EEK GUID

W E
8

end the war with

your wardrobe
Ellie-Jean Royden
Body & Style
I recommend you print this guide so that
you can use glue, pens, paint, makeup and
whatever else you fancy to make it your
own!

ORDER OF
events

Week 1 - are you warm or cool?

let's get familiar with colour! too many of us have wardrobes full of
black that feels boring as soon as it's over your head. let's
experiment with warm and cool colours

Week 2 - looking at your body

one of the hardest things as a woman is to just look in the mirror and
not judge what we find there.

Week 3 - your dream life

the reason we are drawn to fashion is that if you wear the right
outfit you feel you can do anything. But first you need to know the
woman you want to be and the life you want her to have.

Week 4 - find your style roots

stop trying to fit into one aesthetic! we all have multiple things that
draw us in, but the key to your style is narrowing down to 3 sources
of inspiration to guide you.

Week 5 - find your style inspirations

how do you know what outfits to look for? let's narrow down your
style inspirations.

Week 6 - let's go shopping

how to find clothes that are right for you? this section is all about
being harsh with yourself and only buying items if they are 100%
what you want.
Week 7 - organising your wardrobe

We go step by step into how to organise your wardrobe so that it

functions for you and your needs.

Week 8 - putting outfits together (outfit templates)

This is all fine unless you know how to put an outfit together! I break
down some key fashion rules to help you out.
 The personal style pyramid

ease
outfits

organising
minimise

shopping

style roots discover

body type + colour season + essence

 ARE YOU
warm or cool?
Get out your lipsticks and try them on! Here you are going to try four different lipsticks and kiss the page
as a record. Think about whether you like the colour on the page - you may have a disposition to dislike it
regardless of what it looks like on your face - then compare with what you see in the mirror. If the lipstick
makes you look more grey, you might be a cool type, if it makes you look more yellow/orange you might
be warm. .

fuschia pink orange red

rose pink
nude
 ARE YOU
warm or cool?
Many people are familiar with the gold/silver test, but there are so many reasons this can go wrong! You
might be warm toned, but you suit yellow gold more than bronze gold so when comparing with a
brighter silver, you might be more drawn to the silver! Try each of these colour below and write how they
made you feel with them near your face.

rose gold silver

dark gold
yellow gold
 CHALLENGE
look at yourself
you will need:

mirror timer

pen
patience
 at yours
ok

elf
lo

So many women struggle to look at themselves in the

mirror. One of the first steps to finding your body type is to
detach from what you like/don't like about your body and
see it for what it really is. This task could be difficult, so if
you find it too painful feel free to skip, but if you want to
give it a go it should get great results.

Oliver Burkeman tells a story in his book '4 thousand

Weeks' of a teacher who got her students to look at a
painting for 3 full hours. They can't move, they can't change
paintings. The objective is to sit through the discomfort and
come to this place on the other side where you are at peace
- the students then find details they never saw before. This
exercise is similar. I won't make you look at your body for 3
hours, but I will ask you to take off all of your clothes (I
know, scary), stand in front of a full length mirror for two
complete minutes. For those two minutes, you aren't going
to look for anything, you are just going to look at what's
there. You might have negative thoughts, you might feel
yourself attempting to judge. Let the thoughts come and
go, note when you are trying to judge (and this applies to
both good OR bad).

When the 2 minutes are over, set a timer for 3 minutes, turn
the page and write down what you see. You cannot stop
writing for the whole time. The hope is to find complex
features of your body you hadn't seen before.
my features
 4 KEY
FEATURES
You have your list in front of you with all the features of your body. Now I want you to pick 4 of those
things that really define your shape. There is no right/wrong answer. For example, I might pick:
sloped shoulders
small waist
long fingers
round hips
 If you could do anything, what
would you do? Have a think about
your dream career. What have
you always wanted to do ever
since you were a little girl but
somewhere down the line you
decided it was too outlandish?
Take your image of this lady and
expand it. What does she do in
her evenings? Where does she
like to go on a day out? Where in
the world would she like to visit?
Make a Pinterest board (or cut up
old magazines) and fill it with
pictures of the life of this woman.
.
 This woman does not have a
wardrobe that bores her that's for
sure. If you want to show up as
this woman with your dream life,
it has to begin with your outfits.
Make a board of the kinds of
clothes she would wear, but think
outside of the box e.g. if she's a
nurse, she wouldn't be wearing
scrubs when going out to dinner.
Think about WHY you are drawn
to this particular lifestyle and this
should come through in the
clothing.
.
 tokens of your dream life
You don't want to wear a 'costume' of your dream life because it will feel like
something you can put on and take off. You may not ever get the role in your
dream board, but you can take a bit of that woman with you everywhere you
go - both metaphorically and literally. Have a look for a token of your dream
life that you can wear to remind you of the woman you absolutely have inside
of you, and feel like her when you walk out the door.

