Fashion is about trends, art, and culture. Style is more about you.
As a self-taught fashionista, I often run across the idea that the terms fashion and style are used together and have the same meaning.
But this is a misconception. Before I knew about fashion and style, I thought they were the same because they both deal with clothes.
True. But fashion is completely different than personal style. Hence, the word personal is a key factor in what makes the two different.
Here’s a breakdown of fashion and style, where to find the latest fashion trends, and ways to find your style.
What Is Fashion?
When you hear the word fashion, you automatically associate it with fashion trends. And that’s correct.
Fashion is a collection of clothes and shoes that represent current and future trends. Think of it as a visual and wearable art that represents today’s culture, and where’s it going.
Fashion designers are artists. When constructing the next big collection, they take in everything around them.
They look at today’s society, which involves the climates, seasons, music and art, culture, colors, and more.
Then they use all of that inspiration to accompany today’s culture or change how they want it to be.
When I think of this idea, I think of the fashion designer and icon, Paul Pioret, who was a French designer in Paris and made fashion history for women.
Dated in the early 1900s, he invented drape wear for women who were tired of wearing corsets all day.
This changed the way women dressed and evolved an entire culture which is a reflection of today’s fashion.
What Is Personal Style?
Personal style is when you take past or present fashion ideas (clothing items, shoes, and accessories) and make them your own.
This is a creative way to self-express through your choice of what you wear and how you wear it.
Taking in clothing items, shoes, and accessories from the past and today’s fashion trends, combined with a certain hairstyle will be your style.
Even if you aren’t the most artistic/creative person in the world, the great thing about personal style is that everyone has one. Even though it can change, it’s a direct link to your personality.
Based on the look you want to present to the world, you can develop a personal style based on the latest fashion trends or a mix of whatever pieces you like.
Where To Find The Latest Fashion Trends?
There are plenty of sources to find the latest fashion trends. But the one I recommend is fashion magazines.
You will find the latest, brand-spanking new trends featured in magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar.
They feature most luxury fashion brands, especially at the beginning of the magazine. But even if you can’t afford those clothes, you can still draw inspiration from them to help find your personal style.
Next, check out social media. If magazines and articles aren’t your thing, check out fashion magazine profiles on Instagram, Pinterest, and even TikTok.
Or, if you want to see it live in action, look into watching runway shows. You can find videos on YouTube such as this one: FF Channel. They have a full archive of recent and past fashion shows.
How To Find Your Personal Style?
Finding your unique style is no cookie-cutter process because everyone’s style is different from the next. But to start, I want you to pay closer attention to other people and what they are wearing.
Without seeming creepy, start with social media… Pinterest to be exact. Create different mood boards on different styles/outfits you find interesting. No matter what it is, don’t shy away from anything.
When looking at these outfits, look harder to see which clothing items appeal to you, how they styled it, which colors they chose, and the accessories. The idea is to pick apart the outfit and try to understand how they styled it.
Another way to find your style is to learn the basic style fundamentals.
What Are The Style Fundamentals?
Style fundamentals consist of colors, texture, fit, shape, and function of your clothes.
When I first learned this, it made the process of finding my style a lot easier. It also made me think of clothes differently when viewing them on other people.
Colors
Photo / Raka Miftah
Colors can make or break an outfit. They have the power to enhance or balance and make you appear larger or smaller, or taller or shorter.
When you’re new to styling by colors, stick with neutrals first. Most colors will look great when paired with blacks, whites, grays, beiges, and tans.
To learn how to use colors in your outfit, you should learn about color theory. There you will learn about the color wheel, which is a visual guide to which colors complement the color.
Texture
The texture is great for making any outfit interesting. Some textures have a subtle look like cotton, polyester, and linen, while others are visually noticeable, like wool, leather, and furs.
You can mix textures on an outfit, but be careful. Putting two or more visually strong textures together such as corduroy and denim can be a bit much.
When finding your style, stick with textures you are most likely familiar with such as cotton, denim, satin, polyester, flannel, and jersey.
Fit
Photo / Godisable Jacob
Determining how you want your clothes to fit is part of finding your style.
You have to consider your body shape, your personality, and how you want your clothes to drape your body. In the early 1990s to late 2000s, the fashion style was baggy.
But today, everyone even the guys has converted to a snug look. Hence, the skinny jeans. But you don’t have to follow that route if that’s just not you.
If you have no idea which fit fits you the best, go to your local clothing stores and try on whatever speaks to you. Grab your size, and if you think you would want something to fit a bit looser, grab the next size up.
Try them on and take a picture in the dressing room. If you keep doing this, you will find your style and how you want clothes to fit.
Shape (Silhouette)
Photo / SHVETS production
When you think of the shape or silhouette of your outfit, think of shapes… literally. Just like the fit of your outfit, the shape that it creates can either make you look great, or be misproportioned.
Your body shape resembles actual shapes: rectangle, circle, triangle, inverted triangle, and hourglass. Or you may have heard body shapes as fruit. Here are the different names of body shapes:
- Rectangle / Straight / Banana = Shoulders, bust, waist, and hips are equal proportions.
- Circle / Apple / Round = The midsection (bust and waist) is round with narrow hips.
- Triangle / Pear = The shoulders and bust are narrower than the waist and hips.
- Inverted Triangle / Lollipop = Shoulders and bust are wider than waist and hips.
- Hourglass / Coke Bottle = Shoulders, bust, and hips are wider than the waist.
When choosing clothing items, check out which shape it gives. You can pick clothes that match your shape or give you a shape.
If you are insecure about a certain body part, you can pick clothes that will help highlight it or take it away.
Photo / Eric Do
For instance, if you have an apple shape, wearing clothes that are tight right under the bust and flare out right at the waist can help make your waist look a bit smaller.
Or if you have a rectangle shape and want to create an hourglass, triangle, or inverted triangle shape, you can wear clothes that will either highlight your bust or butt, while snatching your waist.
Function
Photo / Евгений Горман
The functionality of your clothes is also important. Depending on your everyday routine, the weather outside, or hobbies, you want to make sure you dress for the right situations.
If it’s mostly cold outside, you want to invest in coats, jackets, sweaters, and jumpsuits.
If you work in an office, invest in business attire like trousers, slacks, blazers, and button-up blouses.
Or if you love to hike, invest in hiking boots, pants with plenty of pockets, light jackets, hats, and belts.
When you consider these 5 styling fundamentals, you will soon find your style in no time. Just give yourself grace, always look for new inspiration, and have fun!
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