Personal Style: Part 1

So I’ve posted a few polyvore outfits before and just thought before I delve more into clothes, I should take a moment to describe my view on it. I thought this would be a good place to start so you have a good idea of my current style before I begin sharing more outfits and stuff.

Before we dive in, I want to make a key distinction. You might've noticed I use the term "personal style" over “fashion”. The reason I do this is because I think style should solely be focused on you. Personal style is centered on creating a distinct look that fits who you are. Fashion is centered on the majority; it's an industry based on what a handful of designers think looks good. It's an arbitrary determinant of what should or shouldn’t be in and it's definitely not the first thing you should think about when you get dressed in the morning. Let’s forgo the hollow beauty standards and extravagant price tags that fashion entails. When you adorn yourself, it should be all about your taste, which is why I like sticking to the term personal style. It’s my way of saying everything is all about you! Granted, you are free to incorporate fashion as you see fit but, please don’t let that dictate what you do; you're all much too fabulous for that. I see personal style as a great way to express yourself and that's what makes it unique. Some people see the two words as synonymous, but I like to imagine them as separate entities independent of one another and occasionally overlapping. Anyways my personal opinion aside, let’s get down to business.

Just a nice quote I found on Tumblr that fits what I'm saying

Now, for the topic at hand: my personal style. So, I've always been attracted to the darker aesthetic and enjoy the more unusual expressions that clothing can offer. I think it is truly amazing how much of an impression you can make simply by the outfit you chose. It's like you communicate volumes about yourself merely by what you wear and your demeanor. It's pretty cool and once I learned to appreciate that I realized how important it was to cultivate a unique and fun personal style that accurately reflects me.

Growing up, I didn't have much say in what I wore. I didn't exercise the ability to express myself: I just wore whatever my mom approved of, which could be well summed up as an obscure t-shirt and baggy jeans. Throw in a feminine colored jacket every now and then and voilà, that's a nice summary of what I wore for like 12 years in grade school. Essentially, the more authentic and accurate representation of me remained hidden: the dark colors, quirky humor, intricate jewelry, decade pieces, it was all tucked away.

 

As I got older, however, I found out what a great means of expression clothing could be. Since then I've become more vocal about what I want and standing my ground on being who I want to be and how I project myself. Just last year, I went through my entire closet; cleaning out the clutter and cleansing it of anything I didn't love or need. My closet is much emptier now as a result but I'm also a lot happier and also very excited to incorporate my new clothing into my look. I plan on not just ogling at that rockabilly dress online and writing it off as untouchable, but instead finding ways to incorporate it and other elements I admire into my life. Time to start treating life like a stage! So yeah.