If you could describe your style in 3 words, what would they be?
Words like chic, classy, boyish, girly, risqué/sexy, classic, simple/casual, alternative/retro, boho, preppy, grunge, hipster, sporty, dapper, casual, nerdy are used pretty often when attempting to put a person’s style into words.
If that first question left you stumped with uncertainty or jumbled up thoughts, you may be questioning if you even have style or not. Believe it or not, everyone has style. Whether the style is stylish/ appealing or not is where the arguments and debate can come in.
If you don’t know (how you’d describe) your style (or don’t believe you have a style period), you probably don’t know who you are as a person or at least have some slight confusion about who you are (or who you want to be) as a person.
No, i’m not being dramatic and no I am not saying that statement in a judgmental or derogatory manner. We are all multidimensional beings trying to get an understanding of not just the world around us, but ourselves as well. Confusion is an honest and humble emotion to have. Whether you admit it or not confusion will be a reoccurring emotion until you cease to exist. It shows that you’re merely a mortal and open to learning (contrary to the people who think they know everything already).
“OK, so i’m realizing that I am indeed confused about my style. Now what?”
First, know that style goes far beyond your bedroom closet and chest of drawers and labels like chic, preppy, retro, etc. Your style is simply a reflection and embodiment of who you are. The swagger of your walk, your drawl when you talk, your posture, your demeanor and attitude, the way you cross your T’s and dot your I’s is what makes your style. Second, realize that the clothing you choose to adorn yourself in and the effort (or lack of ) that you put into the presentation of yourself to the world is merely a trailer to the movie called “Your Lifestyle”. (Whether unbeknownst to you or not) a person’s attire (amongst other things) can accurately clue you in on their age, social class, religion, political views and their lifestyle. Your clothing choices are influenced by your lifestyle, the way you wear the clothing however is dictated by your style. You ever look back at pictures of yourself when you were 16-18 years old and think “Thank God I don’t dress like that anymore! I don’t know what I was thinking.” Your lifestyle and the person you are has (or at least should have) changed, and thus your style has changed as well.
How can I translate this information into real world/everyday use?
Now if you’re someone who doesn’t care about style, much less care about ascribing names to it, then carry on (knowing that your style reflects your carefree, lax, unimportant attitude about the art of dressing). However, if you’re someone that is wanting to foster/ “improve” your style or just want to get a sense of understanding, then i’d just look at the life you’re living now (and the life you’d like to live if you’re not already there). What kind of person are you and what kind of person do you want to be. Is how you present (visually) to the world important to you or to your lifestyle?
I could go on and help you to analyze and translate the things that make you you into a wardrobe, and outfits, but that will require a paid session. BUT, I do love to spread knowledge, so I hope you all enjoyed this gem of knowledge.
By next year i’ll have an internet page (not sure if I want to host my own site or just use a booking site), so that people outside of where I live (and existing clients) can book styling sessions. Stay tuned!