STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

bloomie · Marc Jacobs

determining your style

Claudia · Gucci

You do not necessarily have to stick to one style. For example, if you like Drew and Rar210's style then you mix funky pieces with classic pieces. You should dress however you feel most comfortable.

Kitty · Hermes

Just buy things you like and have fun dressing yourself and getting ready..don't worry about what type of image you're creating.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

i just buy what i like. i don't know if i really have a distinct style because i think i would get bored with dressing one way all the time. i guess my only signature pieces are my jewelry and watch...but even my nice ones that i wear a lot get switched up with funkier ones.

ILoveChoo · Hermes

I agree with wearing what you like and not worrying too much about one "style." There are some weeks where I have a completely different type of outfit on everyday, but they're all "me".

When you looking for things to buy though, make sure that you not only like the thing but you like it on YOU. I see tons ofthings that I think would be absolutly fantastic on someone else, but I know that I would never be comfortable in it. I used to end up buying things all the time because in the dressing room they made me look so cool and 'different", but I never wore them becasue I didn't want to look different- i wanted to look like me.

wicked · Coach

If you're buying new stuff my advice is buy stuff that fits GREAT and only buy things you LOVE. It can be fun to clip celeb. pics. to kind of focus on what looks you really like. It may be insane, but when I go shopping sometimes I will ask myself "would _______ wear this?" It keeps me from impulse buying and regretful purchases.

shopgirl82 · Chanel

wicked wrote:

If you're buying new stuff my advice is buy stuff that fits GREAT and only buy things you LOVE. It can be fun to clip celeb. pics. to kind of focus on what looks you really like. It may be insane, but when I go shopping sometimes I will ask myself "would _______ wear this?" It keeps me from impulse buying and regretful purchases.

i agree. if there's someone's style that you desire to have, the would ____________ wear this is a great question. if i want to look sophisticated, there's a friend that i have that i try to model my look after (but not imitate it). if i want to look cute, i usually think about my sister's style.

jj · Kate Spade

I agree that you should wear what you feel comfortable in. I love how Drew layers, but I never do because I feel all bunchy and out of sorts all day when I try it.

Fit is really important too. If something doesn't fit, no matter how cute it is, it won't look good. And it really helps to have an objective person nearby to tell you if something is flattering or not. Posting pics on threadstyle helps, because I can really *see* how my clothes fit on me.

What type of office do you work in? (or are you in school?) Because mine is business casual, I get to buy a lot of things that I can wear at work or on the weekends. But if it was more conservative, I would need more suits and things.

I bet if you were to look through your closet or pull pictures from a magazine of outfits you like, you would see a pattern of your style emerge.

For my style, I like things that are girly, but not too frou-frou. I'm a little bit preppy, in a Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera kind of way. I love jeans and blazers and believe in the power of a hot handbag.

I hope this helps!

ejc423 · Coach

I agree w/ the other girls, I just wear/buy what I like. I definitely have distinct ideas of things I like for myself but I never knew any way to describe my style. A few months ago, I went through some magazines and cut out looks that I loved and would wear (because there's definitely a difference for me). I looked at all the clippings for a common feature and found that I am attracted to feminine but non-fussy looks that have unique details, usually in the tailoring, sometimes in embellishment. So I still don't know how to describe that in terms of a "style", but it gave me a little confidence that there is some consistency in my taste.

zeitgeist4 · Gucci

ILoveChoo wrote:

I used to end up buying things all the time because in the dressing room they made me look so cool and 'different", but I never wore them becasue I didn't want to look different- i wanted to look like me.

I feel the same way.

Although there's nothing wrong with your style evolving over time, it's more of a natural process than a "I will only buy things that fit ____ style." Buy things that catch your eye and you could see yourself wearing. There are TONS of things that I like the look of, but would not fit with my style (whatever that is), just like ILC said.

Another important thing is to buy what works with your body type. I'm sorry, but skinny jeans or leggings do not work on everyone.

This sounds like a hijack, but it's not my intention:
In high school and community college I was goth. I never imagined I would ever dress any "normal" way, it seemed so foreign to me. When I transfered to a 4-year university I figured I should probably change my outward appearance, since I had received plenty of prejudice based on it and I wanted to make friends. It was easier to change my whole style than to convince people that goths aren't all drug-using satan worshippers.

I had no idea how to dress. Jeans, plain colored tees, and running shoes were about as good as I got. I shake my head looking back on it now. Over time I slowly developed my own style. I never said "I want to look girly yet professional" or whatever. My style just happened.

Kitty · Hermes

zeitgeist4 wrote:

ILoveChoo wrote:
I used to end up buying things all the time because in the dressing room they made me look so cool and 'different", but I never wore them becasue I didn't want to look different- i wanted to look like me.

I feel the same way.

