“[Clothes] are our social shells; projections of our inner selves; indicators of wealth and status. From an early age literature teaches us how to "read" an outfit, beginning with the children's fairy stories where we learn to recognise the wicked witch by her black robes. In a novel, a beautifully described outfit can be used to enhance characterisation, turn a narrative or create a powerful visual snapshot of a scene. A pair of trousers, a dress, a hat may carry any number of political, social and aesthetic meanings.”
-Helen Gordon
Soft Autumn Classic Swatchbook by True Colour International
The outfits you actually wear say leagues more about your style personality than your carefully-crafted Pinterest board or the unworn items hanging in your closet.
It’s not uncommon for a client to come to me and describe herself with words like “mysterious,” “edgy”, and “cool,” yet wear nothing that says any of those things at all. She herself may be mysterious, edgy, and *extremely* cool - but we’d never know it based on her clothing alone.
If you’re saving outfits to your style board that don’t work for your body type, or that you’d never consider wearing in real life, it might be time to create a separate board for realistic style ideas. You can always reserve the original for style inspiration.
Not caring about what you wear can be a style statement in and of itself, though it’s less powerful for most of us than we might like. Often we’ll come off looking sloppy instead of the hoped-for “I’m too cool for this.” A uniform (whether full-on Steve Jobs, or a little more creative like Caroline Herrera) can be an effective bridge between the two approaches.
Accessories like jewelry, bags, scarves, and shoes can save the day by adding pizzazz to more basic outfits, especially for uniform dressers. Accessories are often easier to store than larger wardrobe items, more forgiving of weight/shape/trend changes, and available at a variety of price points.
That said, don’t be afraid of statement wardrobe pieces! Basics and accessories are a great start, but what about a moto jacket with bold hardware in your favorite color? A dress with a cool pattern of 4-6 different colors in your palette? A pair of colorful linen shorts with a paper bag waist?
If you find yourself with a huge gap between how you want to be perceived and what your clothes are actually saying about you, I can help! Maybe you want to look mysterious, edgy, and cool, but you have no idea how to make that happen. If that’s you, I offer a free one-hour exploration call where we can draw up a game plan for your unique style situation. You can book yours here!