6 "find your style" mistakes to avoid | Maximize your wardrobe 

Some of the points mentioned in this video is inspired by discussions on sustainable fashion through the Danish podcast “bedre mode” which I can highly recommend if you understand Danish! Available in your podcast app and Spotify 🥳 enjoy the video! xx

Anyone who says "get rid of clothing you have not worn the last three or six months" know nothing of northernclimate. There is stuff you never wear in winter, and clothes that you never wear in summer. And some winters are very cold and some are not, some summers are rainy and cooler, and you also might travel to the hotter or colder places in the country, but perhaps not every year. Getting rid of my warmest winter jacket because the winter was not that cold this year, or my swimsuits and thin dresses because we never got to swim that summer ... That is really wasteful. I always have a problem with my black clothes. I am not into black, but I keep them, because I might have a funeral to attend or something, but I rarely use them, and always debate with myself if I should donate them when I go through my wardrobe, but then I decide that if I need them I do not want to _have_ to go shopping, on top of everything else, and buy new stuff that I rarely use. Some needs to be replaced anyway. But I just got my 15yo started on a major wardrobe purge, and wow ... You think you get the outgrown never used clothes out, but Definitely not all of it.

Narrowing down what colors I actually wear as opposed to colors I think are pretty but don’t enjoy wearing, and only buying clothes within that color palette really helped me. It helps everything go together more too.

Last point that you make - that's the reason why I prefer to go shopping on my own. Everytime I go shopping with someone, people strat to give their opininon and I get confused. It always end with bad purchase decision for me. I just like to be left to my own devices.

I loved your decluttering point of view . I actually feel pressured to throw out my stuff , and That it's not sustainable at all . Taking my own time is making me make good decisions about what goes . And it has been a lot already. Not at once, but In conscious parts so I can figure if they are worth keeping or not.

Attempting this when I don’t wear black or white much at all is difficult! I did the challenge of picking my most loved and worn items and almost everything was muted green and blues and pastels. This told me that I gravitate towards and look and feel best in colours from nature, as my ‘enhancement’ colours are pastel pink, rust and chocolate brown. This made decluttering SO MUCH EASIER! Now I’m left with a wardrobe that works together, rather than having individual pieces that I need something else to go with in order to make it work. It seems so simple, but it’s the best advice I’ve ever been giving. You have been INVALUABLE! Thank you xxx

Some people are hoarders because this is how they learned from their parents. Others disliked the hoarding and clutter of their parents and became minimalists. Being a minimalist is great for the wallet, environment, and our general health -it's quite stressful to need an item you know you have but can't find it because of the clutter/gathered items (despite them being neatly arranged: you can't remember everything all the time). Being a minimalist has the downside that you might need an item but you don't have it because you dont own much. if you have to move, being a minimalist is great: fewer stuff to pack. cleaning is also easier (or i hope it is). If you own many things, you don't need to get rid of them this second, if you want to become a minimalist. all you have to do is to stop buying things if you already have them. you like pink tshirts? great! you already have 5? awesome! then you don't need the 6th. wear those 5, and when one of them doesn't suit you anymore, replace it. You have 3 toners? use those up before you buy a new one. If you're not ready to declutter, it's ok: you're not ready now, but maybe you will next month, in 6 months from now. maybe next year? if you stop buying things, you will slowly declutter. Also, always remember why you have the items? they bring you joy? awesome! keep them! You're actually planning on selling them at some point? that is decluttering! ;) remember that some of us have different needs compared to others, and you might actually be a minimalist in other areas: you own little furniture maybe, or few cooking things (pots, pans, knives, so on).

Oh my gosh I have plenty of passive clothing, many I haven’t worn in a year or more. But they are things that I like and are useful for certain situations... occasion wear, vacation wear, sport wear or extreme weather wear, and a few vintage collectible pieces. I don’t want to get rid of them and then have to go and buy them again when I need them. I have always liked your approach of putting things away and then pulling them out seasonally. I guess I just have a lot more passive clothing than some, but it works for me right now while I have the closet storage.

The weather is erratic where I live . I'm not going to get rid of a perfectly winter coat simply because I haven't warn it in 6+ months. It just happened to be warmer than usual after January this year.

I so agree with passive clothing not being decluttered! On my journey I've got rid of some items I actually regret parting with. And I only got rid of them because I wasn't wearing them often enough. Now I'm storing such items to see if it really is something I like, just don't wear often.

