How To Cultivate Your Personal Style
[ 7 December 2008 ]
Style is not just about what you wear, it’s about what you do & how you do it.
When I started writing this article, I took it to the streets — well, Twitter — & asked my followers who their ultimate style icon was. One of the things I noticed was that almost everyone they mentioned was someone who lived their entire life with style. They weren’t just A-list celebrities who had stylists dress them for big events. They were men & women with strikingly original aesthetics, fresh new approaches to living & a different way of doing things.
The reason I chose a picture of Manko to accompany this article is because she perfectly illustrates what it means to allow your personal style to permeate all aspects of your life. I had always adored what I’d seen of her modelling online, & when I met her for brunch a couple of months ago, I was delighted to see that it’s not just something she turns on & off for the camera. She is just as nutty in person: tossing her hat around, prodding at her food, laughing at inane Americanisms & making pedestrians stare.
So, who are your style icons? If I had to guess, I would say mostly they are people who have their own little universe of style, separate to everyone else. For example, when Fight Club came out, unconventional girls went ga-ga for Helena Bonham Carter’s portrayal of the notorious Marla Singer. It wasn’t just what she wore. Who even really remembers that, except for the big hat & the pink bridesmaid’s dress? It was about what she did & how she did it. The way she smoked cigarettes, the way she walked into traffic, the way she spoke on the phone, her heavy-handed eyeliner & crazy hair.
My personal style icons are people (or characters) like Madonna, Carrie Bradshaw, Diana Vreeland, Marchesa Louisa Casati, & Little Edie. I didn’t always love the way they dressed, necessarily; I am not the sort of person to emulate someone else’s look, anyway. Really the reason I admire them is because of their attitude. All of those women really pushed boundaries, & were completely unashamed to look a way that pleased them — not anyone else. (You can read more about these individual women — & a few more! — on Top 5 Fictional Female Style Icons & these pieces from my Style Icons series: Madonna, Carrie Bradshaw, Diana Vreeland & Marchesa Lusia Casati.)
Personal style is about the way you interact with other people in line, the way you stack your magazines, how much stuff you carry with you every day — & what those things might be. It’s about your chosen references to pop culture, whether you dance in public & the way you fill in forms.
Everything you do is a declarative statement of your personal style, whether you’re aware of it or not.
If you want to start consciously developing your own style, you don’t have to start self-monitoring like a lunatic. Just allow yourself to become aware of how you are & the way that you do things. If there’s something you decide you could improve — maybe your table manners, or the tone of voice you use when you’re irritated — then do that. But overall, just become conscious of your various facets, the things that make you up as a person. Consider who influences you & how they do that. Then, start to expand. Think about the things you could start to incorporate into your life.
Not sure where to start?
Start a style scrapbook — on paper or even on Flickr — & use it as a jumping-off point for dressing yourself, decorating your house, interacting with others. Don’t feel like this is just some amateur move, either; in actual fact, the most stylish, put-together people I know often have multiple style scrapbooks that take various incarnations. They might have a set on Flickr, a collage on a board in their bedroom, & a collection of pictures beside their desk at work. Truly stylish people are always evolving in some new direction. Style is not about choosing a look & sticking with it forever, it needs to change as you do, & having a style scrapbook helps you do that. Think about fashion designers: ultimate taste-makers, they often have entire walls covered in pictures & inspiration to kick them into gear.
From your style scrapbook, you can really expand. If you notice that a lot of people you admire wear hats, for example, maybe it’s time to branch out & pick up a snood, fedora or fascinator! You can also use other people’s ideas to help facilitate your own wardrobe. Most of us own an item that we love but which drives us crazy because we don’t know how to wear it (tulle skirt, oxford heels, sequinned mini?) — & every time we see it in the closet, it gives us these crazy mixed emotions. Trawl street fashion blogs, the trend-spotting, personal style, street style & model style discussions on The Fashion Spot, Wardrobe Remix & LOOKBOOK.nu to find new, innovative ways to wear the things you never do, or just to give old items a new lease on life.
