Insist on your self , never imitate – Ralph waldo Emerson
Finding your personal Style is actually about discovering yourself.
There is lot of room for experimenting all the way and then arriving at a strong sense of style that suits you and makes you feel great every day and every where but ,to arrive at this , first you have to confidently know yourself , who you are and what is important to you , instead of blindly following a bunch of rules dictated by a website , friends or a magazine .Personal style is a constant creative process – one that evolves as you do .There are no rules to it except the ones that you make yourself – and even those are made to be broken.
When I am out and about , I constantly see people trying to look their absolute best , and many of them do look good but I always end up admiring those who ‘Look Different ‘ ,because they are not wearing something that screams ‘ Look at me ‘ but they stand out by doing something different and breaking a rule ( wearing flat shoes with an evening dress OR adding a real flower accessory in their hair OR just what my friend Radhika does – adding her signature touch by wearing a red matt lipstick and looks ravishing every time )
So then what is Personal Style and how to find it ?? Trust me you will know it once you see it but let me Explain :
PERSONAL STYLE IS A LOOK THAT IS ALL YOUR OWN
It allows your own combination of taste , desires , interests ,Life Style and History to shine through. Many people just like to copy paste what they see in magazines , on TV , in films and as a result every one looks the same and Oh! So Boring !!
Embrace Your Self & Your History
Even if you feel that you have had a pretty plain boring life or a life which uptil now was downright unstylish , You still have a story – where you grew up ,who your parents and friends are , how you became interested in clothes and style , what’s your budget ,what are your aspirations , who are your idols , who are you trying to please and most important how your style has evolved over the years. And it is impossible to emphasize the importance of Self acceptance in this whole equation
Self Confidence is Good for Both, You & Your Style
Finding your personal style means feeling exhilarated every day as you walk out of your front door , knowing that you look great before anyone tells you so , and not caring if they don’t .
Keeping an open mind will give you the chance to learn more from your surroundings and embrace what you already love about yourself . Find the looks and moods that spark your imagination and encourage your inner personality to shine through .
Here I remember two very dear friends ,Firstly ,Bawa a brilliant and famous public speaker of great following amongst youth and more than that a brilliant human being , how he walk so confidently on stage wearing a T.shirt with (hold your breath ) white stringed night pajamas and looks a zillion dollars because it is his inner being and brilliance with ATTITUDE that shines through him inside out , and secondly Shreya chugh – haven’t ever seen her following the herd , stands out , in her own inimitable style with her quirky yet Oh so Kool !! selection of clothes and not to be missed salt and pepper hairstyle, where ever and which ever part of the world she is in .
And above all My Favorite Style Icon is Mrs Bhanumathi Narsimhan ( Bhanu didi as she is fondly called by millions ) How stunningly beautiful she looks sans make up every time she steps out , she is some one who can wear a kanjivaram or Temple silk Sarees in the most brilliant shades of Fuschia, reds ,oranges and yellows in the middle of a sunny morning ( everyone else would pick up a pastel shade that morning ) and go for a pooja looking like a queen with every one gushing over her simplicity rather than the vibrant colours she is wearing and that’s what I call Personal Style , effortlessly the persona stands out and NOT the clothes.
Celebrate Your Creativity & Express Your Different Moods
If you have Personal Style you can change your look day to day and always look like your self. The famous model Kate Moss has this ability to be, ladylike in a classic evening dress meeting the Queen and grungy bohemian in a poncho the next day for a Music festival and feminine again wearing jeans , carrying a Birkin Bag with ballerina flats while going shopping . She can only pull this off because she knows who she is and what suits her.
5 Ways to Refine Your Style ,if you are not born with an eye for it :
- Make Your Look Book : Read lots of magazines and books tear out or make copy of things that resonate with you , keep them in a folder . The looks, the color pallette , the textures all that you like .
- Write Your Style History : Which style you have fond memories of, those which got you truly critical acclaim and made you happy and those which made you want to run a mile away from your self
- Experiment with Different Looks : When shopping try a lot of different looks , even things that don’t suit you will educate you what works and what does not
- Find Your Style Icons & Inspirations : Museum ,shops ,cultural trends, travel and personal experience all inspire fashion designers as they develop their personal collection ,why shouldn’t they inspire you ?
- Make an Effort : Style wil not appear in your life on its own , you will have to give priority to your ‘ME ‘ time as well in your life and truly go out of your way at times and make an effort at least 5 to 6 times in a year to give your best when you dress up just like as if you are dressing up for a family function where you have to take center stage and that does not mean to look like a Christmas tree every time you do that.
While finding out your Style do also consider your age , your body type , your social and cultural rules , your signature and above all your budget. For me Personal Style is being creative and having fun not with just my Outfit and accessories but with my ATTITUDE as well !!!