I Stopped Sewing to Blend In: Here's How I'm Finding My Personal Style

For years, I sewed clothes that felt safe, not bad, not ugly...just safe. I ended up with pieces that let me blend in and somewhere along the way, I lost my sense of style.

But I've decided that I'm done sewing to blend in. I want to make things that make me feel happy, adventurous, strong...like myself.

The Realization

Here's the thing nobody tells you about sewing your own wardrobe, you can make literally anything and still end up making pieces you don't want to wear.

I had the skills and I had the stash, what I didn't have was clarity on what I actually wanted, how I wanted to feel when I got dressed and what my real, day-to-day life actually needed from my clothes.

So before I cut into another piece of fabric, I decided to do the work first.

The Tool That Cracked It Open

I recently bought a Notion template from Becca Berk and there's one part of it called the Dream Self Journal that completely shifted how I think about what I make.

→ Becca's Notion Template: The Atelier Notion TemplateI'm filling it in with my own images and details to make it mine and in my new video, I walk through the whole thing.

The questions sound simple, and then they absolutely get you thinking:

• How do I want to feel?
• What's holding me back?
• What does my real life need?

I answered them by pulling from the vision boards I've had around my studio for years. It turns out they'd been telling me what I wanted the whole time, I just wasn't listening.

What I'm Finally Letting Myself Try

The scary, yet exciting part, is pushing past my comfort zone. These are the things I'm giving myself permission to experiment with:

• Comfortable pieces that still feel elevated
• Basics, but with a twist
• Fabric manipulation and texture
• Embroidery
• Sequins and Sparkle (yes, in real life)
• Familiar silhouettes in unexpected fabrics
• Color blocking
• Laser cut designs

I don't know how all of it will turn out, but that's kind of the point.

Clothes For Actual Life

I also made a little chart that I will use to plan and organize my sewing projects in the notion template. I'm calling it Living in my clothes, it contains lists of pieces I want to make and wear for every part of my life: sewing in the studio, date night, business casual, movie night at home, even running errands. Because day-to-day life doesn't have to look boring.

Watch The Full Video

I'm sharing all of it, how I'm updating the template, the vision boards and the discovery of my Style Archetype.

▶ YouTube Video: I Stopped Sewing to Blend In / Using a Notion Template to Find My Style

If you take one thing from this: Ask yourself how you want to feel in your clothes and then go make that.

Dress like you mean it. 🧵

~Marisol