For nearly eleven years ago I've used the tagline 'A Search for Style' to describe this blog's main aim. Yet I've not yet shared my experiences of the process of finding a personal style. In this post I give some suggestions to help you find your own successful style.
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| Tweed suit Cordings of Piccadilly |
Here are a few thoughts:
- You will never complete the journey to style to your total satisfaction. Your tastes keep developing and external factors change. The clothes you see people wearing, the styles illustrated in the press and online will all affect your style decisions, but the final choices are yours alone and are independent of fashion. Fashion influences but never dictates true style; see 5 below.
- Feeling comfortable with what you wear is fundamental to personal style. If you feel self-conscious you won't look at home in your clothes - the often used phrase is, 'Wear your clothes, don't let them wear you'.
- Following on from the last point, I've found that confidence comes with experience and with trying different styles, shapes, patterns, colours.
- Personal style must reflect your personality. It may be a mix of influences but it's never a copy of one person's ideas or of fashion trends. Your very individual characteristics and choices are what colour your style.
- Look around you to help you establish what it is you like and don't like. Study Instagram, Pinterest, blogs and what men are wearing on the streets. This is the best way of deciding what to try and this takes us to the next step....
- Try out what you like before adopting it. You may like a look on others but find that it doesn't suit you. It's this process of being inspired to try something and then testing it out on yourself that is central to the process of deciding what suits you best. You're getting to know yourself, your tastes, your personal style.
- Rely on your own developing taste, but do take into account the views of people you respect if unsure. Try out different looks and if uncertain ask a close friend, lover, partner for their view (avoid asking the younger generation as the answer will probably be unpalatable!)
- Whatever you do, approach the process with an adventurous and enquiring spirit. Push the limits of your comfort zone. Real style always has an edginess. It's more than just being well-dressed, it's about finding looks which go beyond the safe, showing something of your own personality. Real style has the sort of impact that prompts people to compliment you on how you look - and that is sort of a nice boost to the confidence.
- Personal style is about more than just what you wear. Keeping fit, walking tall with attitude and confidence and being generally well-groomed will all add to the overall impression of sartorial excellence.
- I found the help of a professional personal stylist very useful in getting started on my style journey. I've known Sarah Gilfillan of Sartoria Lab for years and her support and advice has been invaluable.
As ever, I welcome your thoughts and comments and you can email me on greyfoxblog AT gmail DOT com or message me through @GreyFoxStyle on Instagram.
See also on the blog What is Style? in which Sarah Gilfillan and I attempt to define 'style'.
