How to get over ''I have nothing to wear'' syndrome

You're getting ready to go out, you open your wardrobe and utter the words ''I have nothing to wear''. How often does this happen to you? For me, and despite the fact I have twice as many clothing items than I actually have room for I used to say this at least once a week. Ludicrous when you take into account I could probably wear a different outfit every day for a year and still never wear the same thing twice. Well, I had an epiphany people. And that cycle ends now.
In an effort to save money, reduce clutter and stop ''collecting'' things I never wear I've put myself on a shopping ban. In an effort to create more space for clothes I plan to keep and wear I went through my wardrobe with a cut-throat mindset and donated to Oxfam all the items I either haven't worn in ages or realistically won't wear again. In the end I ended up with 2 bin bags full of stuff, most of which still had the label on and had never been worn. Yep. Oxfam's lucky day.

After my mini money/environment saving epiphany the real question that dawned on me is how do I break the cycle? Shopping endlessly is such an easy habit to fall into and there have been times when I've bought virtually the same thing twice - forgetting I own a jumper that looks almost identical to the new one. Shopping for the sake of shopping is my problem. And that's exactly what it is, a problem.

It's not particularly economical or practical to buy a new outfit every time you think you've got nothing to wear so I've taken action. I read a statistic once that said the average woman only wears 20% of her wardrobe and I can definitely relate to that. Working in an office environment means generally I wear variations of the same smart shirts, blazers & suit trousers over and over which is fine - but even on weekends and date nights I feel myself regurgitating the same outfits. So I've reorganised my entire wardrobe and brought items to the front that have been stuffed in the back for ages; creating the illusion in my mind that I have more options. Such a small change but has made such a difference so far.

A cringeworthingly sentimental person, I hold on to all sorts of crap I don't need (I still have the receipt of the hotel we stayed in in Paris last year) and the same can definitely be said for clothes. So as part of my wardrobe overhaul I've also donated anything I won't wear again that I was keeping purely for sentimental value (except my 18th birthday dress, long live pink leopard print)... and you'd be surprised how much space that's freed up.

I've also thought more about ''quality over quantity'' and perhaps having 35 white blouses from Primark (god I hate Primark) is not quite as economical as having one great white shark blouse that costs more but is better quality and will stand the test of time overall. And surely you're more likely to wear something you love over something you picked up on a whim? My advice is donate anything that doesn't fit or could be a perfect item for someone else to pick up in a charity shop. H&M's new ad campaign about their clothing recycling service is nothing short of amazing and something I will definitely bear in mind in the future. Keeping a dress you've only worn once that doesn't fit any more is such a waste when it could be recycled and turned into something else. Plus you'll have more space for when it's time to invest in something new that you will wear and is worth having.

Reducing my wardrobe to staple pieces that can be worn over and over regardless of how much my style changes seems far better than having piles of stuff I've forgotten I even own. I can't believe I'm saying this but - less is more? (anyone that's ever lived with me would definitely say YES). Skinny jeans in a couple of colours, a couple of blazers, tops and skirts and 350 pairs of pyjamas is enough for me. Rearranging my clothes and having a really thorough clear out has reintroduced me to items I forgot I had, and even some items I have no idea why I bought in the first place. But nevertheless it has helped conqueror my shopping problem and kept ''nothing to wear syndrome'' at bay.

What do you think? Are you a clothes hoarder or just the bare necessities type of girl? Have you held on to anything purely for sentimental value that if anyone else knew would think you're mental?

Autumn/Winter wishlist

The weather's crap, but your outfit doesn't have to be. Winter is by far my favourite season. Unpopular opinion or not, there's no denying the fashion is more exciting, evenings are cosier and of course - Christmas! The shops have just started to roll out their Autumn & Winter lines and there is so much I've got my eye on!
 Here are a few of my favourite bits that I've either ordered already (shock) or will be saving for ready for when it gets a little colder and the clocks go back...(extra hour in bed anyone?)

Starting at the top left - from River Island this lush leather dress. Perfect for the office (paired with black tights, might be a little too risqué without..)
What is winter without boots? I always feel a little bit like a Santa impersonator but I love winter boots. I especially love when they're real leather so I'm definitely saving myself for these beauties from Office.

For someone who spends hours on their hair and makeup I really don't take care of my skin. Because my skin tends to get dryer in the winter I've invested in this Active Cell Night Serum from bareMinerals. Slightly biased because I used to work for them but also because I know first hand how great it is and how so many women wouldn't be without it! I really hope applying this every other night during the colder months will keep my skin hydrated. Watch this space...

New Look have great shoes that are rarely more than £40 so these pointed leather courts are going to be perfect for work or even evenings out! Black courts are pretty classic and realistically can be worn all year round.

These pointed boots from ASOS.com will look great with almost any jeans and are a great way to dress up an outfit. A firm believer in the idea you can never have too many pairs of shoes anyway I think these Boots would go really well with so many different outfits. I really don't need persuading.

