Week 2: My Core Style

In the second week of the Wardrobe Architect programme we are encouraged to narrow down our core personal style, identifying how certain clothes make us feel when we wear them and who our style icons are.

My word I found this challenging!

When you are wearing your favorite clothing, how do you feel (e.g. confident, sexy, poised, powerful, etc)?
I feel confident and have a swish in my step (whatever that looks like!), sleek and well turned out. 

When you’re wearing something that is not quite right, how do you feel? What are the feelings you want to avoid about the clothes you wear?
I feel fat, frumpy, mannish and broad. I think there's probably a fine line between feeling "stylish" and the feelings I want to avoid as I think my style is quite masculine. Or maybe it's just simple and unfussy which is more how I perceive men to dress.

Who do you consider to be your style icons? What is it about them that appeals to you?
This is the bit I REALLY struggled with. I don't really have a style icon or anyone whom I really admire their approach to fashion. I do admire those who are not afraid to wear colour and who mix textures and fabrics like silks and wools and leather. I love clean lines and unfussy cuts but well tailored and fitted clothes.

What are some words that describe styles that you like in theory, but are not quite you?
I really relate to this question, I feel like almost my entire wardrobe is made up of pieces like this - things I like in theory but I just can't carry off (however it's not stopped me parting with my hard earned cash). 


Colourful - I like the idea of wearing brightly coloured clothes but I look more like a clown
Quirky - I like the thought of throwing caution to the wind and trying quirky outfits, but I think I look more like a bag lady than a risky fashionista when I do
Pretty - I just don't think I can carry off the pretty look, I'm not petite or delicate enough and the thought sounds like a lot of effort
Comfortable - This just has me looking like a slob; I don't have enough innate suave to carry off comfortable in the way I'd like!

Look over your answers from last week on history, philosophy, culture, community, activities, location, and body. List at least 15 words that you associate with your answers. Think about descriptive words, moods, and feelings you associate with these things:

Elegant
Slender
Sleek
Simple
Vintage
Shapely
Sophisticated
Rich
Soft
Detailed
Luscious
Sumptuous 

Look over the answers to all of the questions above. If you had to narrow your list to only 3-5 words to describe you, which words would you choose?

The words Vintage and Rich refer both to style but also the colours I really like; muted, jewel tones that are colourful without being too candy pastel. Rich also describes the fabrics I love like soft brushed cottons, short pile thick velvet, cashmere and angora knits and silky fabrics. I like clothes that are Shapely, that are fitted and figure accentuating without being figure distorting which I find really hard to do on my figure. Finally I've chosen Simple which describes the cuts and shapes I like.

Some reflections...


I found the exercise really interesting; I've never thought about my style before or for looking for things that inspire my interest. I guess like most people my sense of style has been driven by what is fashionable at the moment in so far as my choice predetermined by what is available in the media images or catalogues I look through at the time. The beauty of using something like Pinterest is that the images  of not bound by time or space like a catalogue or magazine might be.

I've previously been very frivolous with my spending and if I seen something I like I've tended to buy it, even it if goes with nothing else in my wardrobe. As a result I've had a very confused sense of style. I remember when I was 21 a very close friend of mine saying, of a necklace she'd bought me, that she didn't know what to buy me as I always seemed to be changing the way I dressed. That's stuck with me ever since and something I've been conscious of yet not been able to resolve.

I noticed that a lot of the styles and cuts I liked also tended to be presented in very neutral colours only (beige, black and white) which I don't tend to wear often. I couldn't really find anything that combined the colours I love with the styles I love so I can only think I'm not very fashionable or just ahead of my time. Either way, this is exactly why I love sewing, so I can combine my favourite colours, textures and cuts for a uniquely "me" style.


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