010. How to define your style [Part Three]
The easiest way to understand style you like vs style you appreciate
Everything we experience influences the way we dress.
From what we enjoy eating, to other peoples’ nasty little habits that give us the ick, there is — at the core of every choice — a consistency that gets fabricated into our identity.
Quick case-in-point: Ever fantasized what you may name your future child and immediately rule out 3-7 names of mean girls from your high school, or “frat boy” names that come with a precondemned set of stereotypes? I thought so.
But then what do you do instead? Generally speaking, if you’re trying to be creative, you’ll think of loved ones’ names and a flower maybe, or a celebrity or location that has particularly impacted you.
📌 The point is: all this is a pattern in your thinking that is influencing your choice about something.
So when you go to get dressed, if you hate the colour red, you’re pretty unlikely to wear the colour red. Right?
But that’s just colour.
How do you get to the heart of what influences your overall style?
It’s all about the art of observation
Just yesterday I had a great conversation with freelance writer Megan Gallant, who’s writing about my life and career in an upcoming profile.
Near the end of our call, Meg asked if there was anything I wanted to add before hanging up. I casually mentioned what a peak pivot point it was for my personal style when I finally recognized there was a difference between liking a style for myself vs simply appreciating one. (And if you’ve been here a while, you’ll know this is something I’ve mentioned more than once.)
Meg looked inquisitive, then asked, “How do we know the difference?”
An excellent question.
I explained that when I think about a style I love, I think about it in terms of elements that I like in general life and how they copy/paste into what I enjoy wearing.
This is the example (expanded upon) I used to illustrate my reasoning:
The easiest giveaways to my love for varsity come from:
My love for bright, bold colours
Being a swimmer since day 1, I’ve always appreciated an athletic look that’s practical without compromising cute
I grew up going to camp, so functional clothing has long been a must
I care about my health (which relates to the style from a lifestyle POV)
So what may look like a completely miscellaneous combination of photos (above) actually showcases the basis breadcrumbs that tell you where my style stems from: I love colourful, functional-but-cute athletic clothing that compliments my preferred lifestyle as a whole.
When you think about your style conceptually in this way, it turns into a completely personalized and engaging game you can play, not a skill you dread learning.
But maybe this still feels too abstract to some… let me show you just how easy it is to apply to your daily dressing.
Applying this theology to your outfits
So I’ve established my love of varsity style based on core elements that are consistent with what I generally like. Now what?
For me personally, this does not mean that my whole outfit will be a rainbow-clad sweatsuit — but it does give me a sense of style direction.
The way I understand how much varsity to pour into my outfit depends on the different intersections of style types I subscribe to.
Because while I love the bright colours of varsity wear, I also appreciate a more refined, sophisticated look which comes from stark neutral colours. This is where my love for a more classic style comes in. I learned this about myself from noticing things like:
A love for black and white photography
Keeping a clean and tidy home
Gravitating towards slicked back hairstyles and clean makeup
Just to name a few.
Colour and cut are two core elements to consider when categorizing a garment into a style type. (Again, promise an in-depth blog on these types is coming SOON).
A little funny for me, because while I appreciate varsity’s practical function in garments’ relaxed cuts and breezy fabrics, my sophisticated self appreciates more rigid lines and structured fabrics that say “I’m a professional, please treat me like one.”
Enter: Prep Style.
The best of both worlds!
So turns out you can have your cake and eat it too — you just have to know yourself well enough to understand how to integrate styles together in a way that works.
See above how seamlessly each outfit incorporates a healthy dose of my love for varsity with my love for classic?1 It’s the perfect balance.
When you know the rules about style, that’s exactly when you’re educated enough to break them.
Style integration for beginners (DIY)
If you get just one thing from this blog, let it be this:
Coming to understand your personal style (and ultimately, yourself) is less about the styles you like than it is the elements that make up their ineffable essence.
And like I said: this is something you can do yourself. It’s amazing what you can gather in just five minutes spent thinking about things you like and don’t like in life.
Pull out a pen and legal pad, old school, write it down (or jot it down on your phone's notes app). Either way, you’ll be amazed at what happens when you can see all these details about yourself physically in front of you. And more amazed still, when the next time you’re in public you’re naturally more attentive to life’s fashion show parading around you. You might even consider integrating some of what you see into your own wardrobe.
Remember: this is meant to be fun. Expressing yourself in excellence is meant to be fun.
So if you try it, let me know how it goes! And if you need a hand getting started, send me a private message. I sincerely hope you enjoy this process.
💌, Tess
To clarify: “varsity” is not considered a core style type — it would be filed somewhere under the Natural style type, sub-sectioned as Sporty — but it’s such a frequent flyer in my books that it’s basically its own thing.