January 2025

A New Year. Who's ready for a reset?

Happy New Year everyone. This week feels like the proper start to the New Year having taken it really slow last week. Plus a slow start has helped me evaluate what I want this year to look like. There’s no need to rush into anything.

This first newsletter of the year doesn’t have a paywall so everyone can get a feel for what my monthly fashion journals are like (usually only for paid subscribers). I am also offering a 10% discount for yearly subscriptions if anyone wants to subscribe.

Well here we are. 2025. It feels like the future doesn’t it. And while we might not be living in utopia and flying around in cars, we could never have predicted how far technology has come and what the world would look like today. I dread to think what the next five years has in store for us what with AI taking over the world. My husband and I were in Kings Cross on NYE and we were talking about the new Google building which they have been building for years. Apparently it is now going to be the headquarters for Google DeepMind which is their AI division. Is it going to be the new Skynet from the film Terminator? God, I hope not!

But, enough about AI taking over the world, I am trying to be positive going into this year, I promise!

2024 was a year of re-evaluating my health and wellbeing and I made a really good start for the last 4 months of 2024 and made some really positive changes. I gave up sugar and most processed foods after reading Ultra Processed People by Dr Chris Van Tulleken which has resulted in me losing a few stone and feeling so much better in my self. The past few years I have had serious back problems and that was another goal of mine to get fit and healthy as I was starting to worry about what my future would look like. To be honest, I was really worried. It made me really want to make positive changes so my future self would thank me.

So after a few back procedures I am going into 2025 determined to get strong and prioritise my fitness. I have made a commitment to myself to start reformer pilates even though I’m terrified, but I need to give it a try. I have a class booked for tomorrow so I’ll let you know how I get on. I also want to build some of the muscle back that I lost after giving up strength training a year ago due to my bloody back issues. I’ll be taking it easy as the last thing I want to do is hurt my back again, but hopefully I can start building some strength back slowly and steadily.

But let’s get on to why we’re all really here… Fashion!

I love fashion. I always have. I spent 6 years in fashion college and have worked in the industry ever since. Over the years I’ve lost my way a bit, changed my style, lost my way again, evolved a bit more and here we are in 2025 feeling like maybe another change is coming. Maybe that’s because I’m fed up with all the noise out there but also maybe it’s just that cyclical feeling of needing something different. I am still very much a ‘buy less, buy better’ type of girl and want to invest in pieces that will last and be in my forever wardrobe. However, I do feel like I need a little bit of a reset and what better time to do it than in January.

If you haven’t got my book, The Forever Wardrobe, now is a great time to get it. It’s not essential that we all reset in January, but it’s definitely the perfect time to go through your wardrobe and look at what is working and what isn’t. Are there pieces you no longer wear but are taking up valuable space? Are there items that no longer fit you or that you don’t love the way you used to? Has your style changed over the last year or are you just ready to make more conscious choices?

My book can help you get to grips with all of this and help you understand what it is you want and need from your wardrobe. From a chapter on Finding Your Style to sections on Why Things don’t Feel Good and How to Shop with You in Mind. There’s 190 pages of wisdom to help you transform your clothes.

This year I really want to focus on this wonderful community I have here on Substack. I would love you, my lovely subscribers, to message me with questions you have about styling and I’d love the whole community to get involved so you feel you have the support of everyone rather than just me. Whether it’s a question about where to get the best white t-shirt, or where to go for alterations in your local area - no question is too obscure! So, please get involved in the chat section of Substack and introduce yourself on there so that we can all get to know each other and start a fun fashion friendship gang over there.

This year, for me, it’s all about finding the fun in fashion again. I love a minimal approach, but that doesn’t have to mean boring. I need to remember what made me fall in love with fashion in the first place. It was all about showing personality and celebrating our differences. I went to The London College of Fashion and found my love for originality there. I hated being seen in the same item as someone else. So I need to dig deep and look at why that has changed over the years and what it is I can do to get that individuality back to the forefront of my style.

Social media has a lot to answer for when it comes to answering this question. We are bombarded with photos and videos from our favourite content creators, many of whom are all flogging the same thing and we end up feeling like me must have the latest ‘it’ bag or viral dress. But do we really need it? We must start asking ourselves whether that item will provide any substance to our existing wardrobes. Are we just buying it for the sake of it?

