So (I'm sure you're all wondering this) what is my personal style? Ok, maybe you're not as vested interested in the answer to that question as I am, but how does someone figure out what their personal style is (especially if you spent the first 20some years of your life without one . . . don't judge, I was homeschooled).
If you'd asked me what my personal style was from the ages of 8-19, I'd probably have answered "whatever my little sister wears." In college, I probably would have expanded that to "whatever my sorority sisters wear." Then, as I entered the workforce, it became "whatever J.Crew or Banana Republic are selling." You can see a theme here.
Even though I liked clothes, they were a lot more about function than style and I kind of just adapted to whatever environment I was in--in early 2007 in DC, that was J.Crew and BR suits and separates. I'd like to say there was a light bulb that went off one day, but it was really a more gradual process. For one thing, I realized that government employees didn't exactly set the bar in terms of fashion or style . . . and I also started to figure out what I didn't like to wear (hint: suits and collared button ups). Today, my style isn't complete, but it's definitely moved beyond just copying one store's catalogue.* I would say that today my style is a bit of a hodgepodge of several things:
If you'd asked me what my personal style was from the ages of 8-19, I'd probably have answered "whatever my little sister wears." In college, I probably would have expanded that to "whatever my sorority sisters wear." Then, as I entered the workforce, it became "whatever J.Crew or Banana Republic are selling." You can see a theme here.
Even though I liked clothes, they were a lot more about function than style and I kind of just adapted to whatever environment I was in--in early 2007 in DC, that was J.Crew and BR suits and separates. I'd like to say there was a light bulb that went off one day, but it was really a more gradual process. For one thing, I realized that government employees didn't exactly set the bar in terms of fashion or style . . . and I also started to figure out what I didn't like to wear (hint: suits and collared button ups). Today, my style isn't complete, but it's definitely moved beyond just copying one store's catalogue.* I would say that today my style is a bit of a hodgepodge of several things:
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| (also these are my definitions of these terms, so if that's not your idea of preppy, don't hate). |
There you have it. The four elements that most influence my personal style. Obviously it's not perfect and, in some ways it's a bit aspirational (as you might realize when you see me go to the grocery store in sweatpants). But it's a starting point. The next step is to see how these styles translate into my everyday wardrobe and how they should serve as a "model" for what I should be buying. Yes, I happen to like Rachel Bilson's style . . . ever since I got addicted to Hart of Dixie the OC.
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- What's your personal style and how did you figure it out?
- Do you have just one style inspiration or several, like me?
*for those who don't get sarcasm, please know that I don't really take myself that seriously.
I think the most important factor that affects personal style is whether you are trying to fit in or stand out. This varies a lot by profession ranging from consultants (soulless uniformity) to artists (I make my own clothes), both out of the necessity for self promotion.
ReplyDeleteThe desire to stand out also changes as you advance in your career. Most young professionals just want to get their foot in the door and need their style to not distract from the work that they do. To continue advancing, however, you need to start specializing and building a personal brand, the cornerstone of which is how others perceive you.