Incredibly helpful advice. I especially appreciated your distinction between passive clothing and the items you never loved, evaluating the "why" of what you don't/didn't love, that life is not static and neither are we and being aware of second opinions. It really is about identity work and knowing yourself. Thank you, again, for your fabulous videos. Much love and light to you!

For me, when I started incorporating more neutrals that looked good with my skin tone that I could mix and match...that was a game changer. No more standing in front of the closet with 'nothing to wear' feelings. I can still wear a purple/beige and a greenish/beige that matches with everything because of the common beige shade. I didn't know this before and felt limited and too 'bold' when having too wear a very bright color. Thanks for the video, great insights!

I've realized level of contrast and pattern scale is a huge part of enjoying my clothing. I'd love to see an in-depth video on your mindset behind how you've put together your special occasion capsule (if there's not a video on it already)

The shorter hair with those waves is like your signature look which I love it! Signe, thank you so much for all the dedication you put on each of your videos, I never get tired of them 🥰

So true about being careful who you listen to. When I was a child, my Mum would emphatically declare that any item obtained second hand (for me by her) looked new, and looked fantastic. It reality it looked out-of-style and at least gently worn. This opinion really slowed the development of my own personal style, which was achieved by listening to myself and assessing what works/doesn’t work for me.

Signe, so true! Many things acquired under the influence of someone else’s opinion have been gathering dust in my closet for a long time, and as a result have been donated to relatives or friends, or taken to a Goodwill store. For the past 5 years I am guided only by my own feelings and judgement. Signe, you achieved tremendous growth in the past two years. Keep developing! Best wishes! 💖

in my head I'm a laywer in manhattan that wears stilletos and pencil skirts. In my real life I'm a mom of two that wears sweats to kindergarden...

Packing away seasonal clothing has been working out great for me. Its really helped me cut things out that I never think about or reach for and get excited about the next season to wear the things I love.

Great video. I especially agree with the part about passive clothing. If something fits perfectly and I love it I keep it for a couple of seasons. I get variety and shop my closet by rotating my passive clothing.💕

I’m proud to say that everything I have in my wardrobe right now are clothes that I like and wear but I did several declutter sessions, donated and sold. I still have a few items in the hallway waiting to be sold. But what a difference it makes to know what you own. I’d feel tired before just thinking that I have to reorganize so much stuff (my wardrobe was rather medium) and to search for that “lost” blouse or skirt or whatever. It makes life so much easier especially if other things are already stressing you out. Clothes are not worth the effort and decluttering makes dressing up fun and enjoyable!

Thank you Signe, I really appreciate when the sizing issue gets addressed, because it's definitely a problem in sustainable fashion

When I stopped shopping garments made from polyester it was money saved. And wardrobe filed with natural fibers that lasts forever. Great addressing passive clothes, it so true! I have a sequin top that I wear maybe once a year, but it will always be in my wardrobe!

Loved your point about passive clothing being different from clothing that should be eliminated from our wardrobes.

You are breath of fresh air. This past year I stopped reading all fashion blogs ( except yours) and watch only a handful of fashion vlogs - and even questioning if I am wasting my time watching them. You are truly a diamond in a rhinestone world.

Hi Signe! I wanted to tell you a quick personal story about one of the points you presented here. I had the Cladwell app since the time you let us know we could get it for free, but Cladwell let me know they were changing my account to a paid subscription. I didn’t want to pay it, so I saved all the photos of my items and transferred them to my computer. I was really shocked at how much I had acquired the past couple of years, so I did a big declutter but saved all the images. I wanted to just delete them all but never got around to it, instead focusing on the items I kept and arranging them into your fluid capsule wardrobe system (which I love!!). When I watched this video (three times!) yesterday, I decided to dig into my shame by finding all those photos of items I had decluttered. I sorted them into categories and was able to realize why each piece hadn’t worked out. I was even able to rate the categories by size. For example, the largest category was “poor quality.” That taught me that I need to re-evaluate how I spend money on clothing so it doesn’t fall apart and I have to declutter it. Other categories were things like fit, fabric, and color. I printed out this visual list, titled “My Style Mistakes,” and put it into my style portfolio to remind me not to make those same mistakes again! Thank you so much for emphasizing to learn from our mistakes. I learned so much about my bad habits from this exercise and am excited to change my ways!

