Reasons for Defining Your Personal Style
“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.” - Orson Wells
Lately I’ve been giving my own personal style a lot of thought! I’ve been researching personal style by way of books and even a class I’m taking. I signed up for a suite of classes hosted by Kimberly Wilson, author of “Hip, Tranquil Chic”. Truth is though, I’m taking what she says with a huge grain of salt. She only wears black, which seems like a “safe” way to dress. It doesn’t seem all that risk taking to just suit up in black clothes every day? I might have a bias though, because I love color! And I love experimenting with clothes, because it is just plain fun.
Here are my reasons for trying to define my personal style! I’m going to document my process on the blog, with hopes that someone out there might be grappling with some of the same questions.
I am tired of wasting money on clothes that don’t work. It might seem cute on a model online, but once a lot of items get home and I actually try them on, many pieces just flat out either don’t fit right, are uncomfortable or wind up going unused. Also, clothes have gotten way more expensive! And I already have plenty of clothes, I don’t need anything from a store.
I have too many clothes. And I know the quick answer is to just donate everything extra, or give it away. Even though thrift stores are a great step in helping reduce the impacts of fast fashion, I don’t think they quite go far enough. Because really, even thrifting encourages the cycle of production. If you think about it, the more people buy, the more businesses create. I just want to buy less clothes in general. I am interested in thrifting, but I don’t rush it. Typically clothes sit for an entire year unworn in my closet before I thrift those pieces, just to be sure I won’t wear or alter them in the future.
It is hard to take care of a huge wardrobe. I have about ten loads of laundry to wash on any given week. So a lot of it doesn’t get done often enough. I’m looking to streamline down to just what I need to get through a week and a half, and then upcycle or sell the rest. I will not be throwing pieces away though, because storing some back up clothes is always a good idea. That way, I won’t have to buy anything for a long time to come.
I’m going through a transitional time. Now that I’m 45, I’ve been reassessing my wardrobe. But not quite in the way you might think! I just want to rock my upcycled clothes on a more regular basis. A lot of women get to 45 and want to dress more matronly, but that isn’t my intention. I’m not actually trying to “dress my age” at all. I more want to express myself with clothes more of the time. Life has transitions; age related, work related or otherwise. Those are great times to redefine your style!
I want my clothes to make me feel more confident. You know that feeling you get when you are wearing something that makes you put your best self forward? I want that feeling more of the time.
Those are my main reasons for defining my personal style! You probably have some good reasons of your own to add to the list. You just know when it’s time to redefine your personal style. Especially when you open your closet and can’t find anything you want to wear. I’ve got more posts coming soon on this topic so be on the lookout!
