Nine Bad Outfits From Last Summer (And How I'd Make Them Better)
...plus, a summer lookbook of OOTDS that slapped
Hands up, who else is obsessed with the ‘One Year Ago’ folder on their camera roll? I mostly enjoy it for looking back at photos of the little one or pictures from our kitchen renovation where, this time last year, there were still electrical wires hanging out the ceiling. But as someone who documents their daily outfits online, I come across a whole host of OOTDs. Some of them are great. Some of them ok. And some of them are just downright awful. And the kicker? They form part of my digital footprint and probably still exist somewhere on the Internet (just like my first ever YouTube video - complete with sperm brows and all!).
But today, they are resurfacing. I scrolled through every photo I took last summer, and the worst of the worst are here with us in the room. We’re going to reflect, learn, and rebuild each outfit so that, in the end, I’m going to have a little summer lookbook ready to go. Maybe you fancy doing the same? Or it inspires you to check back on last year’s camera roll for ideas? Or maybe you just want the CliffNotes to add to your own outfit formulas? Either way, you’re heading into summer prepared…
Ok, firstly, two caveats. When I say summer, I mean ‘summer in the UK’, and I also mean ‘summer in the UK as someone who hates being cold and doesn’t really love getting her legs out’. So, these outfits might be a little more…layered…than you expect. Two, the ‘bad’ outfits aren’t necessarily ‘bad’. It’s more that I have new information that I feel could be used to improve them. Like here—thanks to my colour analysis, I know that black isn’t really the most enhancing colour for me. So, for this year’s version, I’ve freshened it up with a beige knit T-shirt instead of the black jumper I was wearing before. Same, but different, and colour analysis approved.
You know I’m not crazy about skirts, but I bought this DISSH number last year and got a fair amount of wear out of it. I don’t hate last year's outfit, but it felt a little beige and bland - the shoes and bag feel a bit off for me. So I restyled it with a black cropped linen top for some contrast and switched the shoe for something still tonal but chunkier (sidenote: I tried on so many pairs of shoes with this skirt, and these really feel like the best match, so I made a mental note of that for next time I wear it!).
When I saw the outfit on the right I thought ‘WHERE IS THE JEWELLERY ANNA?!?!’. It just looks so plain without my usual jewellery peeping through. So, this was an easy fix and is something that I picked up in my colour analysis. If I am going to wear a head-to-toe black outfit, then it needs a little something around the neckline to break it up - here, the Lié Studios necklace worked perfectly for that. I feel like the bag adds some much-needed texture too.
I’ve picked apart the outfit on the left for an IG reel before because it feels quite offensive to me. I think it’s the shoes. I had a vision in my head, but in reality, they were just too pointy and harsh in my wardrobe. I’ve since purchased a softer version of them - these Flattered slip-ons* - and they fit so much more seamlessly into my wardrobe. All this outfit needed in my eyes was a longer style of denim and a tweaked shoe, everything else is pretty much the same.
Cast your minds back to spring/summer 2023, when the Birkenstock Boston Clogs had us in a chokehold. I wore nothing else on my feet for a solid five months. So chronically out of stock, I hunted all three pairs of mine down secondhand. I’ve since sold two and now have just the one, which, if I’m honest, is not my favourite shoe style right now. I look at the photo on the left and feel a little duck-like. However, I think the key to wearing them for me is to pair them with my widest-leg denim, so that’s exactly what I did. I’m hanging on to them because their comfort is unrivalled.
Here we needed some cleavage (even though I have fried eggs for breasts!). We needed skin!!!! Everything just felt a little covered. So I kept the shirt, trousers and flip-flops the same, but skipped the layering underneath. If I did need an extra layer here a scoop or square neck would work better. I added my chunky necklace and a textured tote only because it was in the room with me, the suede would have been lovely too). A vast improvement I’d say!
The outfit on the left is the reason why I eventually came to sell this yellow dress. Whilst the colour is good (and actually pretty ‘True Autumn’-approved!), I have come to learn that I really don’t like a knitted stretch dress on me. I bought a few when I was pregnant with the view that I’d live in them post-pregnancy and ended up selling them all. I hated wearing them then and I hate wearing them now!! I’ve learnt my lesson. They just make me feel self-conscious and uncomfortable. When it comes to dresses I either like them short, or straight up and down like this brown silk one. You know what, how good would the outfit on the left be as a wedding guest outfit? I’m into it!
I was really loving this blazer last summer, huh? To be fair, it’s a good’un - secondhand Toteme babyyyyyyy! I like all the elements of last years outfit, but like I’ve mentioned before it was lacking that undone feel. It just felt too structured and angular almost, perhaps that was right for then, but for now I wanted a more relaxed feel. So all I did was switch the shoes for the new soft-square toe version I have, go for a more relaxed denim, a textured tote bag and a t-shirt that isn’t skin tight. So basically the whole outfit aside from the blazer, belt and sunglasses!! But, I feel like it still has that same polish to it, just with a bit more chill too.
I actually quite like the outfit on the right from last summer, but I’ve since sold the bag and the shoes, so I wanted to do this year’s version. I’ve eased it out a little with an untucked shirt (but I could easily tuck it in if I wanted to feel more polished), a textured bag and strap flip-flops. I’m not a huge lover of button-ups in the winter, so summer is where they really shine for me and this feels like an outfit that could see me through a lot of different scenarios.
…but they weren’t all terrible. I often cite last summer as my personal style turning point - largely in part to a session with the one and only, Allsion Bornstein. Having the creator of the three word method mull over your three words and give you her personal opinion on what they should be? WORTH EVERY PENNY! I’ve tweaked it myself since and have landed on ‘Undone’, ‘Polished’ and ‘Classic’, which serves me well on a daily basis. Each morning I’m able to navigate getting dressed with an ease and flow that I didn’t previous have access to. It sound knobby, but it’s true!
So here are some outfits I found in the archive that I’d happily wear for summer 2024…
Sometimes the inspiration you need has just been sitting in your camera roll all this whole time. Who knew? If you’re not happy with what you find when you dig into the archives then that’s cool. It’s just a chance for you to flex your styling muscle. Like what you see? Then FAB. That’s this summer’s lookbook sorted.
Anna x
Ah! This was a fun little exercise Anna and I LOVED seeing the tweaks you made. I think the reason this is fun is because you can see your style evolution. None of the before outfits were “bad” but your redo of them show your growth in YOUR styling. Bravo!
I loved this Anna. So helpful to see b4 & after & the subtle differences.