/ 18 April 2015 / 6 Comments
3x7 WHY I DON'T WANT TO HAVE A SOLID PERSONAL STYLE
How many of you have a solid personal style? You know exactly what you love to wear and you wear that with dead precision. This woman does. I sure don't. And while I understand why Matilda Kahl chooses to wear a uniform of white shirt-black pants to work every day, hell - even admire her for it, I'm glad I don't always know what I'm going to dress in.
I have a fluctuating style. And I like it.
I see developing personal style as a journey. One that doesn't end. Or at least not for a while. I have been trying for years to finally finish the quest of finding my style, to finally know what to fill my wardrobe with and to be contempt. To open its doors in the morning and carelessly pick out a top, a bottom, a pair of shoes and a jacket. To walk out the house looking and feeling like "me."
But that's over.
I used to fear not knowing what my style was. I couldn't decide what I wanted it to be. Do I want to be smart? Do I want to be casual? I wanted to have all the answers and for heaven's sake just stop. thinking. about. it. Stressful, right? And it's something that I put on myself. Something that, in the grand scheme of things, is just really not a big deal. Something only I care about.
So instead of worrying about finding my style, I decided to cherish the journey. I love trying new trends, new cuts, new colour combinations and seeing how they look on me. It's play time. It means exploring. And there are little accomplishments along the way. Of course I am not completely clueless - I have an idea of what I like or don't like, but I'm not ready to box myself up in a specific category just yet. I like to have an open mind.
And actually, perhaps contrary to popular belief, capsule wardrobe allows me to experiment. I've tried to dress very casual and I've tried to dress neutral. I found it's not for me. This look up there is a mixture of old and new styles. It feels me. But jeans, t-shirt, sweater and trainers also feel me. And then a smart dress with dramatic sleeves also feels, you guessed it, me. My looks have different personalities, and I enjoy jumping between them. Fashion is a tool for self expression. And I feel like I'm using it right.
A solid, stable personal style may come through for me one day but right now I'm not ready for it. I'm ready to mix and match and have some fun and play. I'm ready to explore.
And what about you? Is your style stable or does it change? What makes you look and feel like you?
MADEWELL TOP
TOPSHOP JEAN JACKET / SIMILAR
ASOS LOAFERS / SIMILAR
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this post is EVERYTHING. it's so tempting and inviting? appealing? to find your style: preppy, casual, formal, elegant, etc. but my gosh, are you right?! we're growing, and changing, and jumping all over the place. and why shouldn't our styles reflect that - instead of some box we try to fit into that we established a few phases ago. Bravo!! I LOVE reading your insights on this, girl!
ReplyDeleteAnnie
sweetbananie.blogspot.com
Agreed! But what I like about your blog and style is that even though you show different styles and clothes, I always feel like they define you in a way. Some bloggers (and people in general) have so much stuff that they only buy because it's cheap or because it's trendy, and it feels like nothing they own is really defining them and their style. I feel like you have found a really good middle road, where you can experiment but still be just a little bit picky, so you wear stuff that is really you. I feel like my style changes too, but I have some guidelines. I know I don't feel good in too oversized clothes, and I know which colors won't suit me, but I try to experiment and try new things whenever I can.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the coming spring-outfits, you have definitely given me many ideas already! Today I am actually wearing a knee-length skirt and a denim jacket, and I though about this post when I picked it out! :)
Thank you Annie! I personally never want to fit in one box and one box only ;) I love to see how style evolves - on me and on others too, it's like a little story about you and your personality at that time in life. I've seen a post on evolution of style and perhaps in a few years time I will be able to put something like that together - to look back and analyse all the phases I will have gone through.
ReplyDeletexo Kat
Yes, guidelines is the word I was looking for when I was writing this post! I think that's what it is, the middle road is having guidelines - staying true to yourself but experimenting, too. I love what you said, that even through different styles you are able to see the outfits are still "me". It's something I'm secretly trying to achieve, so it makes me very happy you noticed! :) And now I'm compelled to ask myself: what are my guidelines? And I can't quite define them, I find it easier to say what they are not. But I know they're there.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, that's why capsule wardrobes or minimalism in clothing in general really appeals to me - women have too many clothes, so much so that you can't tell them apart. I see girls here in Manchester and their style is just the same - what's currently on display in the Topshop window. It's pretty, it's stylish, but it's not special. Their personalities don't show. I'm not saying my style is special, I think it's pretty normal, but it's mine and nobody else's. I think a lot of bloggers and a lot of women forget about that.
I hope to continue giving you outfit ideas in the future, I bet you looked amazing in that skirt and denim jacket too! :)
you've said this all so perfectly! what a great way to think of it - perhaps a little "diary" of sorts. that's one thing that's so great about blogging - it really captures your style and what's going on at that time, and looking back it's fun to compare and see how you've changed. can you please share that post? would love to read more about it!
ReplyDeleteAh, I lost it but I just found it! It was cupcakes and cashmere :) plus while looking I also found another good one.
ReplyDeletehttp://cupcakesandcashmere.com/fashion/fashion-through-the-years
http://www.fashionata.com/fashion-just-me-my-outfit/my-style-evolution-through-years