Photograph your outfits. I know that I bang on & on & on about this, but I do so for a reason! First of all, it gives you a real perspective on how you look, as opposed to just staring in a mirror (where we tend to focus on one thing at a time). In a mirror we often stand up straight or adjust our bodies according to our clothes, but a photo illustrates how the clothing actually falls on us. Secondly, it gives you an instant catalogue of already-worn outfits if you have to run out the door at a moment’s notice!
Actually put aside time to look at your outfit photos & consider what you could do differently next time. What if you changed shoes, added a jacket, took off that necklace, wore a different belt? Dissect it & break it down. What does this outfit say about you? Where is the ideal place to wear it? Who would appreciate it & who wouldn’t? How good do you feel in it, & why? Use all these answers as a platform to help you evolve.
Think about ye olde “quality versus quantity”, but don’t just let it flit across your mind. Actually devote a little brainpower to it. You know, deep down in your heart of hearts, that a $30 dress isn’t going to get you very far. What is it made from? Under what conditions? How well is it made? The answers aren’t going to be very endearing. This is not to say that you need to become a snob & refuse to wear anything with a double-digit pricetag, but just be aware that if you constantly spend your pennies on many cheap items, you’re probably missing out on fabulous shoes, lush sweaters & beautifully-cut dresses. That’s all!
Also think about what you spend your money on in general. Do you buy things just to fill a void, or do you buy things which really speak to you? I think we all have moments where we spend indiscriminately, but the real problem comes when you discover you own a whole lot of crap that doesn’t serve or even please you! Some home organisation experts recommend doing a house cleanse where you essentially get rid of everything you don’t love. Take a look around your room. How much of it do you actually love?
Spend time alone. This might seem like an odd way to cultivate your own style, especially when I have spoken so much about external influences, but really that’s the thing. Personal style is personal style, & while we are all strange, sweet amalgams of other people, places & dialects, the reason we are the way we are is because we’ve twisted all those things together in our own unique way. Think of it as having a concrete mixing truck in your belly. Even twin brothers & sisters can be complete opposites, despite having had many of the exact same influences. It’s all in the twist.
What this also means is that you should allow yourself to be as wild (or mild!) as you please, & don’t let other people & their own judgemental nonsense affect you. All these little things we do, from the way we spend our time to the people we speak to, changes & impacts us. I remember spending hours in the public library as a teenager, sitting on the floor, staring out at Wellington, with a huge, torso-sized stack of books next to me about New York City. I wrote things down, made notes, photocopied pictures, & told myself that I’d live there someday. It all counts, even the small things.
So, why go through all this madness? Why not just throw on a pair of jeans in the morning & yell, “TO HELL WITH IT!”?
Because discovering yourself is one of the most fabulous things you can do, & personal style is a way of flipping your discoveries inside out & putting them on display. Because people who know who they are are much more confident, happy & content. Because being our true selves empowers & emboldens other people. Because there is pure joy & magnificence in wearing something you love. Because experimenting with your personal style can magically transform you, & turn you into the person you’ve always wanted to be. & finally, because personal style & self-expression adds to the beauty of the world.
Even though sometimes other people’s personal style isn’t to our taste, I have to give people props for breaking the rules & wearing something different. It takes courage.
I would MUCH prefer to live in a city full of people wearing questionable things that made them happy than suffer through a drove of repressed-looking people in prescribed corporate attire! Bring on the knobbly cardigans in primary colours, unusual footwear, beaded waistcoats & lipstick accidentally smudged onto teeth! I love to see people who are actually excited about the clothing they have on. You can spot them in a crowd: they always look happier, walk with more confidence & check themselves out in shop windows!
I am definitely guilty of the sly sideways glance at a particularly reflective shop window. Sometimes I am even guilty of stopping & facing it front-on! But you know what? That’s just it. We all deserve to feel good enough about ourselves that we want to stop & savour the moment! & that, to me, is what personal style is all about.
Love letters & feather headdresses,
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Exactly. I used to be a lazy dresser, but you never know where the day will take you and the chances of something awesome happening are tenfold if you’re wearing something that you feel beautiful in vs something you feel totally uncomfortable in. My style loves are: Salma Hayek and Carrie Bradshaw.
Perfect! So true, live your style from the top of your head to the soles of your feet, and dont let anyone else tell you not to. Style is not something for conformity, its something to make you happy!
I love this article. Thanks for the reminder Gala, onward to personal expression everyone!
