How to Let Your Style Grow & Develop With You
If you ever look at outfits you wore in years gone by and cringe – then you are only human. Fashion today can be a faux pas tomorrow, especially as we grow and mature through life. Now, unfortunately, there is no notification or symbolic sign that tells us when to make a change, we just instinctively know when it’s time to move on and move up. If you hadn’t considered this style shift before or have been waiting to find out how you can develop your style so that it grows with you – then let’s get into it.
Quality and Brand Graduation
Fast fashion should not form part of your wardrobe, especially as we grow and develop our style and graduate to better brands that are of better quality. The rise of second-hand fashion has allowed many to secure dream brands and dream pieces like pre-owned Louis Vuitton handbags which will last the years and complement a developed style. You also want to be inspecting labels to learn what fabrics and materials are used and make an assessment of quality based on this information. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to cut ties with the brands that have served you over the years, but you should be more critical of what pieces you procure from what brands as your core pieces should be reliable and last the distance.
Fine-tuning your unique style
Developing your style is all about honing in on the look you want to achieve, smoothing out the details and embracing your true style potential. This is going to look different for everyone. Maybe for you, it is about securing those final wardrobe pieces like a quality leather jacket, statement boots or stylish scarves that your wardrobe has always needed. For others, it might be committing to that look with a haircut that suits (like a Rockabilly fringe, shaved head or bold bob). Or you might fine-tune your style more simply by sticking to a certain colour palette that you like and that best suits you, choosing to move away from the colours that haven’t served you in years gone by.
If you are looking to develop and grow your style following significant weight loss, post-pregnancy, or just because you want a refresh – you might also consider a personal stylist. Stylists are particularly skilled in assessing your shape and unique style and cherry-picking pieces that can be worn across all seasons and make you feel good. They will also take into account your preferences and tailor a wardrobe that you will actually feel excited about and will keep you out of those pieces you wear for convenience rather than confidence.
Be open to change
A key fact to remember when growing with your style is that you might take a few left turns and develop into a style identity you hadn’t considered. You might grow to feel different about your curves, or you may learn to embrace comfort over formal. Be open to these changes and see if you can tweak your existing look and wardrobe in that new direction. It’s not surprising that we explore new versions of ourselves at different stages of our lives, and only positive outcomes will come from experimentation, like learning what makes you feel yourself. You might even wish to borrow the inspiration of a fashionable celebrity or character if that will present a style you can dress to. Before long you won’t be asking ‘what would Carrie from Sex & The City wear’, because you will have already tapped into that style mindset and can grow confidently into that look – truly making it your own.
Recognising a style from a trend
Letting your style grow and develop with you can only happen if you can spot the difference between a trend and an enduring style. Trends fade, and then you are left with a wardrobe that no longer serves you in the future and is designed to capture a moment in time – not grow with you through the seasons and years. That’s not to say that clothes, shoes and accessories that have a seasonal feel cannot contribute to your style – but ideally, you want to limit these items that can really only be worn on rare occasions. One way to think about it is to see what goes on sale and what ends up at the outlet stores – it is rarely the iconic, timeless looks, but more the pieces that burn bright and fade early.
Less is more
It might seem strange that growing your style comes from refining your collection – but less really is more when it comes to fashion. A chaotic wardrobe with colliding styles is only going to confuse what you are striving for and keep you from embracing a consistent style. This is why many people are creating their own capsule wardrobes that contain about 30 core pieces that are uncannily you, and are of the quality and range that they can last years to come. This curated wardrobe should be a mix of outwear, basics, formal and casual to cover every base and keep you from buying fast fashion that won’t grow with you.