A wise man once said
I’m interested in making MFA one of the best resources on the web for beginners – part of that is cultivating a welcoming environment, part of it is attracting (and retaining) a large and diverse group of regular contributors, part of it is developing a deep and broad set of resources, and part of it is encouraging newcomers not only to nail down the basics but also to develop their personal style.” However he followed it up with an incomplete guide on developing personal style. Utilizing great posts of the past and different ideas I seek to assemble a guide which will assist users in finding and developing their personal style and clothing journey.
However I do need to link the original Developing Personal Style because while I feel it doesn’t do enough to discuss the subject it was my primary inspiration for starting my own clothing journey. Please read through the original.
While we can’t all be inspired to find the one style that clicks there are three simple ideas to move towards a more cohesive wardrobe and style. There are many facets to each of these ideas but by following them you will have a much more clear sense of yourself and your clothing.
Plan
The self explanatory category.
- Collect pictures, quotes, fits, lookbooks, links, anything that you feel looks good or works. Do this as often as you can and try to label everything you can by brand or ideas so you understand what exactly you’re looking at. Some good ideas include writing what you like(d) about that picture so you can start to form ideas of things you do and don’t like. Utilize any site you can to help you collect/store the pictures! The purpose of having this allows you to get ideas for your own outfits and a goal of how you’d like to look.
- Planning also includes going to new stores, boutiques, malls and the like. While many of us don’t have access to interesting stores it can be important to plan for extra time when traveling to new cities to see what they have available for purchase. It can be a good experience to have a short road trip to a bigger city to experience new clothing and the other things the city has to offer. You can also try and schedule trips around specific sales, especially for brands that have sample/warehouse sales.
- Research different brands and designers that you may be interested in. Try and learn about why they design certain things or why they use the materials that they use. See if you can find out how transparent they are regarding their labor and/or production methods. Spending a lazy day reading about how different designers can really open your eyes to new ideas, fits and styles.
- Arguably the most important part of planning is regarding your budget. We are all limited by our budgets and this means some of us will have to pay much more close attention to our spending habits. It is important to take it slow and carefully think about your purchases especially as they get more expensive. Remember getting pleasure from purchases and shopping addiction is real and you’re not less likely to fall victim to it more than anyone else. Keep track of your spending and check it against your income. Don’t go into debt trying to look dope.
Do
The fun category
- After you’ve planned out purchases go and buy it or sit at home and wait for it to arrive. That’s about it. Go buy that cool new piece! It doesn’t have to be expensive, it’s just about getting your feet wet and trying new things. When getting into a newer style there isn’t anything wrong with buying cheaper pieces to see if you would wear it at all.
- Try it on and make sure it actually works for you and that it fits how you want it to fit. Try it on with all sorts of different combinations of clothing that doesn’t seem like it’d work together just to see how you feel about it. Look at the item in different lights. Observe the construction of the garment and see the effort that was put into creating it.
- Get your internet validation points by posting it to any of the fashion forums and see how other people feel about it. Listen to what others suggest and how they feel about your new piece/outfit.
- Go on that road trip/walk to a store and try and on all sorts of different things. Experiment and try on things you could never see yourself in to try and appreciate other styles! Feel all sorts of different leathers and materials to see what you can see yourself wanting/wearing.
Reflect
The hard category
- Learn to be honest with yourself regarding your purchases, especially regarding wearability. If you work a 9-5 office job in Kansas do you think buying Rick Owens will really fit into your lifestyle? If you’re a high school student who doesn’t feel comfortable in an OCBD do you think you should own 10 of them? This should also be done with regards to the planning phase however it is important to do after a purchase as well.
- After a significant amount of time has passed spend some time and look at your wardrobe and choose all of the pieces that you wore less than 5 times in the past 3 months. Was it due to season? Was it due to fit? It is important to look at your wardrobe often to reduce the things that just don’t fit into what you actually wear. From there you need to make a conscious choice about whether or not you need to wear it more or sell/donate. Clothes that only take up space are not part of your personal style.
- Like the prior point, after you have spent a good amount of time owning your current wardrobe take a good look at it and find the pieces you wear the most. Think about why you wear them more than anything else and what that means to your future plans. Do you wear wool sweaters more than you ever thought you would? Are cropped pants the things for you? Does Ann Demeulemeester just do everything right? When what you like and want to wear matches up with what you wear your personal style is right where it needs to be. You can use the minor things you learn from this experience to help make careful purchases in the future as you plan to incorporate new pieces into your wardrobe.
- The final sentiment is to accept that you will make mistakes. We all make mistakes in our pursuit for style ranging from overspending to not wearing jorts more. The key is understanding that it’s alright to make mistakes and that you can always try again. Internet fads and hype applies to every style and group not just “impressionable people”. Sometimes a shirt doesn’t fit properly, some people don’t look good with undercuts and that’s all ok. Personal style is a journey not a destination. Source
p.s. Lindless is a faggot