my token
My straw hat gets me a little closer to
feeling like the chic traveller who
watches elephants on a safari by day
and drinks mocktails in beach bars at
night.

your token
 F I RstEyle roots
pick your
It is hard narrowing down your style, but with a little bit of intention and self reflection it can easy to
create outfits that feel like you every time. We all, even me, will have things that draw us to each of the
style roots. The idea is to come back to the things which resonate with us the MOST to create a cohesive
image.
 L OrW
Fou E R roots
pick y style
 N le roots
S Ust
pick your y
 T Hle roots
E ArRst
pick you y
 MO O N le roots
r sty
pick you
 S HrRstOyOleMroots
Uou
My
pick
 U Nst
MyOou I N ots
T Ale
pick r y ro
 N Ele roots
S TrOst
pick you y
the 3 roots I feel the
most drawn to, are...
modest sensual

care free on top of things

dark light

strong delicate

experimental timeless
STYLE
ROOTS
quiz
If you picked sensual, care free,
delicate, you might have FIRE as one
of your roots
if you picked light, delicate, modest
you might have FLOWER as one of
this quiz works as a 'this or that' circle
your roots
the choice that resonates with you the
if you picked on top of things, delicate,
most. do this quiz if you are still
timeless, modest you might have
struggling to choose which roots are
MUSHROOM as one of your roots
'you'.
if you selected dark, strong, care free,
sensual, you might have MOON as one
don't worry if your options don't exactly
of your roots
match one of the results, that’s where
if you selected care free, delicate,
you pick multiple style roots!
experimental, you might have EARTH
as one of your roots
For example, you might have selected:
If you selected: strong, on top of
things, timeless, modest, you might
timeless, sensual and dark
have MOUNTAIN as one of your roots
If you selected modest, care free,
This could equate to a combination of
timeless, strong you might have
mushroom, fire and moon
STONE as one of your roots
If you selected: light, care free,
experimental you might have SUN as
one of your roots!
 Find the pieces in your wardrobe
that make you the happiest. This
is not necessarily the items you
wear the most as these are
probably your basics (which isn't
to say they aren't your favourite
either, its just not the way to find
them!). Look through and pick out
3 pieces that you feel you would
feel comfortable wearing...
1. in front of your grandparents
2. in front of your friends
3. in front of your coworkers
4. in front of your partner
This should help you find pieces
which you want to wear in front of
anyone, that you're not tailoring
to a specific group of people. You
can also pick out 3 pieces which
you feel connected to in some
way.
 ITEM #1
Now you have your 3 items, think about which style roots they have connections to. We are looking for
three, but they may have an influence of a fourth.
Don't worry if you can't think of three and you can only see two, that's also a possibility.
Take a deeper look at this piece and think about WHY it feels 'moon' or 'earth' etc to you. What features
make it timeless, rebellious or sensual?
ITEM #2
ITEM #3
 STYLE
ROOT
one
Now that you have learned to associate
clothing elements/details with style
roots, lets think of as many details as
possible for your style roots. For
example:

FIRE
hearts
velvet
satin/silk
ruching
frills
low neckline

etc
STYLE
ROOT
two
STYLE
ROOT
three
 Now you know what your 3 style
roots might be, make a mood
board for your new style. This
should include outfits and
clothing as well as images in
nature and architecture that you
associate with the 3 style roots.
Think about which aesthetics
draw from these style root. Where
do your style roots intersect?
What do they have in common?
.
 inspirati
le

ons
sty

Now you know your style roots, you should be able to find a
connection between them and the fashion icons you have
resonated with in the past. Don't worry if this is new to you,
you don't need to have worshipped their style, just thought
"I really like that" and moved on with your life, but here we
are going to dig a little deeper.

Think of/find 5-10 celebrities or TV/film characters whose

style you like. Don't look for celebrities which have your
style roots - I have plenty of style inspirations who are not
explicitly mushroom x flower x fire. You are then going to
think what about their clothes appeals to you. For example,
Taylor Momsen is a style inspiration of mine even though
she's heavily moon influenced. This doesn't mean moon is
one of my style roots because what I like about her style is
the following things:

intricate details
lace
hyper feminine details
luxurious jewellery
curve emphasis
sheer fabrics