Although there's nothing wrong with your style evolving over time, it's more of a natural process than a "I will only buy things that fit ____ style." Buy things that catch your eye and you could see yourself wearing. There are TONS of things that I like the look of, but would not fit with my style (whatever that is), just like ILC said.

Another important thing is to buy what works with your body type. I'm sorry, but skinny jeans or leggings do not work on everyone.

This sounds like a hijack, but it's not my intention:
In high school and community college I was goth. I never imagined I would ever dress any "normal" way, it seemed so foreign to me. When I transfered to a 4-year university I figured I should probably change my outward appearance, since I had received plenty of prejudice based on it and I wanted to make friends. It was easier to change my whole style than to convince people that goths aren't all drug-using satan worshippers.

I had no idea how to dress. Jeans, plain colored tees, and running shoes were about as good as I got. I shake my head looking back on it now. Over time I slowly developed my own style. I never said "I want to look girly yet professional" or whatever. My style just happened.

Wow, I so cannot imagine you as a goth.

Lilykind · Hermes

I think one of the best things you can do is try as many things on as you can and see if something makes you feel pretty/sexy/whatever emotion you want to feel when you wear said item. It's kind of hard to explain, but when I walk into a fitting room, I usually have a ton of clothes on my arm and I just try things on to see if they feel like something I either can see myself in or if I'm so inspired by the piece that I can challenge myself to make it work.

My own style is still developing as my lifestyle, my body shape and my tastes constantly change. Right now I work at an accounting firm and I mix business casual (for when I'm in the corporate office) and casual (for when I'm working on the field) so I try and purchase pieces that I can wear both ways. I will say that part of my style is strongly influenced by objects that I loved at some point in my life and contain a strong sense of nostalgia.

My thing with magazine quizzes is that I feel they tend to have a very top-down approach and also tend to be a bit conformist. They'll try and pigeonhole you into being "classic" or "preppy" or "trendy" and then they push you towards one thing. I guess that's not necessarily a bad thing (like I know some of the girls are really preppy but they carry it off soooo well and with so much panache), but it can be limiting.

atlgirl · Gucci

Try on everything. See what really makes you feel hot, sexy, sensual, cute, pretty, (insert your favorite adjective here). Buy that. Coordinate with accessories, shoes, bags. Over time you'll be able to zero in immediately on what is your "style". Remove old items and add new ones as your style evolves and changes. Don't be afraid to be bold - whether bold means color, accessories and shoes, or clothing choices.

Drew's style (just to name an example) is fun but too girly for myself, so I just love to look at her pics. Lilykind's is awesome but too young (I have a few years on her) and too funky for me, so again - I enjoy seeing her rock it, but don't wear it myself. I'm not one for a lot of layers because I'm curvy and too many layers cause me to just look bulky. I like clean lines, clear colors, jewel tones and brights, and I often make my clothes the backdrop for bold shoes and jewelry. Some might consider my clothes plain - I don't like a lot of embellishment because it competes with the jewelry - but it suits me.

My own style has changed over the years - I've gone from working retail to corporate, to uptight corporate, to running my own business. So my wardrobe (in both preference and what I am allowed to wear) has changed often over the years. And it changes as I get older, too. I wouldn't wear some of the things I did in my twenties, but that's okay. I'm happy with who I am now and my style is geared to reflect that.

Don't be afraid to experiment. When you find what you really love, it'll hit you like a freight train and you will light up the world when you wear it. Good luck shopping and playing!

blubirde · Chanel

I think the most important thing is to know what looks good on you. Personally, I tend to gravitate towards lilykind and smash's style - at least in terms of admiring. I'm not at all as funky and cool as lilykind or as creative with colors as smash but I use them for inspiration. Because of smash, I've started doing a lot of mixing red and pinks and oranges. Because of lilykind, I give second glances to items in stores that I normally would have not known what to do with.

But I know what looks good on me and what doesn't. I won't be wearing empire waists, for instance, because I look hideous in slim pants and long shorts. I also know that cropped jackets are not very flattering on my body type.

I agree with the other girls that the main thing is to dress to what you feel comfortable with. Beautiful doesn't necessarily mean beautiful on me, ya know?

NCshopper · Hermes

Wow! Everyone has great advice so far!

I definitely agree on buying what looks best on you. For me, if I feel restricted in movement or have to tug on anything to get it to fall right, then it's not for me.

My addition to the advice given so far is to stay away from buying outfits. Buy pieces that you like and then you can mix and match your favorite pieces to create looks that reflect what you're feeling on any particular day. Sometimes I feel like my "style" is kind of all over the place, but generally speaking I can put an outfit together that suits my mood on any particular day because I have a variety of pieces that work for me.

Developing your style takes awhile and it's an ever changing process. Don't think that you have to pick one and go with that forever.