Personal Style: Tips to Elevate Your Wardrobe
Despite being a “content creator”, it is something that I do as a hobby and often times think that nobody is paying attention to the things I post. On my private twitter account, I share a lot of fashion takes, looks I am planning to wear, looks I love, looks I’ve worn in the past, things I buy. Pretty much anything fashion related.
Recently, someone who has been a social media mutual for a while now reached out to me for help defining her personal style. I was immediately flattered, because, like, someone else thinks I’m stylish. But, also, someone outside of my close friends trusts me to assist them in styling themself. It was a rush of happy emotions, so of course I agreed to help.
I started out by learning the overall goal she was looking to meet in regards to her wardrobe and one of the biggest take aways I gathered from our conversation that she was looking to be comfortable and confident in her clothing. Also, a wardrobe that fit where she currently is in life. This was extremely relatable because one day early last year I realized my wardrobe was an abundance of distressed and/or skinny jeans and two pairs of boots that I could wear with anything. It was devastating to say the least and pushed me to rebuild my entire wardrobe. I shared a lot of the tips I used to make styling myself easier, and I want to share it with you all too.
Highlight What You Like
Women will often say, “I can’t wear that. I don’t have the body for it.”
I, too, am guilty of having this thought, but the biggest take away I received from my exploration of lingerie is that you have to be comfortable with you. Seeing myself in minimal clothing often made me pay more attention to what I liked about my body. When I rebuilt my wardrobe I focused on what I like and how I could bring more attention to that when putting together outfits.
Skinny Jeans Are Unforgiving
One day I went to get dressed and I realized that the only style of jeans I had were skinny jeans. And to make matters worse, they were also distressed. As a 30-something woman, my body is not the same body I had when skinny jeans became the jean choice of every American-born millennial in the late 2000s, early 2010s. Nothing reminds me of this more than when I put on skinny jeans that show every curve, lump, and/or roll from my waist down. Not to mention, skinny jeans are not very versatile.
When sharing tips with my mutual about how I elevated my style, she shared that she had never thought to change the style of jeans she wore, but she understood exactly how a different cut of jean would give her the look she was looking for. If you, too, have a closet full of skinny jeans and are looking to elevate your style, pick a different style of jeans and thank me later.
Know Your Measurements
Women’s size charts are inconsistent and unreliable. One brand’s size 10 is another brand’s size 14, and I am not even referencing the difference between US and UK size charts. Knowing your measurements is more accurate and allows for you to ensure you are getting the best fit. This especially comes in handy when buying dresses, rompers, and other one-piece outfits.
Material Matters
The structure of a garment can make or break an outfit. As someone who shops online frequently, I have had many a heartbreak because a garment isn't what I expected. The heartbreak is far and few between now that I am aware of different materials used to make clothes. The material that I pay attention to the most is spandex. The amount of spandex in garment is very telling. When there is little to no spandex in a garment, it is typically more sturdy and the fit is more firm; meaning it is either going to fit or it is not. In my experience, when there is more than 5% spandex in a garment, there is less structure and the garment tends to be less sturdy.
While that is only one example of why it is important to be familiar with different materials in garments, the more familiar you are the better. The familiarity will give you a good idea of what the garment will feel like, how to care for the garment, and if you should go up or down a size for comfort and fit based on your measurements.
Don’t Doubt Yourself
In explaining how I dress myself and where I like to shop, my mutual shared with me she knew what she liked; however, she often found herself doubting some of her looks because it wasn’t necessarily what she considered trendy. That’s when I let her know the best thing about personal style is that only you have to like it because that’s what makes it personal.
When I first started playing around with my style and getting more comfortable wearing what I like and not seeking approval, I became more aware of what my friends and people around me wore. But, I also paid attention to how “putting that shit on” made them feel. I would find myself changing my friends’ outfits mentally, but I would never provide unsolicited advice on their outfits because the glow they would have as their look came together. They felt cute and were not posting pictures to delete later. It became something I loved seeing my friends experience on girls nights, dates, and special events. It made me realize that if I like the look that is the only validation I need.
Shortly after having this conversation with my mutual, I had a photoshoot with two of my friends who came to visit me in Nashville. They let me be the creative director and pick the color themes of the shoot, but we each brung our personal style to the looks and the photos turned out amazing.
I had so much fun sharing style tips and providing creative direction for the shoot with my friends that I am now more confident than ever in sharing style advice. My hope is that more people feel comfortable reaching out in the near future, because everyone should be in love with their wardrobe.