This is fantastic! Being happy is the most important thing whatever you are wearing!
x
Hehehe I love this post, especially the bit about you checking yourself out in show windows. I do that all the time! And what do I say when a friend catches me doing it? “I’m not vain, I just like myself – there’s a difference!“
It’s tough living in France though. Inspiring clothes here are much harder to find and much less affordable than in the UK. I’m thinking of shopping on eBay and learning to customise stuff…
Because as you say, Gala – “there is pure joy & magnificence in wearing something you love”. I love that quote. I think I’ll stick it on my wall!
I enjoyed this so much! I have a best guy friend who always wears something just because it’s a label, for example Burberry, Lacoste, etc. One day he asked me, “Twinkle why is it so important for you to have your own style?” I think I will send him this post.
So amazing!
You’ve got excellent timing, lady! I was just watching Fight Club the other day and was really struck by Marla. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but you’ve hit the nail on the head— her style just permeates everything she does. This may be attributed to Helena Bonham Carter and how her own style plays in to her acting, but nonetheless, excellent example.
There is a quote from the book Diary by Chuck Palahniuk that I tend to keep in mind that I think goes along these lines:
“Your handwriting. The way you walk. Which China patterns you choose. It’s all giving you away. Everything you do shows your hand. Everything is a self portrait. Everything is a diary.”
wonderful! this has really taken me back to the root of my style – buy things i LOVE, don’t worry about fashion, and enjoy yourself! i’m a real window-gawker, especially now that my flat doesn’t have a full-length mirror!
moving away from home has crushed my style and confidence a little – i’m going to let it dazzle and glitter again!
wonderful article gala!!! i am probably going to be re-reading this days even years from now. I am still developing my style and having traveled a lot has taught me that less is more because you cannot carry a bunch of sh*t with you.
i love being a woman. really. it is such an amazing thing!! some of the words you wrote i was familiar with but not the ones like how you sign forms etc. can define your style. that was such a good point. right now i am working on trying to get back into my mode of dressing daily with quality. i tossed out so many things before returning to school and senior year has caused a bit of senioritis. haha.
anyway again i love this article. personal style is so important and i love even more the section about spending time ALONE. i agree 100% sometimes it is hard to not let others judgements affect me but i realize the more time i spend with myself the more of me there is to be and the less i care about what others think. there is so much backbiting and judging these days but when a woman defines her style it is easier to ignore the other crap especially people i do not want to be associated with.
i know i love the personal style of carrie bradshaw, samantah jones, rihanna, my sister…but it is nice to know my own and continue to figure out what it is and what it will be. i feel like i am getting there especially with my experiences and this being my last year of university.
ok im being like the energizer bunny…
kisses
Excellent article Gala… Just what I needed!
I like this article, I do :) But the thing is, I’ve been reading this blog for ages and I’ve noticed that chain store clothes get quite a bad rap for quality. Generally, that is true, but I can quite honestly say that 85% of my wardrobe is chainstore/chainstore outlet/chainstore from opshops etc & it’s lasting me really well. I’ve had a pair of supre singlets for four years and counting, which are probably the most flattering items in my wardrobe :) Maybe it’s because I’m drawn more to the simpler basic-y items & i don’t buy things I don’t absolutely need/love but yeah. Just giving my chainstore duds some props :)
char — Oh, I definitely didn’t mean to rag on chainstores! You can certainly get great things from those places. I have a skirt I bought at H&M in Germany when I was 15, which I still love & wear! (That’s 10 years!) What I was really trying to do was to open people up a bit to the concept of actually planning a really valuable purchase. Sometimes it seems like people buy a cardigan if they’re in the city & they’re cold, do you know what I mean? & really there is something fantastic about saving up & buying a dream item, it’s a whole realm of its own that I think everyone should experience!
Hey Gala – at my work we have full length windows which are tinted – basically a mirror for anyone walking past to check themselves out in and it is wonderful! I have written a little sign for those who look closely enough that says ‘Hey! You look AMAZING!! Work that Style!’
Thanks again for the reminder to keep pursuing my (our) own personal style – I feel re-invigorated!
