It has to be something that fits who I am as a person and how I want to be perceived by others. I have learned a lot from watching What Not To Wear over the years (and being raised by my mother), so I want to make sure I'm making the right statement with my clothes.
What I have so far is that I want to be casual, sexy, girly, and classic, with just a hint of the current trend.
Casual: I usually am overdressed, and I'd rather not be that way all the time anymore. I want to be dressed appropriately, but something that can be dressed up or down. I like clothes that can be worn with cowboy boots (not that I own any) but also strappy sandals. This picture below of strappy sandals, is exactly what I mean when I say casual. See how the shoes are basic black strappy sandals? They're perfect for wearing with jeans or with a fancy tube top dress. I know this because I did it two Saturdays ago. Plus, the twine that goes around the whole base helps keep the look casual. The strap around the ankle looks quite sexy, the tall height of the heel is girly, and the black leather material is quite classic for a strappy sandal. The hint of the current trend is the platform under the toe.
Sexy: I've been working hard on being healthy and making sure my body looks the best it can. I want to show that off, but not too overtly. The best way to do this is clothing that shows a curvy shape or a lot of skin. Like a tube top. I'm loving my shoulders and arms more and more as I get in better shape and this tube top picture below is the exact thing to show them off. The floral print helps make it girly. The cotton material keeps it casual and the sweetheart neckline keeps it classic. The hint of the current trend is the hard-to-see-in-the-picture zipper down the front.
Girly: I'm girly, and I want to embrace it. While I love those collared plaid shirts, they're just not me, so I don't own any luckily. I'm not for making something not traditionally girly appear that way. I'm more on-the-nose. The floral print dress pictured below does it for me. While it's not form-fitting, it still show enough of my shape when I move to be sexy. I've worn it with both strappy sandals and flat boots with studs in them (as close as I'll get to cowboy boots for now), so it has a casual aspect. And the tube top summer dress is a classic, just look at summer styles pretty much from the 60s and 70s on. The trendy aspect is the tiers in the dress. Trust me, they're nothing new, they're just in right now.
Classic: Jennifer Lopez talks about knowing your lane and staying in your lane as a host on American Idol. I think that could apply to fashion as well as music. I like to try new things, but I'm still a very predictable person in some respects, and I think my clothes should reflect that. The leather jacket pictured below is the perfect example of classic. I will be wearing this blazer for the next 30 years unless fashion drastically changes. It's a great classic shape that I wore to a job interview, to a club, out to dinner, out bowling, and to church. It works with anything, seriously! Because it shows my shape, it's sexy and girly. Because it's blue instead of black and leather instead of stuffy wool, it's casual. And because it's the boyfriend style with the shape and sleeve style, it's trendy. I love making trends work for me. Rolling up the sleeve on a jacket looks downright ridiculous on my small frame, but getting a jacket that's cropped length sleeve and wearing a long sleeve underneath provides that same look without appearing as if I've robbed my older sister's closet.
Those four components of my style are pretty essential to who and I am and how I want to be perceived. Stores that fit that bill (at least in the items I would purchase from there) include: Delia's for everyday, Dillard's for when I have more to spend, and LOVE Culture for items that are so far into the trendy that I don't want to spend a whole bunch on them.
Does anyone else think this much about their clothes/style? It's important to me and has helped with shopping. I don't buy anything unless it's casual, girly, sexy, classic, and a bit trendy. It keeps me from being overdressed, from spending money on something I won't get a lot of wear out of, and from going too far into trendy territory. Plus, I always feel like me no matter what I have on. Or at least that will be the case once I fully phase out my older clothes. What's your style?
As I move further and further to the end of my 20s, establishing a signature style that will carry me to and through my 30s is essential. I can't just wear whatever trendy thing pops up on Gossip Girl (or the Forever 21 version of said outfit) anymore. Not that I ever did, but I think you get my point.
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