Fashion is often so hard to define and give advice for, because what works for one person won’t work for another. Of course, there are certain important standards that should be fulfilled. Wearing fitting clothing (or oversized clothing intentionally) is quite important. Keeping your clothes in good condition is also important.
There are new standards, too. Making sure what you wear is ethically sourced is a great idea. However, aside from this, there are so many unspoken rules and regulations that go into what makes an outfit impressive or not, and sometimes, you can only figure out what works by taking risks and stepping on those rules.
What if you were tired of this? What if you just wanted to think more about what works for you, rather than what other people on Instagram say you should wear? More than that, what if you wanted to take fashion back for yourself? What if you wanted to try something new without having to fear the effort? These questions are worthwhile, and can make quite the difference. Let’s consider what that means in the long run:
Crafting Your Own Style
Crafting your own style is an empowering thing to do. Often, we create this through mixing and matching various garments of different textures, styles, and colours. From there, we can also wear clothes differently on our bodies, depending on how we interpret them.
Taking the time to craft what this means to you, then, is very easy. It’s all about putting your own flair on certain clothes. You can alter any of these important considerations. You can add buttons, zips, cut clothing, dye it different colors, where garments differently, and combine them together in a manner of your own making. This is where the passion and intrigue of fashion comes in. For someone else, wearing deep blue clothing with gold jewelry matches perfectly thanks to their skin tone, for another it might be silver that works best.
The principle we hope to get across here is that if you’re not having creative fun with your fashion, you can still open that door. Try going out there. Try wearing styles that no one else is wearing, or shop vintage, or switch up your style and look when it suits you. Go for what makes you happy. Don’t feel you have to fit a standard. It really does work.
How Trends Work (And How They Can Work For You!)
We see trends moving to and fro all of the time. We see them, and sometimes emulate them, yet rarely talk about them on the surface. When we talk about them, it almost feels like we’re giving the secret away, and no one wants to point out and make obvious what everyone is enjoying in a subtle sense.
But how do trends work? Well, they usually start from nothing, or from another idea that has been generated and molded to work more differently. This gives trends a sense of the current, of presence, of now. Often, these trends are propagated by style icons or more increasingly, influencers. But who are style icons, and who are influencers? Sure, they have reach, but they’re just people.
Why not be your own influencer? A trend can work for and from you at the same time. This can be a great means of feeling untethered to cultural shifts, even if you like them, use them, and are inspired by them. You might find that little additions to your outfit really help you feel confident and comfortable, such as wearing jewelry with different chain addons (padlocks made a splash in 2020, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy something to your own liking as well). This grants you the means to become your own style icon. And what defines a style icon? Someone who believes in their style.
Take Some Time To Think
This is a simple point, and we’ll keep it brief. It’s fun to try new styles, and to become more aware of what’s out there. It’s fun to try your best to listen and learn. It’s good to even wear clothes that you’re not too fond of and might not wear again in the future. It really does help you develop a better sense of your own taste, just as you would if diversifying your tastes in world cuisine.
It’s Okay To Not Be ‘Perfect’
Who on Earth ever thought that dressing perfectly made for interesting fashion at all? You should chastise perfection, and ignore it, and try to move away from it if you can. It’s artificial. It will prevent you from having fun. It will also make you judge people to some kind of invisible standard they can never reach, and when you turn those values on yourself, you too will never reach them.
Keeping that in mind is how you mature in fashion, and in the long run, you’ll no doubt be grateful for the insight you chose to follow.
Shop Well & With Thought
Of course, there are important practicalities to consider when shopping for garments. You don’t have to shop in any one direction. The person who only shops for designer clothes and refuses to wear anything else is often missing out on a great deal of amazing vintage, basic and thrift goods. In the same way, shopping amazing designer clothes, such as Off-White for men, can give your outfit that touch of high-quality class you’re looking for. A mix is often best.
If we’re to define ‘taking fashion back for yourself’ as refusing to follow established norms and feeling that you have to be a certain way, don’t let yourself be the one dictating those exact same rules to yourself. You should surprise yourself from time to time. Why? Because fashion is more than just clothing, it’s more than just status, it’s more than just trying your hardest to get noticed, or about lining corporate pockets. It’s about fun, and a celebration of life. That’s why it’s seasonal. That’s why it’s for you.
And that’s why, with the advice above, we hope you can take fashion back for yourself in the healthiest manner.