Oh & hey how do I get my hands on Sprout the Life You Love? I saw it on your Flickr & not only do I admire your wonderful talent but I also have loved Poppy King ever since she (a) released her first lipsticks & (b) hung out with me & a bunch of kids I was working with giving us awesome tips & advice on business & (c) since she shown such amazing resilience!
Great article Gala, I’ve been waiting for a new great one for awhile and this one has me all excited about the outfit I’m going to wear tomorrow! I’ve been going through a low point recently so being confident about my personal style is something I definitely need. These are great tips, keep them up!
I love personal style!
I seriously can’t phantom how I survived all these years wearing jeans and a t-shirt everywhere.
This article is amazing!
excellent excellent article!
exactly what I needed to hear & all so true!
I am for sure guilty of checking myself & my outfit out in store windows, but when I do, now instead of feeling kind of conceited like I used to, I just feel happy I am so in love with who I am & my style!
Oh also! I say yes yes yes to unicorn tattoos!
i love your articles, they really inspire me to live the life i want! love it! xx
Thanks so much Gala! Although many of my friends think I have the most style of people they know, I’m never satisfied with just sticking to what I know… and this article is my new justification!
I’ve been doing a lot of style thinking lately, because I’m going to London for a semester next January, + I’m going to live in a style capitol on just one suitcase during layer season?! Yipes! Your website has been immeasurably helpful, + you are just a doll!
Mwah!
Ah, Nelly! This is a lovely idea: “basically a mirror for anyone walking past to check themselves out in and it is wonderful! I have written a little sign for those who look closely enough that says ‘Hey! You look AMAZING!! Work that Style!’”
I want to do that to the mirror in the women’s restroom now!
ohh man, agreed.
i mean, i’m guilty of wearing jeans pretty regularly, but i try make them look like me with interesting tops and everything else.
i was talking to my friend about this the other day and we were thinking that really what you wear is your personality distilled down to clothes and shoes – it’s almost your responsibility to represent yourself fairly.
whenever i see someone wearing awesome clothes i smile at them, it’s kind of like a secret handshake.
i loved this article!
& this is a bit random – but could you make more podcasts possibly? i absolutely love them & they are so fun to listen to when I’m on the go!
tehe! Thanks Ashe – I’m thinking of starting a worldwide mirror/window campaign! I think it would be fab! If you do it on the restroom mirror – then the campaign will begin and more people will join! What a way to spread joy!
I must admit, I don’t really dress how I wish I could. I just wear jeans and shirt. It’s definitely something I need to work on, since I know it will give me much more confidence than a currently possess. Whenever I see someone on the bus wearing something outrageous and fabulous I always get a big smile on my face.
My style icons are: Zooey Deschanel, Milla Jovovich, Molly Ringwald, and Scarlett Johanson
this is probably the best article on style i have ever read! i need a book of your articles on my bedside table.
Wow, what a fantastic article Gala! this is so so relevant for me right now, I was only saying to my best friend yesterday that I’m developing my style and cultivating a totaly fabulous aesthetic for 2009- 2008, while awesome, was a little too drab for my liking. Onwards and upwards, I’d say! xxxx
I love dressing up and I tend to overdress for everything, and as a result I get quite a few compliments not on any particular thing I’m wearing, but on the fact that “I always look so nice” — and this makes me so ridiculously happy! I like to put effort into how I look and it makes me happy that others notice. Of course, I’d never think to look down on someone else for dressing down — that might be their personal look!
I suppose my stance on clothing is that my making an effort to dress up means there is something worth dressing up for in my day, and it makes the whole day better. Sometimes I do wake up and just feel like throwing on whatever’s on the top in my drawers and leaving, but when I force myself awake a few minutes early to put together an outfit I love, I feel wonderful for the rest of the day!
I don’t have much of a budget so almost everything I buy tends to be around $30, so I’m not sure I would say buying something in that type of price range is a bad choice — it’s just good to be aware of quality and not to just buy something on a whim because it’s cheap! ($30 isn’t cheap for me, but it may be for others, so I see your point!) I am constantly being complimented on my Payless shoes and my JCPenney dresses — it’s all about how you wear something! :P
Ooh, that’s a really good idea caitlin: a Gala book of the best inspirational/style articles from iCiNG! I would buy it in a heartbeat; it’d be so chic and fabulous that I bet you could make a killing off it Gala! ‘The best of and some never-before-seen articles from iCiNG!’ Haha I’m getting ahead of myself.
