What's Personal Style Anyway?
Personal style advice (kind of) and a January OOTD Wrap-Up
Hi, hello, welcome to the first every There She Wears Again monthly newsletter! In this one I’m chitchatting about personal style and some key things I discovered about my own.
There She Wears Again is a personal style journey where I challenge myself to get dressed every single day. Each outfit will be recorded on Instagram, and every month I’ll be sharing my thoughts as well as general musings on fashion, style, and beauty in general. See the “rules” here. Any affiliate links will have an *.
5 Things I Loved This Month
The Wedding People by Alison Espach - Such an incredible book. I can’t recommend it enough. The writing is easy and beautiful. Espach breaks your heart in the beginning only to repair it in a way that feels funny and real by the end.
A Crisp Walk Outside - Just a reminder for those of us who like to hibernate once the temps drop below 50F. As much as I hate the cold, living in a city has reminded me how nice it is to just walk for 20+ minutes outside. Something about that cold air hitting me square in the face…
5 Calls - As an American, I find everything happening to be extremely overwhelming and outright depressing. The absolute BEST way I’ve found to focus the fight is to call my senators and reps every single day. I go into it more on this post but I also want to shout out 5Calls. It is truly the easiest way to guide you through who to call and how to pick what 1-2 things you want to call about that day.
Harriet’s Bookshop - If you live in or plan on visiting Philly, you’ve got to take time to go to Fishtown and visit the lovely Harriet’s Bookshop! Named after Harriet Tubman with a focus on Black literature and authors, it’s so pretty inside. Get lunch at Gilda’s nearby and also check our records at Milkcrate Cafe to make it a nice, little morning.
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5* - Since I moan about winter a lot, I just want to shout out this specific product for keeping my cheeks from drying out. I’ve used this product since… maybe 2020? Maybe earlier. Do your regular skincare in the morning and then just dot this anywhere that gets particularly dry. It kind of locks things in and works better than anything else I’ve tried. Give it a sec before doing your make-up.
The January Wrap-Up
Now for my There She Wears Again challenge — how did I do in January?
Well, I did it! I got dressed and recorded every single day on the Instagram. I’m not going to lie, there were some days I did not want to get out of bed let alone put clothes on. However, those days were what inspired this whole getting dressed challenge, so I’m kind of proud of myself for actually doing it.
Challenges
I would say the main challenges were the fact that some days the temperatures dipped into the teens and I wasn’t able to properly wash my clothes until… a week ago.
I still have two more loads to bring to the laundromat and I love a good bucket hand wash, but, yeah, that forced me to get creative some days.
Did I Buy Anything?
Clothing and accessories wise, I like to think I did pretty good! While I bought some things for my apartment (mainly kitchenware and decor for my Lunar New Year Party), the only clothing/accessories I bought was this DOEN x Gap dress* and then a Gap purse* which is a dupe so close to the Polene Dix bag, I’m shocked they haven’t been sued. Normally, I wouldn’t have bought the bag but I’ve been wanting that Polene Dix bag for… at least three years now, and I’m frankly offended that it’s over $600. I tried buying it secondhand twice for $300, and each time the seller never shipped, so I gave-up. Technically I broke my rule but I’ll allow it this time haha.
Also I was eyeing the DOEN dress back when the collection first dropped but held off buying because of the way Gap does sales. When I got an ad that it was an additional 50% off and in stock… instantly sold.
January Lessons
I have a few:
Sometimes it’s just too cold to think too much about what you’re wearing, and that’s okay! Heattech* and cashmere go a long way but honestly, sometimes I just wanted to be in the coziest pieces with my giant parka like on Day 21.
If your wardrobe is just feeling dull, add something with color or texture. A hair scarf, a regular scarf, a different shirt, embroidered anything… I am not a neutral person, so if I ever find myself in too much beige, gray, and black, I try to add something colorful.
Details can make all the difference. Part of “getting dressed” means doing my hair, sometimes doing my make-up, and adding things like earrings or other accessories. Honestly, I swear just putting in my gold hoops makes me feel better!
I really hate pants. That’s not a lesson but I just want to say this for the record. I hate pants! I love my Leze the Label pants because they’re basically sweatpants but the only reason I wore jeans so much this month was because it was just that cold out. If you have thermal tights you recommend, let me know. I’m a skirt and dress girl til the end of time. I MISS my dresses!
And now for the essay/tip portion of the newsletter!
