Lost In Aesthetics? Four Easy Tips to Find Your Style Again
In a world of microtrends, it can be hard to build or stick to your personal style or even shop for it. Everyone is telling you that you need this statement piece, those basics, and that new pair of boots, but do you really want them? The art of personal styling is lost in this era, but this year we will find it.
There has been scattered discourse online about a lack of individuality and personal style, but then you scroll and see everyone getting boxed into a certain aesthetic or pushing them towards what everyone is wearing for the season. Are you a clean girl, rockstar girlfriend aesthetic, coquette cutie, emo girl, office siren, or Y2K baddie? What are we wearing this summer? What shoes are the cool girls wearing in the fall? Those should be taken with a grain of salt to help you pick something new that would fit you and your style, but without discernment, it can be taken literally as a build-a-wardrobe guide. I’d hate to be someone trying to find their personal style in this era and economy.
Let’s be clear, trends have always been a thing long before TV and the internet, but recently in the late 2010s, we have seen a rise in rapid trends. Back then you could tell the decade or time period by what people were wearing as a collective, but recently every 6 months or every season you hear, out with this and in with that. Social media has definitely been a factor in the rapid cycle of trends, often led by influencers. Remember in 2020, when everyone decided that skinny jeans were out and so millennial and hideous? As soon as everyone saw a certain influencer rock them, people were in a panic saying they needed to go buy some since it must be coming back. It was then when it really hit me: is this who we are? What happened to wearing or buying something because you like it and you like how you look in it? And in this economy? I’ll be damned if I buy something I hate just because a popular girl on the clock app says it’s hot.
Right now, barrel jeans are on the rise, and while they look fab on some, the way my knees lay, that is a trend I will not be partaking in. I personally love low-rise bootcut and skinny jeans and occasionally love a low-rise baggy jean. Mid-rise and high-waisted jeans are cute too, but I have a short torso and actively choose not to look like Mike Wazowski when I leave my house. The clean girl look is being pushed out but still hanging on by a thread. That look fits someone’s style to a tee, with the sleek slick backs and neutral wardrobe, but I love wearing my curly fro out and choose to wear it that way 98% of the time; it never would’ve given clean girl. See, personal choices, personal style.
Before we continue, please know that personal style doesn’t need to be super expressive, outlandish, extra curated, or even creative. Some may not even be into fashion to begin with, but it doesn’t mean they don’t have personal style or they’re doing it wrong. As long as it’s personal and makes sense to you, you are doing it! For those that do want to curate their closet to their custom being, without constantly jumping on trends unnecessary to them, grab a snack and keep reading—let’s have a chat.
Four Tips to Tap into Your Personal Style
1. Detach from what is trendy and appealing to others.
First order of business, let me reiterate, your style is about you; therefore, you can change it or switch it up as you please. Maybe your personal style is a signature look, or it consists of different flavors like gelato. With fashion there are no rules; you don’t have to be a full-time anything. Sometimes your style has more than one aesthetic, color palette, silhouette, etc. Most people dress based on their mood or the occasion. All of us aren’t meant to be a Poster Girl Dress baddie in Trader Joe’s, but you can be. Once you remember the “personal” in “personal style” and focus on that, you’ll be free from the shackles of feeling forced to buy every trending item you see on your FYP.
2. Dress for your body type.
You’ll find that it’s much easier to shop when you know what you feel and look good in.
Wearing clothes that flatter your body type makes piecing together outfits easy and effortless—you’ll always feel comfortable no matter what you pull from your closet. For example, those that have longer torsos naturally look great with mid- and high-rise jeans. You won’t have to do too much to make it look good on you, and you’ll be able to focus on other elements of your outfit, like accessories or color.
When looking for something to wear, put down the socials for a second, and yes, that includes Pinterest (hold your tomatoes). Hear me out: most of the time when we look on social media and we love an outfit, most of the time we like how the person looks in it, not necessarily the clothes. Think about all the times we see the Rihanna vs. the model comparisons. Most of the time, the model loses, and that’s because we like how it looks on Rihanna, not necessarily the fit itself. One of her most notable looks, Saint Laurent’s 2016 fuzzy heart coat, is adored by all, but could you pull it off? I know I couldn’t; my neck isn’t long enough, and the coat would swallow me. I still gawk at the look on social media when I see it, but I don’t try to replicate it bar for bar. So, instead, try to put something together on your own and see how you feel in it first. Make note of how you feel in it, what you like about it, and what you don’t like about it, and then make adjustments as needed.
(Rihanna in Comme des Garçons FW 2016)
3. Take inspiration from your life.
When curating your wardrobe, you need to consider your lifestyle. Where do you live? What climate do you live in? What do you do every day?
While kitten heels have been all the rage the past couple of years, we slowly see the statement and platform heels creeping back up towards trendy. I love this for the girls, because statement heels are hot, and it was the adulthood I was promised! But I won’t be clearing my entire shoe collection or buying 20 different six-inch platform heels, because I won’t be wearing them every single day. If you’re like me and live in a walkable city, you may be walking a lot of miles. You don’t want to walk a mile in those Louboutins; hell, sometimes even some flats are uncomfortable. For everyday, you may be more drawn to kitten heels, 3-inch heels, shoes with thicker heels, or flats.
4. Wear the clothes; don’t let them wear you.
While fashion can be a form of expression and tell a story, it doesn’t always tell the story of your life. Don’t let your outfit determine or characterize you. In other words, your personality doesn’t need to be your closet, babe.
Just because you wear black and studded belts doesn’t mean you’re emo; also, if you are a biker, you’re inherently drawn to studded belts and black pieces. It’s not because you wear activewear sets daily that makes you fit and active; it’s because you are a Pilates instructor or just in the gym a lot that makes it more practical for you to have a lot of activewear sets. See how that works?
Trendsetters and tastemakers are nothing new and have been alive and well since the start of trends and fashion influence. But the sheep mindset on the internet is like no other. That balance has been lost. Back when fashion magazines made you feel something, you saw a slew of celebrities, socialites, models, designers, and tastemakers making something hot, but there was diversity. The 2010s had so many different trends, but there was loud individuality. There was something for everyone, and it was embraced and constantly promoted—passively and with intention. With these starter tips, I hope that balance and order begin restoration.
Catch you in the next entry, xoxo 💋