I completely agree: you don’t need to have mountains of clothes, but rather, make sure that you can some how give those pieces of clothing personalities or something.
One skirt can be completely transformed from a cute little frilly piece, to a Tank Girl piece where it looks like you could take on the world!
Also, getting to college made me realize how truly important it was to just be yourself and wear what you want. From aviator goggles, to an Arthur Miller t-shirt or even a bunny-ear hoody (I’m in the process of making it), people will just smile that you’ve had that much courage and self-confidence to wear that!
Oh yay :) I’m so glad you totally understood what I was trying to say!! & I totally agree about the excitement of saving up for something special, but my family’s never really had much money, and I think my brain just filters out everything that’s above a certain price from the get-go, so even my wishlists are moderately priced :)
& Beth – yeah, it’s totally about how you wear something!!
Loved this article! It’s so appropriate, especially the closer we get to the New Year. I’m already trying to cultivate a new style of my own (beatnik-hippie-grunge) so I’ve been very conscious of my personal style and the image I’m trying to put forward. And it’s fun!
Totally love this post Gala, absolutely fantastic.
Caitlin: what I do is get the posts I like, paste them into word, then print them out and stick them into a folder (you could use a blank notebook)... that way, all the posts that are my absolute favourites, I can get to them easily and read them.
xoxo
Gala, I started following you on Twitter because of this post! It made your tweets look super fun. I bet I’m not the only who saw this and instantly followed you… Maybe that offers some insight. ;)
Yay my style tweet is up there :)
This is an awesome post!
Oh Gala! Thanks so much for this article!
I feel like printing it out and plastering my bedroom walls with it!
I tihnk I have a problem. I have about ten times the amount of clothes as a normal person, and I’m not even kidding! My cupboard is enourmous and all my coat hangers have at least two items of clothing hanging on them, most coat hangers have three or four.
Most of my clothesve bought on sale, I always get super bargains, things that are worth $100 and I end up only paying $20, which is great, but I have too much stuff now!
I wish you could come to my house Gala and help me sort out my wardrobe! I’ve given away loads of stuff already but still have loads left, and I havn’t bought anything new since september!
I really need to shape up my life, my body, my wardrobe and my bedroom, and this article will definately help me achieve that!
Thankyou so very much!
Occasionally I feel bad for getting so much satisfaction and enjoyment from wearing clothes that I enjoy (poofy skirts and bright opaque stockings, all the way) because I feel like I should be able to derive my sense of self from somewhere less “superficial”. But then I remember that dressing creatively is just as much a form of self-expression — that should be celebrated — as fine art or film or writing. So it’s all good. ^^
I also think that people should worry less about the judgement of others – not only because if they don’t like it enough that it affects their opinion of you, they’re not worth your time – but because the majority of people on the street ENJOY seeing people who have made an effort, and cultivated a personal style. Whenever I see someone who has really got it together, and shows their personality, I’m so appreciative! And I’ve become acquaintances with perfect strangers, talking about our mutual appreciated of owl-themed jewellery!
My personal style icons include Zooey Deschanel, Patience Hodgson from The Grates (yes!), and pretty much every fabulous vintage-adorned girl on the internet. And Alice (of Wonderland fame)!
And Nelly: “a mirror for anyone walking past to check themselves out in and it is wonderful! I have written a little sign for those who look closely enough that says ‘Hey! You look AMAZING!! Work that Style!” You are now my hero.
Ex oh.
Haha…it’s funny people mention Enid from Ghost World and Marla Singer from Fight Club as these two have been style inspiration for me at different points in time.
