There is a massive difference between fashion and style.
In my view, fashion is something that can be bought and that everyone follows i.e. a trend. Whereas style is curated and more personal. With that mind, I have lots of clothes in my wardrobe (blogger problems). However when it comes to wearing clothes, I follow a few rules that usually results in me sticking to a capsule collection that I think make me look more 'stylish'...
In my view, fashion is something that can be bought and that everyone follows i.e. a trend. Whereas style is curated and more personal. With that mind, I have lots of clothes in my wardrobe (blogger problems). However when it comes to wearing clothes, I follow a few rules that usually results in me sticking to a capsule collection that I think make me look more 'stylish'...
I should give up anything that doesn’t work with my body
For me fashion is about feeling great in the looks I love,
but unfortunately not all the looks I love aren’t going to complement my body shape.
I feel like this is something I have been trying to deny for the last 22 years of my life (or since the age 5 years old when my mum stopped dressing me).
The amount of times I’ve gone into a shop thinking ‘Oh that looks great on the model…it’ll look god on me too’, tried it on and all my hopes and dreams have come crashing down because it looks awful. Just because I like something doesn’t mean it suits my body type. The first step is identifying your body shape, whether it's by taking measurements or getting someone else to assess you. There’s no one type of body. To highlight a few, there are apple shapes, pear shapes, hourglass figures and the list goes on….
I feel like this is something I have been trying to deny for the last 22 years of my life (or since the age 5 years old when my mum stopped dressing me).
The amount of times I’ve gone into a shop thinking ‘Oh that looks great on the model…it’ll look god on me too’, tried it on and all my hopes and dreams have come crashing down because it looks awful. Just because I like something doesn’t mean it suits my body type. The first step is identifying your body shape, whether it's by taking measurements or getting someone else to assess you. There’s no one type of body. To highlight a few, there are apple shapes, pear shapes, hourglass figures and the list goes on….
Once you’ve delve deeper to get an idea about the dimensions
of your body, it’s all about buying clothes to best suit it.
In my opinion, a massive obstacle to this lies with clothes retailers and the limited body types they cater for. A lot of retailers only make clothes for one or two body shapes and only a small number of stores realise that women are not all made in a specific way.
In my opinion, a massive obstacle to this lies with clothes retailers and the limited body types they cater for. A lot of retailers only make clothes for one or two body shapes and only a small number of stores realise that women are not all made in a specific way.
This is one of the amazing dresses kindly sent to me by
Zaful that is perfect for my body type. I’m taller than the average girl and I’m
now learning short dresses and skirts have a time and a place but more often
than not, the longer the better.
And that’s another point in itself. I don’t know if turning 22 has turned me into a grandma prematurely but modesty is the way forward. I recently went through a massive declutter of my wardrobe getting rid of those items that are too short and too tight. A perfect example of how stylish and modesty work together can be seen on anything Meghan Markle wears.
And that’s another point in itself. I don’t know if turning 22 has turned me into a grandma prematurely but modesty is the way forward. I recently went through a massive declutter of my wardrobe getting rid of those items that are too short and too tight. A perfect example of how stylish and modesty work together can be seen on anything Meghan Markle wears.
So, this dress, is the perfect length, the tie detail at the top is just enough detail to accentuate my smaller waist and most importantly, the dress has pockets – and who doesn’t love a dress with pockets.
Focus on outerwear
If you live in the UK or anywhere else with a dodgy climate, your coats or jackets may be the only item where you can show off your style. That’s why having a standout yet tailored
coat in your wardrobe is a great addition. I had a massive clear out of my coats
over the 'winter to spring' transition period and I am now left with a few
signature pieces – a trench coat, a pink and black check wool coat, a camel
coat, a few leather jackets, a aviator denim jacket and a burgundy wool floor length
coat. Another thing I have picked up is buying less but investing more. Investing in a signature piece such as a good coat, pair of
jeans or white shirt is a great building block to a stylish wardrobe
Forget about what is trending
I have a love/hate relationship with trends. Sometimes I
give in, other times they repulse me.
A popular item that is seen on everyone may be hard to resist - it’s tried and tested. However as I mentioned earlier, style is individualistic, rather than taking wearing an item as it is deemed ‘fashionable’ or ‘popular'. It’s about a sense of self, identity and perception of who we are as individuals. Trends come and go. So, it’s okay not to give into a trend and buy the latest item you see everyone wearing on Instagram.
A popular item that is seen on everyone may be hard to resist - it’s tried and tested. However as I mentioned earlier, style is individualistic, rather than taking wearing an item as it is deemed ‘fashionable’ or ‘popular'. It’s about a sense of self, identity and perception of who we are as individuals. Trends come and go. So, it’s okay not to give into a trend and buy the latest item you see everyone wearing on Instagram.
Stylish or not - regardless of what you want to ditch or keep, what is most important is to be comfortable and confident in yourself in whatever you wear.
Mx
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