STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

To me style is not dependent on trends, or what is the popular flavor of the season. Style is when someone truely " wears" something . I have seen many people wearing something that I would never even consider putting on this body, but getting a feeling from them that they feel totally comfortable in it, that their personality comes thru the choices that they made in putting it together - that it is personal choice that they took the time to construct,  and not necessarily being what others deem beautiful or wearable. Of course, one can always dress with bad taste: clothes too tight, too low to suit the occassion, clothes that structually dont fit their body shape etc... To sum it up we all have a diverse idea of what we find stylish: beautiful to us, desirable to us, what truely speaks to us: when we put this on- we are in style. 

I think I kind of agree with lilyann. I think most of the time style is innate. I think everyone has a way they like to dress or wish they could dress. Even those women on tv makeover shows know what style is. They might not know what an empire waist is, but they'll say, "I've always wanted to look like Audrey Hepburn," or "My friend Emily always looks so put together." I just think that for a lot of people they just don't know how to incorporate the style they feel drawn to into their lives because of price, comfort, body issues, etc.

I think style is personal to everyone. There are few people in my life that I think have a defined style. They just wear what is in trends or what looks good on others ( I, too, am guilty of this). That's why I think it's so cute that a lot of you girls know each other so well that when you see a certain pair of shoes you automatically think of a specific someone on this board.

When I think of all the girls on here with a great sense of personal style, they can take something as simple as a white oxford shirt and dress it up in such a way that you say to your self," That is just so her."

I think sometimes people confuse being "stylish" and being "in fashion". To me, being "stylish" is keeping your style up to date and fresh while still looking like you, while being "in fashion" is dressing for seasonal trends regardless whether if it's what you would normally wear. (Ex: Girls who are normally preppy at heart wearing head to toe boho rather than just incorporating some of the pieces in a preppy way)

So having style is innate, and being stylish can be taught. I think.

I don't know. I think I'm babbling. I took some cough medicine and am feeling a little loopy. So I'm sorry if this doesn't make any sense to anyone but me. I'll edit later when I'm more myself.       

I pretty much agree with everyone. I think style is just personal expression. Some people haven't tapped into that part of themselves, and clothing becomes more function that art. You can have two women in an identical business suit, but the stylish one will find a way to work in a great accessory while still remaining professional. Therefore I do think style is innate, but you don't have a perfected style from day one. It is the result of experimentation (good and bad) and outside influences (such as friends) that result in a wardrobe makes you comfortable in your own skin, but also compliments your assets.

 

I think style is totally different than fashion.  Fashion and being fashionable is all about following trends. 

For me, style has less to do with the actual clothing, and everything to do with the way the person pulls it off, or the attitude that they have. 

If a person is uncomfortable because the clothes are ill-fitting or they just don't work with that person's lifestyle, then I think it's very obvious and the person ends up looking self-concious and awkward.  Being stylish is more about being self assured.  I also think that when a stylish person is dressed well, they tend to forget about what they're wearing--like what they're wearing is so reflective of them that they can concentrate on other things.  If a person isn't wearing something that works for them, they have to think about it all day and they end up distracted and it shows.  Does that make sense?

Making sure that the clothes reflect who you are and how you want the world to perceive you is a highly underestimated and undervalued aspect, I think.  I think there are a ton of people in the world who just simply don't care about the image they're projecting to the world and I think they end up losing out in the long run (in most cases.)

That's my long-winded response.

i think style is a way of being.  it extends from the way you dress to the way you walk, the way you dance, the way you decorate your home, everything.  and to a certain extent i think it's innate, but not necessarily from birth.  like when a person is figuring out who they are, they're also figuring out their style, so in the teenage years, lots of things are tried and discarded in the search for personal style. i think it can be expanded or redefined at any age.   i think emerson once said "love of beauty is taste and the creation of beauty is art"; i think style falls somewhere in between the love of beauty and the creation of it.

 

I agree with a couple of the other posters.  I think style is when someone wears their outfit and the outfit doesn't wear them.  I guess where I disagree, is that I don't think people have to wear something that makes them look like they have an hourglass figure every day.  Personally, I like to play with my silhouette wearing layers, baggy things etc.  I have fun and I don't really care if someone thinks it is figure flattering or not.

I've been thinking about this since it was posted and I still don't really know exactly.  I agree that fashion and style are two separate things though.  I think style is wearing what you want to wear, even if other people think it's a little kooky.  Style is having fun with what you wear.  I think of SJP on SATC--some of her outfits were out there, but that girl was brimming with style.  Style is being able to dress for yourself and not for other people.