Recently, I’ve been in sort of a funk style wise. I sort forgot who I am. I’ve pj-ing it so much in private and dressing to suit others when I go out that I actually started to feel like everything I’ve been wearing is some sort of costume, like I’m dressing up as a character I despise. But this is my life and my happiness here I’m screwing with. Thank you Gala for the reminder to only ascribe to my own tastes and lifestyle. I used to relish those “dirty looks” I got from the repressed droids I shocked & awed in public and I look forward to collecting some more – starting tomorrow!
thank you for so accurately articulating all the reasons why style is not just a superficial pastime! i totally believe that when i take the time to put on something i feel so good in i can’t help but check myself out in the chinese restaurant window i walk by every morning, my life improves! i have a better day, i’m more confident and productive, and more easily approach strangers.
quality over quantity is something i’ve definetely tried to put into practice in my life this year, with everything from clothes to toilet paper. something that first inspired this was the book “how to find your inner french girl”. (i would totally reccomend it to anyone looking to embody the confidence and allure of les femmes francais!) they talked about the way a french woman’s wardrobe is small, but full of well-tailored, quality items, vs. short-attention span americans that like to snap up cheap things for each new trend!
Style Icons?
Well… I am mostly inspired by Japanese street fashion, I think it’s really something _
Fictional ones.. Misa Amane from Death Note [I would honestly have snuck onto the movie set and stolen all the Misa outfits] and Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl =]
I quite like Zooey Deschanel.
Yesterday, I bought my dream cashmere sweater. Love.
My personal style icons are Audrey Hepburn, Natalie Portman, Kate Middleton, and Rory Gilmore (the college years). My taste leans traditional, but I’ve learned to love that. I can make traditional interesting and my own, and I have!
What I struggle with is how to take that style into places like my home, where I find myself drawn to a wider range of things. I have a bright pink chair, which certainly doesn’t fit with the rest of the ideas I have, but I love it. And I think that may be the key – loving it. Loving all of it.
Thanks for helping people remember that specifically.
I liked this article, and I hate how sometimes people dis you for caring about what you look like. It’s a misunderstanding because like you said we dress for ourselves not for them. I don’t know. Some people do dress to impress, but others do it just to be impressive. Does that make sense? That might sound stupid and word-manipulating, but language is so limiting sometimes.
I love this article. I am endlessly fascinated and consumed by this kind of thing. I always make a considered decision before I get dressed (it doesn’t take very long!).
The mirror quote is gorgeous – I’m putting it on the bathroom mirror at work tomorrow, and when I have my ballet-studio mirrors one day, they will have all kinds of cute affirmations hidden away on them. Kudos to Ashe Mischief!
I absolutely love doing a big cleanse of my stuff, I always feel so much lighter afterwards. In June I moved out of a student house I’d lived in for two years and managed to fill two big bags with clothes for a charity shop. Inspired, I went home to my parent’s house and managed to make another two bags of charity shop items – what a load of crap I’d had hanging around me! I so much prefer looking at my clothes and not seeing ill-fitting things that I feel bad for never wearing.
normally i don’t comment, but this one was so inspiring and just what i needed to read right now. thank you.
Heee, you used my twitter-response (Fleurianne), soooo excited!! :D
This article is wonderful Gala, I looove it! I’ve really been expanding and exploring my own personal style lately and this article is a happy nudge in the right direction for me. This is one of your articles I can and will, read over and over again, it really inspires me! Thnx!!
xxxx
Fleur!
I have a style scrapbook – sort of; it’s actually a closet door. On the inside I cut out pictures from fashion mags, both editorials, celeb shots and actual pieces that are in shops (I try and write the store name on the pic somewhere small) I gather them all together there next to my clothes, so next time when I’m in my closet trying to get dressed in the morning I have lots of inspiration, and also I never forget a piece I see in a magazine and want to look for in the shops. :)
Ah thank you so much for this, I’m right at the moment of coming out of a very bad period in my life and have been starting to sew things back together again. I love how the more bold you are in your fashion choices the more you can look back and be happy you experimented rather than going ‘DAMN I wish i HAD worn that’. I have a few of those regrets which sound silly, but clothing and fashion are important, they make life more colourful and exciting.
