Years ago I decided that fashion rules were for the most part ridiculous. In my mind, wearing things that you love & feel beautiful in is far more important than following some arbitrary “rules”…
STYLE TIPS AS OPPOSED TO RULES
With that being said, during the course of working on my personal stylist certification (in addition to dressing myself for my entire life) I’ve learned a thing or two about dressing for specific body types & shapes, i.e. how the cuts & fabrics, the lines of a piece of clothing, shoe style/heel height & the addition (or not) of accessories can make or break an entire look.
A working knowledge & understanding of the basics of what works for your particular body, personality & lifestyle is necessary in order to help you feel more put together & comfortable in what you’re wearing. But so is knowing what sets your soul on fire. It makes perfect sense to want to look your best, we all do. Just be sure that you don’t lose yourself in the process. Take the time to listen to your inner voice, your gut feeling, when choosing what to wear because even if a piece fits like it was made just for you by magical seamstress fairies that doesn’t mean you’ll feel like your most smokin’ hot gorgeous self when you’re wearing it.
HOW TO DRESS INTUITIVELY
It’s about trusting yourself. Knowing how to dress intuitively is about looking inward as opposed to outward to find your personal style. It’s about not worrying so much about what works for you in a practical “this is the perfect length for my body type” kind of way. Dressing intuitively is thinking more along the lines of “this might not be the best cut or fabric for me, BUT I feel incredible wearing it so damn it, I’m gonna wear it anyway”.
Take what I’m wearing today for example. I’m petite so a skirt that hits just above or just below the knee works best. That length would also be preferable because I have particularly thick muscular calves. Again, because I’m on the smaller side & definitely would never be described as leggy, combat boots cut off the line of my legs. So a skirt that was about 6 inches shorter & shoes or sandals would give me a more traditionally “flattering” look.
However, I’m a big fan of a longer floaty skirt & I LOVE my Doc’s so while not necessarily physically flattering, this look is soul flattering…meaning it feels like me & I feel badass and fabulous wearing it, the line of my legs be damned.
This look is another example of an outfit that is most definitely me, however a few small tweaks made it more physically flattering…the high black boots paired with black tights add length to my legs, while tying the plaid shirt above my hips gives me some waist definition. So this one was a two-fer…I dressed intuitively while still keeping in mind styling tricks that would make the outfit more traditionally flattering.
Trends are fine & scrolling Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration is helpful for sure, but the key is to first know your own style & then look for trends & inspiring images that mesh with your vibe. Figuring out your own personal style is about feeling, not thinking. Pay close attention to how you actually feel when you put a piece on your body. If you don’t feel like the best version of yourself then maybe it’s not for you.
Just to be clear, I’m not saying to go entirely off the rails when you get dressed every morning. As much as you might want to glide through life wearing a macramé bikini with a tulle skirt & a mardi gras mask, reality & practicality do dictate a sense of decorum in certain situations, like ummmm…work. Or a wedding. Or business meetings. You get the idea.
But even on those occasions when you’re required to dress in a particular way, make it a priority to add a little somethin’ somethin’ that lights you up, that makes you feel beautiful, that says to the world, “This is me. Take it or leave it!” Knowing your own style & how to dress intuitively allows you to do that. If you make sure to do that, to add something that intuitively makes sense to you, you’ll feel empowered to get through your day as your authentic happy self. And then when the day is done? Throw on that macramé bikini, tulle skirt & mardi gras mask run a few errands & rock on with your bad self!
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more good reads & style ideas…
Shoes: Dr. Marten’s via Poshmark; Dress: JCPenney (Similar); Shirt: Similar
