What is Style?
Style in its most base definition is “a manner of doing something”. Now, in the fashion world your ‘style’ is a reference to how you personally dress, it is an art form with which a person displays their passions and aesthetics using clothing as its outlet.
How To Build Your Style?
1.Study Your Wardrobe:
Your wardrobe is the simplest way to understand your own style, look carefully at the kind of clothes you spend your money on and you will notice a trend begins to form. There are many aesthetics people gravitate towards for multiple reasons. What is yours? A way tell which clothes you love is when you see yourself wearing a certain item regularly. I personally have noticed I love dark clothing and dark fashion and I make it a point to not stray from that as it is what I love, never compromise for validation. Turn whichever aesthetics and clothing you love into something other people will love.
Likewise, in fashion there are basic clothing items every wardrobe should have. These basics build the framework for your style. Some basics I recommend are as follows;
- White Button Up Shirt
- Basic Jeans (Levi’s)
- Trench Coat
- Denim Jacket
- White Sneakers
- Skirt
- Basic Flats
- Black/Brown Boots
- Blazer
- Work Pants
- Black and White T-Shirt
2. Practicality Is The Way
When it comes to building a wardrobe, especially on a budget you have to remain practical. Staple pieces aside, you should not spend money on an item you don’t see yourself wearing, or is not in-line with your environment. An example would be buying ten pairs of shorts knowing you live in a cold climate with almost no chance of heat. Being practical saves you a lot of stress, mentally and financially.
3. Pay Attention To Your Surroundings
Gather inspiration from your surroundings, Pinterest for example is a wonderful place to look through mood boards and pick out outfits you would wear. Recreating outfits is looked down on a lot, however, no individual is innocent in that regards, from famous mathematicians to artists. Originality is built from incorporation. Recreating outfits should not be your only discovering your style, neither should it be your primary, it is simply an accessory to use. Likewise, you should also keep in mind what people wear around you and decide whether it is something you would wear yourself, if so then take note of it and build off of that.
4. Desist From Trends
Keep in mind, your goal is to build your style and not validation. Fashion Trends die every day, all it amounts to is endless financial debt, momentary validation and loss of identity. Your ability to dress should never be based on what society deems acceptable, unless you have already lost without beginning. Fashion is art, art is expression of self and that is a mindset that has gotten me through the times of trends. However, discovering a trend you like and incorporating it into your style is fine if you do it for yourself. You just need to keep in mind your goal.
5. Experiment, Experiment, Experiment
Every great thing in this world of man was born from curiosity. Experimentation leads to evolution. Granted you may stumble, you are only human so it is expected. Although, continuity is your only true reality. Try out new outfits, never heard of clothing combinations, merge outfits, ideas and aesthetics to your hearts content. This is the step into building your style that never ends. Till this day I am still building my own style with this in mind, it never ends but it gets infinitely easier.
Sources
Zeros Thoughts 