I used to create those fashion scrap books when i was younger and design my own dream clothes you just couldn’t get and customise, i think it’s time to get back to that! Much Love x
Thankyou so much for writing this, Gala! Style is something that’s really been on my agenda recently. I’ve spent the last year wearing jeans and whatever top is clean since I had a baby but I’m ready to start sorting my wardrobe out! I’m so excited for next year where I will start a creative business, develop my style and strive to be the best possible version of myself and decorate our new place! Thanks again for being awesome, your site makes me feel excited about life’s possiblities every day xoxoxox
OMG i read this today in my lunch break (all ten minutes of it! Eating lunch at your desk is what im all about when its pouring with rain!) and i was ENTHRALLED! i couldnt stop reading, i got so inspired and just wanted to reach through the screen and high five you. So many times have i let what people say affect the way i dress & my style but no more! Its something i have been thinking about a lot these days. I swear it seems like whenever im deep in thought about an issue for a couple days, you write something that clears my head & answers my questions! Thanks Pretty lady! xxx
okay. first of all that’s the iCiNG i like. kinda oldschool iCiNG article. write more of them! yeah.
inspirational, trully.
the other thing is, after reading this article i thought wow. i really DO all of those things (it’s good i suppose). like you can dress up without dressing up if you know what i mean.
today i decided to throw myself in ‘paris in winter’ outfit (red beret, red lips…)
ooooh, I absolutely love the idea of having a style scrapbook.
Immense pile of magazines, here I come! :)
Fantastic article and good advice! You have an excellent way with words of giving opinions but not preaching while letting people form their own ideas. Thats what its all about! And thank-you for introducing me to Marchesa Luisa Casati – she was so utterly fabulous!
x
Having a shit day and this is precisely what I needed to make me stop and think. Are you psychic, by any chance?! :)
Great article! I was inspired a few months ago to start my own style icon blog. I kept seeing people that I admired dressing, and living beautifully, and wanted to keep track of it myself and share it with the world. I’ve profiled people just like in your other articles you linked to, including Chuck from Pushing Daisies, Eloise, and Zooey Deschanel. It has been really fun so far, and I want to keep it going for a while!
I am inspired by everyone I see! Every time I turn the tv on, or step out in the street.
I always dream up these magnificent outfits, and I never have time to wear them because where I work we have to wear these ugly uniforms. I do my hair and wear all sorts of crazy hair accessories, or do my make up like I’m going to a red carpet event, but it’s just not the same. I get depressed over the fact that I don’t have time to dress the way I, to show my real colors. Instead I get stuck with this hideous red/navy work shirt and ugly black pants.
As soon as Christmas is over, I’m going to start saving my pennies for an amazing designer bag. I’ve been drooling over them for years, and just shoved them aside as dream items. But if I can save $200+ for new tattoos, I can save and buy something just as worth while, and it’ll last me forever.
This was an amazing article!
Such true words and sound advice.
well said gala love!!
this is soooo true. i gotta print it out and read it every day so i don’t fall into the trap of looking like a clone.
last year i was in a youth church convention, and i wanted to wear this gorg outfit: red forever 21 artist coat, beige tulle skirt (forever 21) with BEAUTIFUL beadwork done on it, and HAAWWT plaform leopard heels frm target. WAY FEEZE. but i asked my friends what did they think of it, and they were all like, “it doesnt match”. they wanted me to wear red shoes. i was like, “BORING. no.” and so we got into a small arguement and i won. wore my outfit. didn’t get any complements, but u know what, gala dear? i felt exactly like you said. hawt. i DID stop and check out my reflection, and i smiled at what i saw. because it made me happy. maybe nobody else liked it but i did.
i still often have my friends tell me, “ that doesn’t go but u pull it off so WELL! i could NEVER wear anything like that.
or, “thats so COOL! I would have NEVER thought of that!”
or they tell me, “oh i was @ (insert store) and saw something that reminded me of you!”
Or, “That’s so Eleanor.”
and they usually ask me for my fashion advice. lol
so it just goes to show that what you said is right. sometimes i get sooo caught up in looking nice and making sure everything is “paparatzzi ready” that i don’t wear what makes me feel good. so i tend to wear stuff that everyone else tells me looks good but I’M not happy. i can get self consous sometime and not wear what i feel like. but im going to take this blog piece and RUN LIKE MAD with it!
thank you SOO MUCH GALA DEEARR!
I adore u’r words as well.
But i realy feel like an ugly ducklin in this town, wear i seem to be the only one of my kind.. I realy have a feeling with clothes but often I’m scared of myself. Beeing the one laughed at. It keeps me back and leaves me sad. I wish i had people around me hwo could tell me it’ts nice how i am but i find myself prooving myself each and every day.
love
I really enjoyed reading this— well written, Gala!
