Letting go of the idea of bouncing back from having kids to embrace the wardrobe of her dreams, Amy Abrahams got rid of the clothes that no longer serve her. Embracing style at the size she was and documenting the process on Instagram under Wear the Damn Dress, the Canberra-based stylist and influencer shares tips for creating a wardrobe you will want to wear.

“There are lots of studies into the impacts that clothing can have on the way we feel… Clothes have such a meaningful impact on our mental health, on the way we see ourselves and the way we present ourselves to the world. So, having a wardrobe that makes you feel amazing is critical, I think, to a whole lot of parts of our lives, not just sort of the physical appearance, but the way we feel,” says Ms Abrahams.

The first step of creating a wardrobe that makes you happy is auditing the clothes you already own. Ms Abrahams says to be ruthless at this stage, particularly when it comes to how the items fit.

“They all fit you properly, that means you put them on and you feel comfortable physically, they don’t dig or feel restrictive or, those kinds of pants you have the ‘Oh, they look good but as soon as I sit down, I can’t breathe anymore’ – that is not a wardrobe that is going to make you happy.”

More important than keeping up with current trends, your wardrobe needs to align with your style and be full of garments you feel confident wearing. The divide and conquer strategy is what Ms Abrahams suggests; sort clothes into three piles – I love and they fit, I love but they don’t fit comfortably, and I don’t love and they don’t fit.

“Get all those clothes in that third pile out of your wardrobe because they’re not serving you, they’re just adding clutter and it makes it really confusing to work out what you love to wear,” she says.

Keep the clothes you love and that fit you well.

That middle pile is a bit trickier; Ms Abrahams says we often have an emotional connection to clothes.

“You think, ‘Oh well, I’ll keep that because I was really happy when I wore that’ or ‘I felt really great when I could wear that particular dress’. I absolutely get the emotional connection to wanting to keep it, but there is a fine line between keeping it to keep that emotional connection and keeping it and making yourself feel like s**t,” she says.

As we change and grow so does our personal style. If you’re unsure of yours, Ms Abrahams says platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are great for inspiration. She uses a Venn Diagram when teaching clients how to build a wardrobe that works for them. The first circle is what you want to wear and what you like seeing on other people, while the second is what you need to wear with your lifestyle; where the two overlap is where you will find your personal style.

“I love to wear sequins, I love to wear tulle, I love to wear fancy dresses, but realistically I’m a mum of two boys. I spend most of my time going to work or swimming lessons and the supermarket. So, I need to find sort of a blend in there,” she smiles.

Building a new wardrobe sounds expensive, however, when you are in the audit, pay close attention to the basic pieces you own, as they can create a base for your ideal wardrobe. From there you can make a list of pieces you’re missing; Ms Abrahams suggests op shopping and platforms like Depop and Facebook marketplace are great for finding clothes at reduced prices.

“Places like Kmart and Target are also really stepping into that fashion space at the moment, so you can find pieces that won’t break the bank but are on trend,” she says.

“Having said that, I do recommend having a think about how much longevity do I want out of this piece.”

Still not sure? Consider hiring a stylist. Ms Abrahams says there are 1,001 reasons why someone might seek the help of a professional.

“If you’re a new mum going back to work and want to find new clothes to fit that new lifestyle. Other people do because they go ‘I feel a bit lost, like I’ve lost my personal style along the way and I’d like to pick up some new tricks again’.”

Ms Abrahams believes it’s important to have clothing that makes you feel great at any size. She says that if you are working on changing your body, it is still important to have things that fit correctly and make you feel good.

“I think it makes you feel worse if you have a wardrobe full of clothes that don’t fit you, it makes you feel like rubbish. For me personally, I never found it motivating, I never found it engaging, it actually made me feel quite average… One of the best things I did was get rid of all the clothes that didn’t fit me anymore.”

Regardless of size, age or demographic, style is for everybody, explains Ms Abrahams; everyone deserves style and a wardrobe that makes them feel amazing.

“If you’re waiting and holding off for whatever reason, I think just go for it. It’ll make a huge difference in your life to have clothes and things that look good on you,” she smiles.

Follow Amy Abrahams for more tips and tricks at instagram.com/wearthedamndress

Canberra Daily is keen to hear from you about a story idea in the Canberra and surrounding region. Click here to submit a news tip.