Fashion is more than the clothes you wear; it’s the creativity that goes into your entire look, from your hair to your accessories and right down to the color of your nails. To be fashionable you need to be expressive, you need to think about every part of your look and what it says, and you need to be inventive. Of course, you can copy the ready-to-wear looks or how fashion bloggers and street fashion icons wear their season statements, but if you truly want to stand out, you need to be yourself.
Fashion is, after all, a form of self-expression. Wearing what someone else is wearing because you admire them or because you fit in is fine, but it is only when you put who you are as your inspiration that you can truly rock any look you put together.
Of course, there are some styling dos and don’ts to consider first:
Know Your Narrative
We might have been told not to judge a book by its cover, but that doesn’t often happen. With publishing, the book that sells better is the one that can state its story in a single image. The same applies to people. It isn’t malicious, either – just think of how many people you see out on the street on any given day? We all wear our uniforms. Business people in business and smart attire, construction workers in their hazard vests, and so on. How we look is a projection that we want to send out to the world, and you are in charge of what that projection says.
Of course, we are also nuanced, meaning what we say doesn’t have to reflect who we are, but just what we feel like today. So, before you put on what’s closest or even what is cleanest, consider what you want your clothes to say today. Are you feeling good? Is it a good day and the sun is out shining? Or do you just want to be as warm and comfortable as possible? You can be stylish no matter what your mood is, but you first need to decide on what your narrative of the day will be.
Experiment Before Bed
Getting dressed in a rush because you spent too long in bed is guaranteed to leave you with a mediocre outfit at best. That is, of course, unless you have planned out your outfits beforehand. Experimenting before bed can lead to new, creative outfits that can improve your style game immensely. The best part is that because you have already picked out what goes well with what, you can then have a late start to the day and still look fabulous.
Planning your outfits like this has another key benefit, and that is to help you fall in love with your wardrobe all over again. By falling in love, again and again, you can make your wardrobe go further. You will need to buy less, make better use of what you own, and you will be able to take note of the items that you avoid. If you don’t like wearing something, you can donate it, and clear up your closet so that you can display your clothes in a more organized, aesthetic manner. The prettier your wardrobe is, after all, and the easier it will be to plan new outfits.
Accessorizing
No outfit is truly complete without at least a thought to the accessorizing. This includes any jewelry, bags, shoes, hats, or outerwear that you would add to an outfit. Accessorizing makes or breaks an outfit, and it’s a fun way to add in another layer to your outfit’s narrative. You can wear a brightly colored dress and then wear black statement earrings to add some edge to your outfit, or you can dress up a simple outfit with some key pieces.
Accessorizing is the best way to add a new twist to an outfit that you’ve worn before. It’s also a great way to showcase your personality and your interests. You can indulge in animal jewelry and show off your love for the animal kingdom or just your favorite animal. It wouldn’t matter then whether you were dressed casually or for a gala night out. Accessories can be fun, serious; they can help amplify a look or dress it down. No look is every complete without them, which is why when you’re experimenting with your outfits you should always include accessories in the mix.
Yourself
At the end of the day, your clothes represent who you are. If you don’t like how you look or don’t think dressing up and spending time on your outfits suits you, stop right now. There is absolutely no rule at all out there about who can and cannot wear clothes. The only thing that you need to do in order to wear whatever you want is first to put on your confidence.
You can obtain this confidence in many ways. For some, a makeover is all that they need in order to feel at the top of the world. For others, it is because they are hiding behind an insecurity like acne. If you can change it using healthy methods, then go for it. The more effort you put on yourself, the more confident and beautiful you will feel.
Examples of how you can improve yourself to complete your outfit include getting a better night’s rest, drinking enough water to clear your body of toxins, improving your beauty routine, exercising more, and eating healthier. Health is the best look for anyone, and bettering your daily habits can make you feel great from the inside and out, and, as everyone knows, the best accessory to wear is a smile.
Fashion is not just for the elite. It doesn’t matter where your clothes come from or what they look like; style is all about creativity. It is about creating a narrative with your clothes and design choices that help you express who you are to the world. It’s about loving how you look and who you are.
