From labels to less: How I toned back my style

These days we are constantly bombarded with designer labels.

Seriously, as if Instagram wasn't enough, even the men’s restrooms at Westfield have Dior posters in the cubicles! It's enough to drive any self-respecting, designer-loving man into an endless state of desire, always lusting over luxury goods.

A year ago I’d scroll through my Instagram feed, and it’d be all Dorothy Wang rocking her latest Hermes bag and Scott Disick showing off his latest Rolex purchase (paired with the worst filter ever - seriously Scott, the ‘Slumber’ filter is totally 2013!).

Last year I was a person people loved to hate. I thought owning luxury items was the only form of success, and I was obsessed with looking sucessful. If you didn’t own at least three designer belts, what was life?

I had the ‘privileged private school, my daddy owns a yacht’ look down pat. Ralph Lauren was considered staple, tassel loafers were the only acceptable shoes to wear, and pastels were a wardrobe essential. I was a walking ‘Polo in the City’ ad.

But rocking this Chuck Bass attire while trying to land my first job out of University was a nightmare. Interviewers weren’t taking me seriously, and my mates thought my life was ‘easy, breezy and beautiful’, and I was using up literally every penny in my bank account.

Then one day I was stalking Scott Disick’s Instagram feed, and saw his styled had dramatically changed. He’d gone from OTT suits, blazers and coats to cool, calm and collected. He now sports T-shirts and jeans and he owns it. Sorry Kourt, you totally missed out there!

So I decided to try and replicate Scott's style change for two reasons:

1. ‘The Lord’ is goals

2. Why not?

The first #OOTD of ‘Project Minimalist Chic’, consisted of a pair of old back jeans, a white tee and a pair of converse chuck tailors. Looking in the mirror, I didn’t recognise the person I was looking at, but I liked him, he looked soooo good! And I felt fresh and relaxed.

What I didn't expect, is that a couple of weeks after stripping back my look, I started to notice a few major changes.

I no longer felt anxiety about getting dressed for events and felt so much calmer everyday. Gone was the pressure to bow down to what I thought society expected me to wear. Plus, my bank balance noitceably increased – let’s face it Ralph Lauren is bloody exy!

More importantly, my confidence grew, the spotlight was on me and not my old mate Ralph.

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Tips I learnt from toning back my style:# A good pair of black jeans is essential. They take an outfit from daytime to nighttime - office to bar.

1. Invest in a good quality leather bag, it will last you years!

2. A pair of Ray Bans will turn an outfit from basic to chic.

3. A pair of white converses will freshen up any outfit.

4. Be yourself.

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