A couple of weeks ago I was sitting down having a conversation with my friend Valerie and we talked about how looking for outfits can be so stressful and how, amidst all the new eras and different style trends, it’s hard to keep up and maintain authenticity to style. As we went into a mini crisis/tangent of what style even was and how it grows with us, she goes and says:
“Aria, you should do an article about the ‘how-tos’ of bringing style vision boards to life for the people that like, have a vision but don’t know where to even start.”
Here’s the thing,finding my own sense of style has somehow been a challenge for me these past few months, specifically in between growing out of old trends and figuring out what colors and sizes suited me best. I always stocked up on Pinterest future outfits I wanted to portray and embody, but my key flaw was that I saw it as a one way puzzle instead of having simple pieces that can stack into multiple forms.
So I put my thinking cap on as to how I could approach this article and try to the best of my abilities to create a 101 on the basics of leveling up your style. Although I do appreciate my style journey and think I’ve slowly perfected it, some re-con by someone with more experience and expertise on the matter is always appreciated. Naturally, I wrote to my beloved friend, a professional stylist, and a fellow alumni of the Her Campus community: Mr. Jose Gabriel González Drescher, to see if we could have a sit-down, tell-all in order to spill some tips and tricks that would help help aid in the process of finding a personal style for the instances when it can get too tedious.
First things first, we had to set down the premise of what style was and so I simply asked:
What is “style” to you?
“For me style is identity, it’s one of the many ways we show to the world our individuality and what we’re about, we even show a statement of what we believe in or what we want to portray.” He said as I stared in awe at how quickly he jumped into it, eyes filled with such a passion for fashion. In hindsight, I truly believe this is the best approach on how to perceive yourself, and style in general, for the journey of fashion motivated self-discovery to prevail.
A disclaimer I believe we both share is that you shouldn’t be scared to explore and fail! It’s a huge part of the process of “elevating a look” or styling when something feels slightly off or not up to your standards and you’re not comfortable in your looks. That moment, that failure, can be so small, yet it so greatly affects the way we feel and make others feel.
“I think that, in regards to identity, the best way to start to channel your style is to envision and channel who you wanna be or how you want to portray yourself, and that will automatically give you insight on what your style could potentially be.” This can easily be, like I mentioned before, a simple Pinterest board to give some shape to your vision and lay down the foundation of your aesthetic. I absolutely agreed on that because you shouldn’t be scared to mix and match and play around with trends, there’s no need to chain yourself to one specific style, and having more variety can help you perfect your style.
Dabbling in different shapes, sizes, colors, and fabrics will always help you expand the horizons you’re seeking.
(Sourced from Pinterest)
It can be tedious and scary putting into practice the building step of creating an outfit, so I recommend that you have some essential basics in your closet.
“First, and probably most important one, will be a white button down long sleeve shirt. It’s a staple in almost every type of trend that can be mentioned, it’s very versatile for whenever you feel like exploring or switching up aesthetics. You can pair them up with a pair of trousers and feed into the more dark academia side, or you can take it and pair it with some oversized jeans and give some street-style, Jacob Elordi core. It’s always a plus if it’s oversize.”
Which is very true! The fit of the clothes will always change the essence of whatever it is you’re going for when it comes to clothing.
And, just as I mentioned this, José moves to the second essential piece, which is a good pair of fitting jeans. “By fitting, I mean that it should feel comfortable around your waist, the length, and width. A good ‘ol pair of plain jane jeans, because once again it’s VERY versatile with the possibilities of how or with what you’ll wear them with.” Listen…I have struggled with finding the right pair of jeans the entirety of my teen years, and the best type of jeans are the ones that make you happy and comfortable wearing them; when that’s the case you can build an outfit around them easily.
“Last, but not least, a very interesting, but essential piece of clothing, which I believe is something that will level up your closet when beginning a style journey, is a blazer or some sort of vest; they could be oversized or fitted. Dressed up, they can give the air of being put-together if that’s what you’re going for, or if it’s dressed down it can be more ‘swaggish’ and fit into a more casual, modern street style.”
“An honorable mention is a good pair of sneakers!” Any sneaker, be that statement like the Aimé Leon 550 New Balances, maybe even a chunky dad sneaker, or just some basics like some white Air Forces will always spruce up the vibe of the ‘fit!
Accessories!
“Accessories can honestly make or break an outfit.”
Definitely! From bows to socks to earrings or belts, the misuse of these accessories can really make an outfit go from classy to trashy very quickly; in the same way, their proper use can totally elevate an outfit, it’s all about trial and error.
“A watch is essential, preferably a silver and gold tone watch so it can be easier to style; it won’t constrict you into wearing just one tone of jewelry.” Dual tone lovers rise! I personally love mixing and matching gold and silver jewelry, but it’s also totally valid if you only want to stick to one side of the coin.
With all sincerity, as our chit chat went on, I was very intrigued on how the topic of layering pieces might go. The reason being that layering has been built up to be this make-or-break to having good style or fashion sense that I, like many others I can assume, are intimidated by and there was no disappointment with the info to come.
“A very good place to start is always figuring out the weather, specifically if you live in the consistent 86-90 degree Caribbean weather like us, you won’t wanna layer a leather jacket…” Although a leather jacket is always cool it will not make you feel like it while the sun is cooking us alive, babe.
“Layering could mean wearing a basic t-shirt with a button down shirt over it.” That white button down tip comes in handy here, instantly demonstrating how it can be used solo or as an upgrade to the vibe of the outfit you might want to wear!
“Layering doesn’t necessarily mean putting something over another thing, it can also mean something under it! Just ensure that the layering makes you feel comfortable in your body and is practical with your lifestyle. Regarding clothing matters, it could mean something like wearing jeans under a mini skirt or even tights, and it just circles back to the discussion that layering doesn’t only mean piling a bunch of things on top of eachother.” This tip can dive into a more 2000’s vibe, coquette, or even academia aesthetic depending on some color choices! The possibilities are endless!
“Both fashion and your style should always have a sense of practicality to them, so if the weather doesn’t align with the concept of layering, you can still do it, and you’ll look amazing! But you probably won’t be as comfortable.”
Sometimes the look can be worth the sacrifice, we totally get that, but it all depends on how it can maximize your style without taking away from your capabilities of doing your everyday tasks fashionably and comfortably; always remember that!
And we didn’t forget about the maximalist minds that might want to go the extra mile, but don’t know where to tumble the first domino.
So for the maximalist minds, “being maximalist doesn’t necessarily mean that you just put on a bunch of stuff and are the ‘maxiest’ at the party, but to not be afraid of pattern mixing and color blocking.” Chunky was a big word we used as we brainstormed some terms to help out the process, and there definitely are some chunky shoes that compliment an outfit or chunky rings and bracelets to really elevate a look, even some chunky glasses! You can’t go wrong with experimenting and not being afraid to miss a couple of shots along the road.
As we culminate our wonderful chitchat about the endless possibilities for exploring one’s sense of style, the most important thing is to have fun during the process!
Be bold! Make mistakes! Give yourself the opportunity to expand your vision and taste. Take curiosity out for a walk and choose to elevate what’s already there, looking fabulously back at you in the mirror.