What’s Personal Style Anyway?
When it comes to anything related to getting dressed, a good place to start is the very basic question, “What’s personal style? Does it even matter? If so, what’s my personal style?”
I feel like most fashion and style websites, magazines, and social media accounts are always trying to answer these questions whether they intend to or not. So, here’s my attempt at adding to that discourse.
What’s Personal Style?
There are a million and one ways that the world has tried to explain personal style and help you find yours. KIBBE, the three-adjectives, comparing body shapes to inanimate objects… the list goes on and on and on.
In the most basic terms, I find that personal style is wearing what you like while simultaneously telling the world who you are without saying a word. It encompasses what you wear, how you do your hair, how you do your make-up, and how you carry yourself.
A lot can influence personal style from environment to weight to budget but at the end of the day figuring it out will just make you happier and more comfortable in your own skin.
Does It Even Matter?
In the grand scheme of life… actually, yes.
Think of it this way - you have to get dressed every day. Whether it’s staying in the same ratty sweatpants for a week straight or getting dressed up in a silk gown for some event, we do not live in a society where going around naked is an option.
If you can figure out your personal style, it just makes getting dressed easier and faster every day. Someone who knows what clothes and hairstyles make them happy will have more time to focus on other things in life.
What’s My Personal Style?
I’m not an expert, but you know what, here’s something you can do to practice. Ask yourself these questions:
What are five items in my closet that I can wear in public and feel good about myself?
Of all the trends that came and went the last few years, which ones appealed to me the most?
When I think of days I felt my prettiest, what was I wearing? How did I do my hair? How did I do my make-up?
What colors do I love wearing? (Get really specific, not just color - what shades? If you like red, do you like cherry red, maroon, both?)
Then go on Pinterest or Instagram and start saving everything that looks pretty to you. After you’ve saved enough (maybe 50+ images or videos), go through them and see if you can find what they have in common compared to what’s in your wardrobe.
Once you do that, look at your closet and start putting together some outfits that might match what you liked about all those looks. Then try out some hairstyles and take a look at the make-up.
Honestly, if you’re really struggling, straight up just try copying one of the looks you’ve saved. I find trying to copy something is a really great way to learn your own strengths and weakness!
My Personal Style
I don’t think I’ve 100% defined my personal style but I also kind of don’t think anyone will ever 100% define their personal style!
It’s an art form, and as any artist will tell you, art is fluid. Life changes, jobs change, environment changes, bodies change, budgets change… I’m a different person in 90F weather with 100% humidity than I am when it’s 15F out!
That said, here are some keywords I’d probably use to describe my style:
Classic
Someone actually told me I had a very classic wardrobe. As in, a lot of what I like wearing doesn’t easily feel dated or trendy. I’d agree. If I’m spending $100+ on pants, you bet your bottom dollar I’m wearing them until my thighs rub the fabric through!
I’d argue that every outfit I wore studying abroad at 20 are outfits I’d still wear now if they fit. My oldest purses are maybe 12+ years, and a lot of what I reach for daily are cuts that I just don’t see looking old any time soon.
Soft Romantic
One thing I’ve really wanted to lean into more are softer romantic styles. A bit of frill, lighter colors, lace, embroidered pieces, ruffles, a well place ribbon or bow… If you need brand references, I love DOEN* and Damson Madder. Depending on what you buy, they feel quite classic!
Maybe I’ll do a longer post on this some day down the line. In the mean time, check out Laufey and her twin sister, Junia. I’d say I lean towards their styles but slightly more practical and casual.
Pop of Color
Like I mentioned above, I find all neutrals very dreary! And I really, really do not like darker grays on me. Whenever I’m not sure about a look, I add a pop of color. Usually it’s a pop of bright red!
You can do this with your make-up, your purse, your shoes, or even just adding in a colorful scarf or hair ribbon. This way even if I’m in all black, I don’t quite feel gloomy.
Comfortable
Above all else - I need to be comfortable. I think everyone says that and we all just have different tolerance levels haha. But I have to stay in these looks all day usually and as a traveler, I’m often prepared to not only wear an outfit but walk 15k+ steps in it too. I can’t spend time in something too tight on my waist or my feet!
For me, being comfortable means reaching for natural fabrics that feel soft on my skin and will be breathable down the line. If you notice, I wear my Veja sneakers almost every day because I walk a lot and I know I can do a mile both ways in them in this cold.
Do you have some keywords for your personal style? Let me know!