Can a stylist lose their style?

Can a stylist lose their style? I say yes because despite the fact that I can style other women with ease, I have felt in the last 18 months or so that I lost my style mojo. I couldn’t define what I liked anymore or what was ‘me’.

Life changing events can do that to you. Like pregnancy and becoming a mum to another child. It was almost like what was the point?

But I hate being miserable about what to wear. And even though I had been pregnant before, the weight seemed to settle in new areas on my body and I found that some of my maternity clothes didn’t fit properly and I yearned to buy clothes in current trends to redefine my style. But when you’re pregnant, sometimes just finding a dress that drapes in the right area and doesn’t cost the earth is all you become concerned with.

So in the last weeks of my pregnancy, I went through all of my magazines that I had kept from the last three years and cut out pictures of outfits that I liked. I pinned them to a cork board and they have been hanging on the wall in my office ever since. It’s like pinterest but done old school style.

When a stylist loses their style, they pin pictures that they like…

When I look at my board I immediately think classic and sophisticated. Blouses with bows, draped cardigans, blazers with waist cinched belts, lady-like dresses and pencil skirts are the common themes in the outfits I have chosen.

And yet, I can’t wear these styles at present because they are impractical now that I’m a mum. Maybe that is why I have felt so lost – because the styles I like don’t work with the person I am at this present stage of my life.

So how did I redefine my style to suit my current circumstances?

I read fashion blogs like Styling You

I screen shopped ( window shopping but on the internet)

Dabbled on pinterest…

And I read magazines – old and new – to incorporate pieces into my wardrobe that would work not just during maternity, but beyond too.

It was all about finding the casual classics with the bows and frills that could be worn day in and day out to suit my new job – being a mum.

I also realized and made peace with the fact that my wardrobe would always be evolving (hallelujah!) and to not let my current circumstances stop me from wearing styles that I love to wear. The pencil skirt may not work right now, but a dress with an a-line will, and blazers may be suited for a night out, but a draped cardigan can make a boring jeans outfit look sophisticated during the day.

Have you ever had to redefine your style and what did you do about it?