Life is Change and Style is Personal

Weddings carry so many emotions in one day. During a wedding, you experience every part of being human, the celebrations and the challenges of life. I had the privilege to get married on June 1st of this year, and I loved the whole wedding “season”. Nearly every special person from various  stages of my life came together in those few months to commemorate the advent of my new family. It was beautiful and I felt so loved.

As a designer with a love for hosting, I treasured the planning of it all! I was so drawn to all of the details,, and then to be able to see how they came together for everyone in my life to appreciate - it was a stunning and fulfilling experience! 

Weddings emulate my favorite thing about style: Personality.  Weddings give you the ultimate canvas to have an opportunity to express your own personal style - the colors you love, the dress you’ve always dreamed of wearing, the flowers, the venue, the decor, the food - it is all an expression of YOU.

As we change and grow in life, expressing ourselves through our wardrobe can make us feel overwhelmed.   At some point, every one of my friends has said something along these words, “I want to change my style but I don’t know where to start!” I have switched up my wardrobe, room, art mediums, hair, and hobbies many times. Through trial and error, I have discovered how to illustrate the changing of the seasons of my life. 

Here is a simple, overall principle I like to apply:   Buy things that spark joy and they will come together to feel like you. I know that sounds simple, but let me give you some steps for transition along with a few tips along the way. I will be talking specifically about wardrobe, but every step can be applied to other branches of style!

1. Strip down to the bones

   
   

   What are the “basics” that you love? What are the pieces in your closet you are always drawn to? A few in my closet are a white and black striped sweater, white overalls, or my Pawpaw’s Oregon Ducks shirt. Always keep the wardrobe essentials, white shirts, dark and light wash jeans, etc. You should have a few choices from each clothing category: tops, bottoms, layers, and shoes. For me, shoes are where I struggle with overbuying. I have two pairs of shoes that I exclusively wear, but I always think I need more shoes. Acknowledgment of that thought helps when I am shopping cause I have now stopped spontaneously buying shoes since I know I need to be committed to wearing them.

   
   
   
   

2. Words to live by, and be specific

   
   

   When I find myself looking for a change in my style, it usually means something else is altering in my life. My style has transformed due to going off to college, a breakup, learning to “adult,” and studying in Europe. To me, this is a beautiful thing. It’s a way to mark stages in our lives and express our feelings and experiences through our apparel. Social media styles have been sliced and diced into categories. For a while, I believed if I liked something, say in the “indie” category, I had to stick to that category and transform everything about me into that style because I was drawn to a piece of clothing from that branch of fashion. But I have learned that style is your own, it's not some blueprint you follow. Instead of trying to mold into a box of a certain style you like, find a few descriptor words of who you are, in this new stage, to give yourself a guide when shopping. I have uncovered a few specific adjectives that describe my style goals along with what makes me happy: French, Artistic, Nautical, and Elegant. I have a problem shopping where when I shop, if I see something that is trending I might buy it then never wear it because it's not my style but rather social media style. That's called giving in to “ influence”...so I have written down these few words in my phone to help keep me on track as I browse. These five words remind me of what I want to emulate and what sparks joy while shopping.

   
   

   When experimenting with what your core words are, there is something that I really want you to hear. I am not talking about words that describe what you WANT your look to be but rather the words YOU are drawn to at the moment. Style is about who you are in the moment.. Explore the words that convey YOU.

   
   

   For example, I did this exercise with my sister and one adjective she thought of for herself was “girly.” If you knew Izzy, you would not describe her as girly per se. Izzy LOVES bedazzled things, but in a less glittery princess more rockstar kinda way. I wanted to get to the root of what her goal from that word was, and learned that she wanted to feel cute in a way that articles of clothing flattered her. So instead of “girly” which is more pink, flowy, and floral, we replaced it with an adjective that explained her actual goal better: “Feminine” meaning dainty, flattering, lacy.  Similar, yet very different goals. And if you like, you can get specific with your specifics! Write down what drew you to those words, how you would describe them, or your goals. Here are my sister's and my lists - I challenge you to create your own!

   
   

   Izzy:

   
   

   - Western: boots, silver, denim

   
   

   - Artsy: layered, statement, chunky

   
   

   - Feminine: flattering, dainty, lacy

   
   

   Evie:

   
   

   - French: stripes, neutrals, simple staples

   
   

   - Nautical: chunky sweaters, vintage, functional

   
   

   - Elegant: put together, mature, complementary

   
   
   
   

3. Collect and shop mindfully

   
   

   Now that you’ve done some evaluating and reflection, here is the fun part of building up your wardrobe again!And this is not just a day or week or even month-long process, it takes time to be intentional with something so reflective and meaningful. It also takes trial and error so have grace for yourself, and figure out who you are becoming in this season and the next to come! Design is fun, full of discovery, and happiness. Buying a collective of things that spark joy exemplifies you are and what makes you happy, so be true to you and don’t be distracted by what is cool on social media or trends. One thing I have to learn over and over is that it's called a trend for a reason because it won't last. So try and stay away from trends in order to build a timeless closet that will last and show the originality of YOU!