Style is a story waiting to be told
As Coco Chanel once said, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
Fashion is usually seen through the latest trends — be it outrageous leggings, gladiator sandals or the comeback of overalls. Style, on the other hand, is what each of us have the power to create for ourselves.
We base our style over what makes us feel the most comfortable and powerful in, which plays a substantial role in creating and owning one’s confidence.
When defining my own personal style, there is no clear cut answer, besides the one fact that has remained true — my style is always changing and always leading to more creativity and confidence.
Fashion and style are made evident in brands through fashion week, what some would call the spelling bee championship for the fashion world.
Fashion week has been around since World War II, proving to have a lasting effect on our society and the world. Fashion week is a way for designers to present their newest looks — so often repeating fashion trends of the past, where what was once out of style is now fashionable again.
One of the most fascinating things about fashion is how what was once seen as ugly and horrendous can now be the latest trend, proving how fashion is constantly growing and changing.
Style is birthed directly out of fashion — we as a society love to consume and fashion is no exception to the rule.
Lauren Hutton sums it up well stating, “Fashion is what you’re offered four times a year by designers. And style is what you choose.”
In this sense, I can’t help but think that my style has come from so many different forces in my life — it is in everything we see and what we choose to acknowledge is how style forms.
Walking around a city like Milwaukee, there are glimpses of personal style at every corner. The statement camouflage coat tells just as much of a story as the joggers.
That’s the unique thing about style — no matter what you choose to wear, you are always telling a story. As I sit and write this article in the midst of the whirlwind that is finals, I am sporting leggings and a sweatshirt, a direct reflection of my current mood.
It is the story aspect that fascinates me the most about fashion, I want to know more about the little things people choose to wear because they play such a large role in people’s lives.
For example, I am almost always wearing a heart necklace my mom gave to me over nine years ago. It has become like second nature to wear it that when I am not, I feel naked. The necklace tells a story in of itself, and to me is a reminder of the constant presence and support I know my mom has for me, even when she is not right next to me.
To the common eye, however, my necklace would be just that, a necklace that I chose to wear that day. What one might fail to notice is the deeper meaning that surrounds the object.
I think Coco Chanel was onto something, fashion is all around us just waiting for the latest trend to spring up or someone lost in the fashion world to finally recognize, discover and own their style.
