You might be asking yourself, “What is style and why is it important I discover my style?” The way you dress and put yourself together is a reflection of many things including how you feel about yourself, how you expect to be treated and the impact you wish to make. Style transcends size, age, race and social standing. In a nutshell, your style is a reflection of who you are. It demonstrates to the world your authentic self. Often, style casts aside fashion rules and forges its own.
How do you discover your style? Here is my suggestion for a starting point, the place where I started and where I continue to learn: take note of what strikes your fancy in other peoples’ style. Here’s the straight scoop. I consider myself a ‘fashion copycat’ of sorts. I love observing what others are wearing, how mannequins are styled and the fashion spreads in magazines and catalogs. Many times, you and those around me are the sources of my fashion inspiration. I consider all of you potential muses. Constructing an interesting outfit is sometimes a result of an inspirational image you have given me. My observations of you cause me to push the boundaries of my style and continually discover new things about my style.
That is the exciting thing about personal style: it is an ever-evolving process. One’s style shifts over time, much as life changes. I may not like what I purchased as recently as a couple of years ago (although I hope that doesn’t happen often!). The reason may be that my style is shifting. As I mature, so does my style. I am refining my style all the time.
So, start observing others. In your oberservations, you will discover what you’d like to try with your style. Don’t be afraid to try something you’ve seen someone else doing, even if it is vastly different than what you have been doing. You won’t know if it works for you until you try it!
In Part II, I will tell you a funny story of getting caught in the act of observing one guy’s very unusual style. Stay tuned…