Wonderful article! A lot of clothes I’ve decluttered out of my wardrobe so far can be put aside for sewing into new garments in the future, you know, the cute patterned t-shirt that your mum shrunk in the washing machine, or the pair of jeans you cut up when you were 13 & ended up wrecking them. I think a lot of joy and personal style comes out of DIY-ing your own stuff, especially when worn with pride and confidence.
Great article but some of my fave style ‘icons’ are my friends that are happy to throw on the cheap and cheerful clothes they find in charity shops for next to nothing without a thought of ‘does this go with that?’. It’s all about the attitude! And to state the obvious YOU are my fave style icon. I love how you never play safe – you’re an anarchist of high fashion! Also you’ve coaxed me out of my jeans and black top uniform. Hurrah for colour!
Heh, I wrote something along this line a couple of weeks ago because I was in need of a focus and reinvention.
cupcakesandmace.com/2008/11/20…
Mostly about how you can identify what style you like and then get it. I adore Lookbok.nu!
I never realised I was already being identified as having a “style” until people started buying me stuff because they knew I’d love it, or my friends spotting something in a shop and saying it’s sooo Kim.
This is a fabulous article! I’ve been thinking about this subject for the past couple months, and I’m so happy to find something along the lines of my views.
your attitude towards style is wonderful, you’ve made my day:)
LOVE this article!
Im kind of going through some confusion about what style i want to wear- atm i wear very girly, floral pieses with pearls etc with back combed hair. But now im sort of leaning towards the more grungy style, i don’t know! lol
But one thing you mentioned stuck out here- i am a twin, and you have said that even they can be exact opposites. We dress differently but people at school still get us mixed up and i want to make us more different, but we have the same influences.
Btw- my style icons are: Edie Sedgwick, diana vikers and carrie. x
Great article!
Me and my friends used to look at things and go thats so Carrie/Smantha/Charlotte/Miranda. Now we always say thats so Jaymi/Laura/Jac. I like to think that showas a little more confidence in ourselves and our style.
This is the perfect article! Exactly what i need at the moment. Thankyou so much.
xxx
gala, this is wonderful! IT just oozes love and good vibes!
I have to say, I started doing the w_r thing about a year and a half ago on flickr and in some ways, it has really changed my life! I still worry sometimes about dressing for fun and joy in academia, but I have actually begun to feel like it is, in a small way, part of my contribution to the campus I love so well. I think it sends an important message to my students (have fun! take risks! this is a safe place!) as well as to my colleagues, who are so supportive and tell me that they love certain pieces and looks, that they look forward to the daily dose of sartorial fun, and confess when they are surprised and reconsidering silhouette, pattern mixing, and palette.
I don’t even think I’m really that “out there,” it’s just a little goes a long way in a sea of denim and university sweatshirts.
I think of style as wearing your insides on your outsides; it takes courage, but darn it, how much more interesting the world would be if we all would pony up, spend the extra time, and do it?
yes! yes! yes!
gala, you’re so right. (: i love this article.
Only one of my style icons is a real person- kate sloan, kaile on youtube, citymorningblue on flickr. she makes me unafraid to wear whatever colors i want in whatever combinations- hot pink tights, red lipstick, etc.
blair waldorf- everything about her is perfect, and i like that she tries and she still feels insecure but through always looking amazing she kind of gets over it. headbands, pearls, skirts, heels, cardigans- love her.
mimi marquez from rent- i love rosario dawson in this role. mimi is so confident and can wear basically whatever she feels like. i love her bohemian-ness- tiedyed skirts, leather bikinis, sweaters, hats- whatever works.
cassie ainsworth from skins- her style is so unique compared to her friends- vintage gold dresses, messy long blond hair, sporadic makeup, etc- i love her too.
Chloe – that’s so sweet of you! I am amazed & flattered to be considered a style icon of yours. :)
My style icons:
1950s housewives – cinched-in waists, full skirts, red lipstick, very sweet & feminine style
1980s teen queens – ridiculously bright loud colors, bold makeup
My twisted perception of British schoolboys – ties, bowties, suspenders, proper hats
New York – hard to describe, it’s just an attitude, as I’m sure Gala well understands :)