How to find your style and use what you've got: Clothing Edition
I love clothes, always have and always will... I wanted to be a fashion designer growing up but life had other adventures for me, I travelled, went to art school (for some strange reason I thought it was more profitable to be an artist with a capital A than a designer), got married, had kids, travelled some more mixed in both wildness and responsibility but the one thing that has remained consistent is my love for clothes. I love texture, colour, drape and form. I am a maker of textiles, surfaces and clothes. I am always doing something with material and fibres. Even my four years of mastering ceramics, was all about surface and texture!
Clothes say so much about you... For me they convey my mood, where I am, what I'm doing, sometimes who I am with and yes personality... You can probably guess what types of things I like from the way I dress, what my house is like, what my favourite foods are, where I like to shop and what restaurants I like... These things are all style.
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Me trying and failing to show you what I am wearing right now!
You can find the infinity scarf in my etsy shop. |
So how do you find your fashion style? Start with the basics.
- What is your activity? Going to work, picking kids up from school? Date night?!
All these things in my opinion have very different clothing needs but you can often carry one over to the other. Except Date Night, I always change for Date Night (I'll explain this in a minute). My go to is black, it is basic and a throwback to my teenage goth days. A black dress, a black shirt, t-shirt.. If I am wearing a dress, what is my cover up? Pick something contrasting, that will add a pop, not sure about colour? Add texture. If it jeans, this now in my repertoire as a basic -for many years I didn't wear jeans I thought they were too mommy - but guess what I am a mum (mom) and for the shirt I pick something flattering, it doesn't have to be loud, but it should fit. And I always wear a belt, even if I don't need one. It says I care, remember mood, subconsciously a lot of things are implied by how we dress and for me neglecting details says I don't care... And yes I have I don't care days and you'll know it by the way I am dressed.
- Where are you? Indoors, outdoors? City, country? Coastal, inland, forest?
I live next to the water in a small city or a large town that is trying really hard to grow up. More and more this is influencing the way I dress, I am adding in so much more blue into my wardrobe, indigos, turquoise, and then pops of colour- it can be very rainy and grey in the Pacifc Northwest... So adding a touch of brightness, does a lot to change my mood and for me nothing feels better than someone complimenting my clothing choice and an easy way of fishing for a compliment is add something bold. This strategy also works very well in New York, where my west coast city (think LA) is very different than my east coast city look... When in California I am almost always bright colours but in New York, it is black on black on black and then a pop! I have a whole separate wardrobe for LA/Palm Springs. The bonus about my California wardrobe is that it works for late summer in the PNW!
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| Punch of colour. |
- What is your Mood? How's it going today?
Some days I am on top of the world, and you can really see that, I may wear something a little bit more revealing, lower cut shirt, a fitted dress and nice shoes. Other times I need a little extra boost, so I put something on that is simple and nice, it doesn't have to be an over the top mood changer, but just by taking a little extra care gives me an attitude change. I mentioned before I was a goth teenager, well I still have those tendencies, and I can get a bit melancholy... But it doesn't mean I have to look like a slob (this wardrobe also works for NYC)... Black on black on black... But nicely.
Personal dressing Codes and exceptions: these are things I live by, they weren't thought out, they just became part of my style and I bet you have them too, some might be the same or they will be completely different... This is about finding your style.
- Date Night... I always change (always), not a makeup wearer during the day (had bad acne as a teenager) I do my makeup, and put on fancy shoes. In someplace hot (LA, Honolulu, Coastal mexico) and I have been wearing bright colours all day, I switch it out for a black dress and killer shoes (leopard print is also a neutral)... Cooler climates and my day fashion has been subdued I go for a bright clingy dress and again killer shoes!
- Exercise... All of my exercise gear is black, it's easy. Also I never wear yoga pants out unless I am doing yoga- I don't have the butt of a lithe 20 yr old anymore (never did). And if I do have to run errands after yoga which is often the case, I make sure I have something to throw over top. See my favourite black dress! Also I never wear running shoes if I am not running or hiking. Running shoes come in so many trendy colours and styles now, but they are still clunky... It also says about me, I was too lazy to change my footware and my feet are sweaty... Bring along a pair of sandals and slip them on post workout, your feet will thank you.
- Sweatpants (and I know this is one thing that people feel very strongly about), never wear them out of the house!!! Yup I said it. If I am too tired to slip into something nice, I am too tired to go out.
- Printed shirts... I am not a walking billboard, they are not my jive... But if I do wear one it will be clever and well designed... (The night I met my husband he was wearing a black t-shirt that read "worship me" in a simple white font- true fact).
- PS... Have a strong sense of style and you can break your own rules without missing a beat!
Long post and I hope by giving you a sense of how I find my style it will help you find yours. Does
where you live and what you are doing influence what you wear? How about your Codes of dress? My grandmother's is Never leave the house without lipstick on. Do you have any silly rules?