So what I actually like about Taylor's outfits is the fire

influence NOT the moon influence.
 inspiratio
e
styl

n1

their name

things i like about their style:

their style roots

the connection with my style roots

 inspiratio
e
styl

n2

their name

things i like about their style:

their style roots

the connection with my style roots

 inspiratio
e
styl

n3

their name

things i like about their style:

their style roots

the connection with my style roots

 inspiratio
e
styl

n4

their name

things i like about their style:

their style roots

the connection with my style roots

 inspiratio
e
styl

n5

their name

things i like about their style:

their style roots

the connection with my style roots

 SHOPPING
what you want to buy
The key to not wasting money shopping is to know what you are looking for
before you start shopping. Look at lists you have made for your style roots
and style inspirations. Find the details you really love and write them
underneath my answers below. When you shop you should be doing a mix
and match from this list e.g. pink, broderie anglaise, cotton, low neckline
4 maintop colours

details: broderie anglaise, polka dots, plain, floral, silver,

embroidery

fabrics: chiffon, crochet, knit, wicker, silk/satin, chiffon, leather,

lace, cotton, linen

silhouettes: high waist, low neckline, round neckline ,safari,

midi, maxi, puff sleeve, waist emphasis, ballet, delicate

accessories: pearls, simple jewels, silver, ribbon, locket,

clothing: tops, skirts, jeans, waistcoat, dress, cigarette pants,

jumper, coat, jacket, shoes, bag
 SHOPPING
find your gaps
You will often hear people talking about 'basics' and your 'capsule
wardrobe'. Lots of people pick statement items that they like and then
find that they don't know how to put them together. Cross off the items
on this list if you have them and this will help you see what you should be
looking for when you go shopping. You may need more than one of the
thing I have listed. Instead of opting for any old white t-shirt, you now
know that you want it to have the details you've listed on the previous
page.
light neutral top neutral suit (blazer + smart trousers -
dark neutral top must be in the same shade e.g. not
long sleeve top two different types of black)
light camisole day dress
dark camisole little evening dress
going out top trainers
fitted blouse/shirt smart day shoe
button down for layering sandals
patterned top smart evening/going out shoe
dark denim jeans neutral knee boot
light denim jeans neutral ankle boot
lightweight coat for autumn
thick winter coat
short jacket for spring-summer
bag + shoes + belt in same colour x 3
(one dark, one light, one statement)
neutral cardigan
neutral jumper
midi-maxi skirt
short skirt
 ORGANISE
your wardrobe
let's create a wardrobe you can work with to serve you and
your needs.

step 1: blank slate

Don't be tempted to tidy

through the mess. Start with a
blank slate, get everything
where it belongs for now.
Clean and have a fresh space
to work with.
 STEP 2
favourites
You need a space whether that's in your wardrobe or on a rail where you can
hang the best of the best. These are the pieces which are right for your body
type, colour season and style roots. This is your 'capsule wardrobe' within your
wardrobe. Use your answers from the 'what I want to buy' page to find the
perfect pieces.

your "favourites" space

 STEP 3
storage
You need to store clothes which are out of season and don't fit you
anymore. On the left I have my beginner's guide for summer vs winter,
and on the right is my guide for 'it's too big/small' or 'it's not right for your
body type'

is the waist too high/low? body type

to put away when its cold
does the hemline hit you in a weird place?
linen/light cotton
body type
strappy tops
do the shoulders lift even though it fits
trousers that are too long for wet days
everywhere else? body type
floaty trousers
does the bust/hip gape/stretch even
denim shorts
though it fits you on the waist/? body type
skirts you cannot wear with tights
do the armpits hang low on you even
open toe shoes
though the rest of the dress fits? body type
did it fit you perfectly once and you still
to put away when its warm
like it? too big/small
fur/fluff
thick fabrics
turtlenecks
corduroy
dark denim
knee-high boots
leather
 steps 4 + 5
It is important for everything in your wardrobe to be accessible.Yyour
wardrobe should help you put together a good outfit, not be something you
fight with everyday.

organise by colour
if an outfit is colour coordinated, you
have a much higher chance of looking
put together. think about which colours
you can group together to save space
e.g. white and cream, blue and grey etc.

make sure everything is in

reach
There is no point having all of your
clothes cramped together. I live in one
bedroom in parents house and I have
found ways to limit the number of
clothes on display, swap them out and
make sure I can use them. I use a two
layer rail, storage draws for shoes and
more. Make sure you can see what you
want to use. you should hang the
pieces you need to hang which aren't
your "favourites" on a rail like this.
 FASHION RULES
rule of thirds
When putting together there are a few things that matter beyond body
types. These are the things that make you look 'put together'; like the
outfit is telling a story. We are going to try out some of these together and
see which ones work for you and which ones don't.

The first is 'rule of thirds' which basically means splitting your body into 3
even sections. This is more appealing for the eye than splitting half. You
can do this lengths of the clothing, or more subtly with patterns and
colours.

