After having my first child, rising (somewhat) from the fog and realising that I couldn’t spend my whole life in active wear or different versions of pyjamas, I opened my wardrobe but didn’t know what to wear. The dresses were too tight. The shorts were too short. Did I ever wear anything comfortable pre kids?

I was at a bit of a loss as to what to wear and I’m a personal stylist!

So, I did a massive wardrobe cull. I had changed and my wardrobe needs had changed. It was easy to get rid of the clothing I knew I wasn’t going to wear anymore. But what did I want to replace it with? What was my new style?

I didn’t have to get rid of all my clothing and start from scratch thankfully. I took the time to find out what I felt comfortable in and started building my wardrobe again. If I had done it straight after having my son, with all the hormones and emotions swirling, that would not have been anything close to successful. The timing had to be right.

I isolated what I didn’t like. Nothing clingy, nothing short, nothing I couldn’t climb up a ladder in at a park. Nothing white.

I looked at a lot of photos for inspiration, did a lot of scrolling of online stores and then tried things on. Some things were disastrous and disheartening but that was part of the process of rediscovering my new style. VERY slowly it started to fall into place. I felt more like me – the new me.

My skinny jeans were temporarily replaced with straight leg and wide leg ones. My skirts were more flowy and longer. I wore a lot more looser fitting t-shirts and shirts. They still had structure because if you just go baggy, it’ll swallow you up and make you look bigger.

The A-line dress style became a go to for me. It’s more fitted around the top and from about the ribs it just falls nicely across the hips. So flattering and comfy.

My sneaker collection grew and there has never been a bigger range of lifestyle sneakers out than ever before. Styles and shapes and colours to suit all outfits.

Building my new wardrobe was a slow burn. My focus ended up being on a capsule wardrobe. I invested in classic pieces I knew I’d wear on repeat such as a well-fitting pair of jeans, black pants and a skirt, a blazer and eventually I got myself a white shirt.

My best advice is not to rush into anything. If you’re not sure about something when you try it on, leave it. If you’re thinking about it an hour or day later, come back to it. You will know when you put something on, how it makes you feel and whether you’ll actually wear it.

After going through a loss of style identity, my passion and goal became clear – helping people, a lot of them mums, determine their style and empowering them through their clothes.

So much of our identity and confidence comes from what we wear and there’s no shame in admitting that how we feel is linked to our outfit.

I hope this has been helpful. If you have any style questions, want to chat about a capsule wardrobe or want to shop with me to update your style and revamp your wardrobe, I’d love to chat. My email is debby@debbyharrington.com.au and you can also get me on Instagram @debbyharington_

And if you need a hand rediscovering your style, updating your wardrobe or if you think it’s in need of a detox, check out my website www.debbyharrington.com.au for more information about a personal shopping session or wardrobe makeover.