I love fashion and always will and unfortunately I’m a sucker for a shopping spree. Sometimes that retail itch really needs scratching and I find it difficult to resist the lure of a really good sale or a ‘new in’ section. However, I have got much better at curbing my shopping habits and really focusing on buying forever pieces that last. This is something I have worked on over the last few years since building my capsule wardrobe and really focusing on who I am and what my style is.

Again, this is all something that you can work on in my book where I have worksheets and tools to help you really focus.

So in 2025 - what are your style goals going to be? Is it more of the same or are you looking to switch it up a bit? Do you want to condense your wardrobe down to a capsule closet of pieces or are you more of a chameleon that likes multiple styles and flits from one to the other depending on your mood.

Neither is wrong, your style is your style and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. But, the only thing I will say, is if you have loads of clothes, make sure you wear them. If there’s pieces that are stuffed to the back of the wardrobe still with labels on, never having seen the light of day, then perhaps it’s time to reevaluate what you have, what your style is and make some changes.

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Inspiration boards

So for January, what have I been searching for and adding to my Pinterest?

Well, I’m looking to add lots of interest with accessories. I want to experiment with different jewellery and also add unexpected items like cuff bracelets over coats and jackets, lots of stacking of rings and necklaces, rope belts with items hanging off them etc. However, to do this, I will be ensuring that the rest of my outfit stays simple and minimal. This way it combines both my want for a classic and minimal aesthetic but with a touch of personality thrown in.

I’ll be wearing and re-wearing my YSL loafers with everything. They are the most comfortable loafers I’ve ever owned. Most probably I’ll be sticking to jeans and wide leg trousers but also adding comfortable socks in a range of colours as well as neutrals.

I’m also looking at layering options like doubling up knitwear, jumpers over coats etc. I’ll be experimenting with double shirt options and layering with basic pieces like merino rollnecks and, of course, my selection of blazers. The key to layering is to not go too bulky with your layers. Stick to light knits and then save the bulky layer for the top.

I’m also determined this year to add a bit more colour back into my wardrobe. I had a bit of a clear out over Christmas and I am now left with a wardrobe full of monochrome and neutrals. And as much as I love this palette, I really want to inject some fun and I feel colour will really help with this. The colour of the season is Mocha Mousse which is a lovely warm milky coffee colour. However, I also want to add some more striking colours like blues and greens as well as burgundy which I still really love too.

Mocha Mousse, Pantone Colour of 2025

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Pins and Brooches

I’ve been gravitating towards brooches and scarf rings over the last few weeks too. Another great way to add interest to a simple outfit in a really chic way. I’ll be adding to chunky scarfs and knitwear, but also thinking outside the box a bit and looking at ways I can wear brooches or even earrings through belt loops, shirt button holes and cuffs instead of cufflinks.

Here’s a few I’ve found that I love. From a cute little Hermès scarf ring to a vintage YSL brooch.

Clockwise from top left: Vintage spiral brooch, £34. Hermès scarf ring, £190. Alighieri fish brooch, £325. Vintage Givenchy spiral brooch, £137. Gigi Burris silver brooch, £130. Vintage YSL brooch, £94.99.

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A brand I’m loving…

I’ve fallen deeply for the gorgeous jewellery by Dévé. Each piece is inspired by the designers Mediterranean upbringing & the artists who made the region their home. The pieces are crafted beautifully with a timeless and distinguished aesthetic. Pieces you will want to wear again and again. These two rings below are stunning and I also love their Alphabet charms seen here on the gorgeous Alexis Foreman and worn as a pin on her scarf.

Alphabet charm, from £195

Dévé ridged ring, £295. Signet ring, £220

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So it looks like accessorising is big on my 2025 list. Sticking with more of the same aesthetic, but adding in those elements that make my style seem more fun again. Over on Instagram I’ll be experimenting with ideas and showcasing my outfits, please follow me over there if you don’t already.

I feel this year is going to be a good year.

Let’s manifest it together.

Anna x