Love that passive clothes concept, and I had this dilemma around the numbers of clothes that some model of minimalism proposed . I love to have less clothes to take care but the choices ok keeping or not a piece and this is true particularly the first year you’re doing decluter is sometimes challenging . As exemple this summer I have a lot summer clothes that I kept from a big decluter in two categories passive may be and passive I still love no doubt, so when was time for season change I hat a lot of clothes over the number that the method I choose would recommend. But as you said they also tell us that we can broke the rules. I m not a person who would obey at rules if they don’t make sens for me, so I made two small section in my wardrobe one with the no doubt and one may be ans some times clothes changed from one to other because they doesn’t fit well or because it’ not my style anymore but I find important to take the time to determine that by trying those and trying to make new kits, As you said I don’t want waste clothes and ressources. So thank you for the réflexion you did and for the tricks and advices you shared with us. BTW you’re doing really well to adapt your pregnancy style as your regular style and you look amazing. Hugs!

Watching your videos is literally the most relaxing and rewinding thing ever! Always excited for new videos ♥️

In a pandemic I find I’m only wearing my workout wear and comfy dresses using hardly any of my wardrobe. I like workwear style but I’m retired and I’m really struggling to find my style. I like modern but not trendy. Love your videos stay well thanks🦋

Undoubtedly, comfort, versatility, cost-benefit and sustainability have been the pillars that support my wardrobe. Thanks for sharing such useful tips, Signe.

I have a 3rd storage box: the clothes that I am tired of wearing but are good quality and in my style. I have got rid of some of these clothes in my decluterring journey and I regretted to have disposed of many items. Before going shopping I visit my box to see if I did not have that item before or if I can use one item in a different way to give it a new life. After several months I can decide to keep some clothing longer or really donate or sell it. As I go older I am less inclined to listen to someone's advice unless it is an absolute revelation which makes sense (it rarely does!)

It might sound mercenary but if I think of myself as a 'brand', I'm less inclined to make spontaneous, wasteful (and disappointing) purchases. If I like a piece of clothing, ask myself is in 'on brand?' and the answer is NO, I put it back. PS It's taken me DECADES to figure this out! I adore looking at other people's styles but I now realise that's their brand not mine. I can still love their brand and enjoy it without having to emulate. LOVE your channel, S!

Signe this was so helpful. I’m in my mid fifties and work part time from home now. I also live in a rural area that’s very casual. I rarely have a need to dress all put together but I so enjoy a styled look. I’m primarily a second hand shopper and I do occasionally find myself grabbing pieces for the lifestyle I had for years versus the one I have now. I’m a work in progress as I came to capsules and minding my clothing consumption a bit later in life. I initially decluttered like crazy and then panicked a bit. Hahaha but I have since become better at recognizing my passive wears and enjoy rotating them. I live in four seasons so I have plenty of options to work with. As always your advice will be applied to my style journey and is very appreciated cheers😊

White looks sooo good on you!

Lovely video and great tips!:) I found that there is no such thing as a list of basics that fits everyone, instead you should create your personal list of basics:)

I always get rid of mistake wardrobe pieces! You have taught me less is more and just like today I donated my mistakes even before watching this video. If it's something I may wear later I put in my armour and save it for another season. You have taught me so much in two years and thanks to you I have a happy wardrobe and never feel like I have nothing to wear. Even though I do wear repeat outfits lol.

Great tips!! Always love your content!!

Appreciated listening to this. Great tips. Thanks Signe.

Thank you for bringing up the point about Passive Clothing. I have often decluttered and thrown out pieces I don't wear as often, only to realise later that I should have kept them for wear to certain occasions. I ended up going out to buy the same item I threw out because I realised I actually needed it. I have learnt the hard way and I now try to keep the 'Throw out' pile in my house for a little longer so I can think about it carefully before just chucking items.

Great video! Appreciate the thoughtful content ❤️

Good point about the passive clothing which is seldom mentioned by this term. I also love how your navy dress is working so well for your pregnancy...looks lovely

Great video Signe. Really inspiring. 💕

Ah but Danish girls are so good at cycling in heels (and I did it too when I lived in DK❤️)!

