Style Revelations: 4 Lessons Learned in 2014

It's that time of the year where we take stock and look ahead, and while I've not QUITE formed New Year's resolutions for 2015 just yet, I thought I'd share my style REVELATIONS - discoveries, evolutions - of the past year.

1. I'm too old to wear a padded bra. Padded bras make me feel like a giant fraud. So, this year, I purged my lingerie drawers (yes, multiple) ruthlessly and restocked with unlined lace underwire bras from Chantelle, Blush Lingerie (that's the gorgeous Whisper Demi Bra in Nocturne Blue above) and ThirdLove, a Euro-inspired online boutique.
2. Nail art is over, o-v-e-r. (For me, that is. No judgement.) While I might indulge occasionally in the v. modern nail art at Paintbox, I suddenly feel quite uncomfortable in a manicure that's not some variation of nude, red or wine. My current mani is CND Vinylux Fedora, a "weekly" polish that lasts a full week with tip wear only, no chips. Easy. Magical.
3. For the love of god, I don't need all of this makeup. I don't mean this in a combative, feminist kind of way (although I certainly am a feminist). I mean, while I won't leave my house without makeup, my minimal makeup look is essentially the same as my full face, +/- a smoked out liner or bright lip. So. While it's (so) hard to say goodbye, I'm currently in the time-consuming process of dumping/rehoming 90% of my makeup.
4. I'm of an age (mid-thirties, that is) where the risk of being mutton dressed as the proverbial lamb is real. While I will never NOT love a short skirt, let's acknowledge that there's short and then there's...short. If I can't bend over comfortably, it's got to go and what remains will always be balanced by a fuller/flowy top (in the case of shorts), a boyfriend blazer and/or flats (in the case of dresses and skirts).

Even taking into account this year's learnings, I will say that I continue to be surprised by the continuity in my own closet. It's amazing what holds true, year after year - particularly when you invest in pieces (be they expensive or not) that you really love. Let that be a lesson to us all in 2015.