick jacket to keep me warm and the plan is to get a North Face puffer jacket once my weight has settled down a bit. This will just mean I am that little bit warmer on those evening games and hopefully much dryer than I have been in the past. This is certainly on the more expensive side of things for me so I want to make sure I am at a weight where it is going to last.

So there you go those are the clothing changes I want to make for the rebuild. Keep any eye on here as this is only the beginning, the outfits need footwear and accessories so those posts about the rebuild there will be taking place soon. I am really looking forward to getting on with these rebuilds and hopefully seeing the confidence grow within myself. 

A lot of these changes will be taking place whilst I am losing weight so I won't be going all in at once on the expensive items as it just seems too wasteful if I am only going to be in them for a few months as the weight drops but I need to stop delaying these changes. Things may be on a budget for now however, you just wait until I hit that goal weight the wardrobe rebuild will be on another level! 

Let's make a start on this for now though and see where it takes us...

See you soon

Lucy