I'm really glad you posted this video, Signe. Most of what you explained hits exactly on the nose for me, because I know I've experienced them myself (and I'd say your 4th point is something I still struggle with on occasion). In the end however, I don't see these things as mistakes; I see them as learning curves to better defining my style

Thanks for all brilliant tips & tricks !

Great common sense. Thank you for your thoughtful approach. "Passive clothing" is a very helpful new, concept. Also, important emphasis on not just continuous clearing out of mistake purchases, but learning from them. Great work!

You are so sensible. I've been watching a few minimalist wardrobe ladies and I was leaning towards one of their styles a lot but I feel that it may not fit with my lifestyle. You're right....your clothes need to fit your life. Thanks for the advice. I recent'y retired and so I've already purged a lot of my work clothing, now to move on to more everyday clothes. You got a new follower today.

My first time watching a video of yours Thank you for presenting different viewpoints and new, helpful ideas!!!!! Love ❤️ love ❤️ love ❤️

Some of the best advice on this subject that I’ve heard.

I loved the advice on passive clothing, nice original ideas. Thank you

Thanks for the video shared with us!

Thanks so much for your videos!

I love learning from my mistakes. I need to make more of them so that I can learn more about developing my own style

Luv your new haircut🙂

yes! love occasion wear capsule. So easy to turn to on date nights, weddings etc ! :)

Looks like you are feeling good❤️❤️

Just bought a pair of Barbour navy leather loafers off Facebook market place. I was intentionally looking for shoes I paid just twentyfive pounds plus five pound postage. Loafers on the website are ninety pounds thats a saving of sixty pounds, I love them so happy xx

I also agree to not put a timeline on clothing that needs to be decluttered due to varying circumstances. Great video!

One of my mistakes when needing a new wardrobe after losing 65 lbs was buying too much at once. I really thought I knew my new style for my new body so I bought everything I thought I’d need. Sadly, it was an expensive mistake. Some colors, some fabrics, some cuts just weren’t for me even though I liked the look on Pinterest. I wish I had just gotten a few things and practiced wearing them for a while and slowly added pieces over time. Now I have stuff I don’t think I’ll wear and need to decide if I should force myself to make use of them or let them go.

I like your point of passive vs shouldn't have. I have been slowly down sizing and filtering my wardrobe for a while. It still seems to be a lot of clothes but majority I love and do wear just not very often. This is now why I'm struggling to downsize further. It's made harder by being on the cusp of a big life change and not knowing exactly what I will need

Great tips! x

Thank you for this. I make one of those mistakes: I LOVE romantic vintage styles, but I know won't wear them, because I hate being uncomfortable and I won't wear "dress" shoes because I have weird feet. I'd love to wear lovely, pretty simple dresses, but... I just won't because I know I don't have the right shoes.

Hi from Alaska❤️I Loved all your advice!!!

So much wisdom 💯

I really like your point about the passive clothing. Just I wish I had more space to keep all of it...🙄

Hi Signe, you're looking so beautiful. Even more than usual.

Really good points to remember. Mistakes are costly and wasteful. You really know what to look for. I hope to get better at knowing my style and with my choices. Your videos help me be. Thank you. x

Learning from your mistakes is VERY important when it comes to shopping. Whew! I've bought lots that should have stayed in the store,

OMG I love Copenhaguen, hope I can be back sometime soon.

passive clothing 😉 really helpful video, thank you🙂

Oh, I love your hair 👍🤗

I just caught up with this and how awesome is the b roll as well as the ideas! Is this Copenhagen? It is so beautiful - thank you.

Highlights and a haircut,.........looks great

I would love to listen to the podcast that you recommend but I don't speak Danish. Great video, btw. XOXO :-) Miri

Best tips I've learned compared to other style guides on RU-vid.

