Establishing Your Style (on a Budget)
For the fashion newbie
In a world of constantly evolving fashion that seems to rotate through and off the shelves daily, ever-shifting styles and silhouettes, and influencer marketers making efforts to convince you to buy the next coolest pair of big-butt-small-waist bedazzled jeans, it can be hard to establish your own cohesive “look” and very easy to end up with a lot of pieces that look great for a season, fall apart quickly, and don’t look great together. Amazing. Let’s fix it!
First, you’re going to want to take a look at what you’ve already got.
We’re going to Komari your wardrobe. Not the whole thing, mind, but you’re going to have to take some good, hard looks at yourself in some clothes that you haven’t worn in awhile, and really consider if they spark joy (or, if you’ll ever wear them again). Do you remember What Not To Wear? You need to be your own Stacy and Clinton. Jeans from three sizes ago? Toss them. That dress you bought on sale two years ago that still has the tags on? No joy is being sparked. D.A.R.E. tee from third grade? Somehow trendy again, you can keep that.
Staples and jammies get to stay, but things that are sitting around should be divided into piles of “donate/swap” “fix” (if you are a fixer — if not, it’s a super useful skill!), “repurpose” (for rags, textiles, and other uses) and, if you absolutely must, “throw away”. Americans throw out literal tons of textile waste per year, so it’s always best to avoid throwing away things that can be otherwise used.
Now that you’ve minimized a bit (or a lot) you need to figure out your style.
What pieces do you find yourself drawn towards? Do you have specific color palettes or silhouettes that you stick with time after time? Do you have fashion inspiration that’s prompting you to make this shift in the first place? Take inventory of what you already have, and make mental (or actual) notes of what you think you’d need to pair things into outfits. Ideally, we’ll end up with a wardrobe that will be somewhat mix-and-match, and still cohesive.
Because you’ve minimized, try not to get caught in the trap of just replacing what’s been lost. I’m someone who almost never wears jeans, so if I were to get rid of the few pairs I have, it would be silly for me to go out and replace all of them immediately. Instead, look for pieces that you’ve been interested in trying in the past, but perhaps haven’t been bold enough to. Or, things that you really enjoy wearing, but could use a different print or color. Do you love blazers with shoulder pads? Interesting choice, but awesome! Add them to your list.
This doesn’t need to be done all at once, and there’s definitely room for figuring things out. Fashion is trial and error, and a lot of experimentation. Spend some time observing people whose style you admire and would like to replicate, or at least take influence from.
It’s time to go shopping
Fast fashion is likely what got you here and fast fashion is not going to get you out of here. While (sometimes) affordable, fast fashion has a global and ethical cost, and generally poor quality that lends itself to clothes breaking down quickly over a season. The clothes are made to be trendy and short-lived, and you are here to be timeless.
Take yourself to secondhand shops. I am not shy about my love of thrifting. While it definitely takes time to dig through and find “the good stuff” sometimes, it is worth it — for several reasons. Ethics and sustainability, for one. But for another, there’s so much room to experiment. There are styles in thrift and vintage shops that are no longer in circulation that you can bring into your routine. On top of that, at most thrift stores, you can find trendy items (as fast fashion ends up in donation bins relatively quickly) that you would have been unsure about testing out before, but at a price point that makes it worthwhile. I recently bought a pair of questionable pointy-toe faux patent leather boots just to give the look a whirl and I fell in love for the low price of eight dollars. Completely worth it.
Clothes are made better, there are more choices of fabrics and cuts, and there are often more silhouettes to choose from as we’re now working with a range of acceptable body types instead of just one per fashion cycle that all styles must adhere to.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the multitude of choices, there are curated online secondhand shops like Stone Pony and Older Ghosts (no affilation, I just really like the curation that these girls are doing, especially for people who aren’t near well-stocked secondhand shops).
You might have to shed some shame
I’ve never had a lot of shame. The shame gene missed me, or perhaps it left when I started cosplaying. I found it relatively easy to make the shift into wearing some unconventional outfits to work, school, and just out and about. People responded well to them and it helped even further. Changing your style can be uncomfortable. You’re going to look different. The clothes are likely going to hug you differently, and your body is going to make different shapes. Maybe you’re in bolder patterns, or brighter colors. Maybe you’ve decided you’re into capes (please decide that you’re into capes). Sticking with a style will let you blend in a bit, let you feel more comfortable in it, and create that look of timelessness that you’re going for.
Fashion is supposed to be fun, and creative. I spent a long time looking at “it girls” online before I decided to be my own it girl. Don’t wait.