This outfit is divided with one third on

top, two thirds on the bottom.
Sometimes it will be split into 3
individual thirds with, for example, a
short skirt.
 FASHION RULES
colour sandwich
This is the simplest way to tie your outfit together. The colour sandwich is
exactly what it sounds like: sandwiching one colour between two others.
Often this means shoes, bag, sunglasses and belt will be the same colour.
It also might mean the top matches the shoes and the trousers are
different. This is much more satisfying than trousers and shoes being one
colour and top being another - this would work if sunglasses were the
same colour as the shoe as this would finish the sandwich.

There are two sandwiches here:

primary: the tan of the shoes and belt.
secondary: gold of the belt buckle and
necklace.
In the middle are other colours: white,
blue and cream.
 FASHION RULES
pattern sandwich
The pattern sandwich works very similarly to the colour sandwich. The
idea is that you would have plain / pattern / plain or pattern /plain /
pattern. Usually, the pattern is the statement, and the sandwich keeps it
from overwhelming the wearer.

The plain dress, bag and headband

ground the outfit. The patterned
jacket acts as the statement. Being
sandwiched between the dress and
the headband looks more harmonious
than a patterned shoe for example.
 FASHION RULES
size sandwich
The size sandwich works very similarly to the colour and pattern
sandwich. The idea is that you would have baggy / tight / baggy or heavy
/light / heavy (and vice versa). This makes the outfit more pleasing to the
eye by keeping the proportions balanced across the body.

The jacket and the jeans are both

heavy fabrics - denim and leather.
these look large on my frame. This is
juxtaposed with the lightweight,
clingy top which balances the shapes
in the outfit.
 FASHION RULES
pattern matching
The rule here is simple: when you are wearing two patterns in one outfit
they should have one or more colours in common and the patterns
should be the same size.

This isn't a perfect example, but you

can see how the belt pattern blends
seamlessly with the outfit. It has traces
of the gold from the dress and the
pattern is the same as the smallest
leopard spot.
 FASHION RULES
risqué balance
Of the following list, you might only want 1-2 to be in play in an outfit at
any one time. This keeps the outfit elegant/classy. Elegance relies on
balance.
low neckline/exposed cleavage
short skirt/exposed high leg
strapless/exposed shoulders
exposed midriff
high slit
clingy/tight fabric
sheer fabric

In this outfit, the shoulders are

exposed, and the dress fabric is clingy.
This is balanced by a high neckline
and a long skirt.
YOUR
THOUGHTS
which rules
are right for
you?
 outfit templates
Outfit templates are set combinations to return to again and again,
cementing your personal style by creating a routine that's expected. You do
not have to stick to your outfit templates every time. It is, of course, really fun
to stretch your wardrobe to its potential. However, if you have these templates
to fall back on, your style will have consistency you can rely upon. You might
want to consider making a version for each season.

choose scenarios
Identify 10 common situations that you
regularly experience. The templates
need to apply to real events you are
likely to attend. They will be different
for each person; if you live in the city
you might go to bars and dancing, in
the country you might be more likely to
go to pubs and parks.

make your outfits

Remember your ‘favourites’ list from
earlier? Pick which ‘silhouettes’ and
‘clothing items’ to put together. For
example: high waist jeans, midi skirt or
belted coat. In the case of shoes and
bags, materials might be a better
choice e.g. wicker bag or leather shoes.

Find balance between these pieces

using the fashion rules you just
practiced. Connect pieces with your
situation in mind.

Each outfit needs to incorporate: jacket

+ top/dress + bottom/dress + shoe + bag
 template 1
shopping in
the city

ankle boots
high waist jeans
leather bag
tight top
trench coat
leather bag
 template 2
date night
dinner

midi dress
wedges
clutch bag
 template 3
pub with
friends

midi skirt
little top
wedges
clutch bag
 template 4
barbecue with
family

empire waist top

jeans
cardigan
delicate shoe
tote bag
 template 5
walk along
the beach

linen trousers
little top
button down
sandals
wicker bag
 template 6
going to
the theatre

cigarette pants
little top
delicate shoes
clutch bag
 template 7
restaurant
with family

safari dress
wedges
wicker bag
 template 8
brunch

tea dress
delicate shoe
cardigan
wicker bag
 template 9
watching a
lecture

short skirt
jumper
knee boot
leather bag
 template 10
clubbing

midi dress/skirt
high heel
cross body bag
Thank you so much for taking the time to

BODY AND STYLE MEDIA LIMITED

finish your 8 week guide! I am so proud of
you and truly honoured that you have come
this far. Take a moment, look back at
everything you have accomplished. Not only
do you have a new wardrobe, but hopefully
you have unlocked a woman underneath
that really excites you. Now show her off to
the world. <3

This is just the beginning. I wish you all the

best on your body and style journey.

Love, Ellie-Jean