In terms of finding my personal style...I have two issues going on ( challenges). The first one is that since I have started living and practicing minimalism I went through a profound revelation and realized how much I was using clothing and fashion not just to 'feel good' but literally I was using it because I didn't think my physical appearance ( face, hair, colouring, body) was at all attractive...I actually held such a deep core belief that I was so ugly it made me 'unacceptable ' and because I am very artistic it was easy for me to find and put together outfits that were 'well done' and people would often comment on how they loved my outfit or a piece of clothing or jewelry or shoes. I could find really great, unique and beautiful items. It was like I was hiding or compensating. When I realized this ( through minimalism) I have consciously been not using/ wearing almost any jewelry or accessories and it feels really good right now. I wear the clothes I already have still but I'm not always on the hunt ( even in second hand stores) to find the special, unique pieces that everyone will admire and comment on and get me positive attention. So my style has really changed...I was very bohemian which really is about ' more is better' in a way. So I'm in a confused place....I do still love some aspects of the bohemian style. I have always leaned towards a more 'natural' look. So part of it still feels very genuine to me. But I am currently leaning more towards much more clean and classic styles and very small and minimal accessories. But then I realized one day thinking about my style, my wardrobe, the changes. And I could not help but notice that not long ago 'bohemian' style was a huge trend and was 'everywhere' and it was easy to shop for ...and now my style is leaning towards this more classic, minimal style ....and THAT IS what's very trendy right now. So I don't know if my style changed because of my minimal mindset change ( as minimalism is quite a trend right now too) or am I just being influenced by the 'media' and trends? So this is technically my question or what I would like to hear your tips/ advice on...when trying to find/ determine our personal style, how do I know if or how much my style is influenced by what's in style? I don't WANT to follow trends but it's like it seems to be just 'happening' even though I am trying to be conscious and true to myself. Also, I find even in the sustainable brands that it is difficult to find some items in certain styles if the item isn't the in trend style. For example, I generally prefer a lower rise pant/ Jean because I am petite and I have a VERY low rise. It is almost impossible to find a truly low rise jean because 'high rise' is what's in style. So I guess what I'm looking for are tips or signs...how to know when I'm following the trends ( unconsciously) and how to NOT be influenced by trends....especially if you like some aspect/ piece of the trend but it is most likely not going to stay around for long? Not sure if any of that makes sense...just what I'm going through...thank you for letting me vent.

I don’t like shopping with other people, they push me to buy things I don’t like and try to convince me not to buy things that I love. It’s exhausting, I shop on my own if I possibly can.

Thank you, Signe

If I’m not sure an item should be kept, I’ll store it and revisit whether to donate it. That way I don’t make hasty decisions that I regret. It does require some storage and regular reviews.

re: size fluctuation - I really wish size privilege was a bigger conversation in the sustainable fashion space. I don't change size a lot, but I do change shape a lot based on how I'm using my body at a given time (as an athlete changes in the way your muscles stack comes with the territory) - I have noticed that I might declutter something I formerly loved because it feels uncomfortable/ unflattering, only to really wish I had it when my day to day shifts and my shape has suddenly changed to match with it again. The takeaway? That 3-6 month rule is to be ignored in my case- if something was an all-time fave at any point, I'll give it up to 3 years before fully transitioning it out. It's not a perfect 1-1 match for weight fluctuations, but something similar (that feels joyous and not like you're keeping old sizes around out of guilt or shame) could possibly work for that situation also. In addition, Finding fabrics with a lot of movement/ flow to them, or materials with a bit of stretch, or getting comfy doing minor alterations to clothes can be great ways to not feel like you have to buy new clothes all the time (Blueprint DIY on youtube has some great upsizing and customizing tutorials)! I have a sustainable jumpsuit from Aria Lattner that fits sizes 0-14, and I thank my lucky stars that I can keep it even if size fluctuations become a thing (which I realize is still a pretty small slice of sizes - they definitely need to work on that but they're heading somewhere)! We need more clothes like that being designed, especially for the sustainable clothing price point! Dear designers, acknowledge life. Love, everyone.

My no.1 and most recent mistake. Colour! Bright colours. Love looking at them. Never look good on me. I look good in muted colours. Not bright colours. Another mistake. Shoulds. Should have black. Should have white. And then I look at them and I never them. Because, I don't like black, I prefer grey.

The background tune is superannoying. 😨😨😨😕✌🏼

hello Signe, it's a great video, but could you active the english subtitle please? Because I don't speak english very wellT_T, and it's help me a lot

Just wanted to give shout out to the brand Emporers Old Clothes theemperorsoldclothes.co.uk/ they make beautiful clothes from left-over and vintage fabrics and they have a wide variety of sizes. You can also customize the clothes to fit you perfectly :)

😚👍😍

I am the first🙂

Goodness, common sense people! high heels on a bicycle, really? 🙄....lol Wear what suits your body type, age, personality. Forget fashion trends stick to classics and basics, fashion recycles itself, wear what you like and be creative old or new!

is it just me or does her voice just got deeper?