Realistically not every day in autumn and winter is so cold it requires boots, so these Kurt Geiger leopard print pumps will be ideal for the slightly warmer autumnal days. And they're on sale on ASOS. Decent

Last but not least THIS.BAG. It's by an Italian Designer called Luisa Vannini and I think its perfect for winter! Made from real leather and big enough you can fit pretty much everything in I think this will definitely be hanging off my arm for the next 6 months. I got this off secretsales.com for £70 reduced from £225, need I say more.

What are your winter must-haves? Am I alone in preferring winter to summer?

The importance of sweatpants Sundays

These days in our overworked, underpaid 24/7 world relaxation is often a luxury rather than a given. With endless bills, 8 hour working days and the constant stress associated with having to endure Louis Walsh on X Factor, we could all do with a day off. Sometimes, you need to be selfish and just take care of you. Just one day a week of doing bugger all and pottering around the house should be mandatory. And there's nothing more comfortable to do this in than sweatpants.

Karl Lagerfeld once said “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants.” I disagree. Sweatpants are the most comfortable alternative to just strolling around naked and I think one day a week they should be mandatory. They by no means mean you've lost control of your life, if anything they indicate the total opposite. You've worked/partied so hard all week you're comfortable allowing yourself a day off. Go with it.  I always try and look polished and well put together during the week, so Sundays are a braless - sweatpants-full day of rest and I love it.
And I'll be damned if I put a scrap of makeup on on a Sunday. 

An important part of every beauty routine and staying healthy in general is allowing yourself some downtime.  When you don't get enough sleep or your body begins to feel overworked you'll start to break out, hair won't look as healthy and you'll just feel crap in general.

Relaxation is imperative for good skin. Make it a priority. This mindset also allows you time to refocus and recover from the working week, which is also good for mental health. Feeling stressed and over stretched is unpleasant and can have adverse side effects on your health so make 1 day a week a sweatpants day. No excuses are required, sweatpants re the universal sign of ''I'm not getting off the sofa today so don't even ask'' - like a get out of jail free card for being lazy. Enjoy it.  

Barbie joggers are my favourite - no judgement

So whether you're recovering from a weekend of wine or a week of work embrace the universal day of rest. Don your sweatpants and make the most of doing absolutely nothing. It's good for your skin after all. Any judgement from others is likely to be jealously. For extra health benefits drink loads of water/green tea. Your skin will look better than ever come Monday.

Fashion lessons I learnt from watching chick flicks

Partial to a chick flick I've been watching them for as long as I can remember. A lot of them have been an integral part of me growing up and below are a few fashion lessons they taught me:

Clueless - Now it don't get any more nineties than Clueless. Who didn't want to be Cher?! Ever so slightly before my time (I was 3 when it came out) I have since watched it thousands of times. And there's one Clueless trend that has seen a massive comeback this year - coordinates. 4 years ago I'd have laughed in the face at the prospect of wearing an outfit that entirely matches. And now I wouldn't think twice. I love them.  I'm so fancy

Mean Girls - the most quotable film of all time bar none. This film actually taught me a lot and I think they should make all girls watch this before going to High School just as a heads up. But the fashion lesson I learned was wearing pink on Wednesdays should totally be like, the law. Pink is awesome and by Wednesday the weekend is in sight so knock yourself out and wear pink. I'd wear it everyday if I had enough pink clothes.

Bridget Jones -  I too have ''eaten entire contents of one's fridge'' and gone out dressed entirely in a bunny outfit. I think what Bridget Jones did for the ''control pants'' market is unprecedented. Everyone from Kim Kardashian to JLo have been snapped wearing them and you know what? That's ok. Bridget Jones brought light to the issue that actually we don't all have perfect figures and sometimes an extra layer of support/sucking in/pushing up can make an outfit look 100 times better and thus make us feel better about ourselves. Which really is the whole point of getting all dressed up. And unless you're being paid to endorse weight loss supplements (cough Kardashian cough) there's no shame in it. Spanx the shit out of yourself if it makes you feel better.

Sex and the City - Totally side stepping the fact it's financially impossible for Carrie to have lived the lavish lifestyle she led on a writer's wage I love love love SATC more than any other show. Obsesssssssed. If I was a sensible person what I should have taken from this show is how not to spend money. But unfortunately for my credit rating it taught me that if you like a dress/pair of shoes/ring - BUY IT. Probably the most financially irresponsible person alive it's easy for me to say but if you like something and it's within your means - buy it. Worry about the repercussions later.

Grease - Ha. A bit of a controversial one and I don't advocate dressing like a slut to get the bloke you like but hey, it worked for Sandy right? SO I guess the lesson to be had here is if the guy you like isn't paying you enough attention chuck on some skin tight disco pants, some red lipstick and he'll literally be crawling after you.