As A Fashion Editor, Here Are My Secrects To Find Your Own Style

Recently, I found myself excited about my first-ever designer bag. I bear in mind it perfectly: a small, beige Coach baguette decorated with the model’s logo, gifted to me at 13 or 14 by my parents. I wore that factor all over the place regardless of having no use for it, however looking again, what made me love that purse wasn’t the fact that it was cute or that it went with every outfit. It was simply the bag everyone else in my grade had, and I felt I wanted it to slot in.

As a fashion editor, I typically write about tips on how to discover your personal private type, but the fact is, it took me many years to do the identical. Growing up, I was very concerned about blending in with my environment so, for a piece of time, my outfits might best be described as “Staten Island Italian — Teen Edition.” Then, I was all about matchy-matchy, quirky graphic tees, and testing out celeb-approved tendencies — my go-to retailer during the mid-aughts was dELiA*s because it sold things like additional wide-leg pants and up-to-your-ribcage shorts. In college, I was heavily influenced by whomever I was relationship, so my aesthetics ranged from Jersey Shore to early Zooey Deschanel.
Even after I began working within the trend industry, I struggled to find a sense of fashion that truly represented me and not what I thought I was supposed to be. I splurged on clothes that I may barely afford and could not give up trying to re-create no matter “It” trend I had noticed on the runway.

I’m not too sure after I made the swap, but part of finding my own personal type was by chance. For a while, I suffered from folliculitis, and I’d typically wake up to hundreds of tiny pimples throughout my neck, chest, and again. Panicked, I would seize a bandana or scarf so as to hide my breakout, and it quickly grew to become a styling trick I could not quit. Adding that accent to my outfits gave it some flair and also felt like a move that was unique to me. Friends and family began to affiliate me with bandanas; individuals would level them out whenever they saw another person carrying one or give them to me as gifts. The line between carrying this piece out of necessity and carrying it intentionally grew to become blurred, and I favored that I had my own signature look, quite than hopping on no matter was “in.”
From there, I added extra “Samantha” objects to my wardrobe — things that worked with every outfit I owned and made me really feel good. For a while I wore metallic boots with every little thing, and later traded them in for a go-to white pair. I went by way of a period of extra-large statement earrings, which led to more whimsical fashion, similar to bright colours, puff sleeves, and polka-dots. Part of finding my own personal style has additionally been influenced by value tags. Looking for affordable everyday clothes led me to shopping $13 Gildan sweatshirts and checkered Vans, a shoe that’s both classic and solely $40.

The cumulative impact of all of that is I’ve landed on a private fashion — a uniform made up of solely the pieces that I seriously love, no matter what everybody else was sporting. But I won’t say that it’s not an ongoing process. Finding your own style means evolving with it over time, and my tastes are constantly changing. Whenever I’m feeling somewhat lost, or my closet begins looking chaotic, I turn to a few tricks to get me again on observe.

Whether you are at step certainly one of growing your personal sense of favor or simply in want of a refresh, listed here are the foundations I rely on to make sure my wardrobe is working for me.
Reconsider Trends
I cover trends each single day as a part of my job, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to shop them all. But, after I discovered myself trying to find carrot-leg jeans last yr, I needed to cease and ask myself some critical questions. Was this lust, inspired by hours of taking a look at and talking about this questionable form, or was it precise love? I determined that they did not convey me the identical joy as my go-to mom jeans, so I skipped that one (and saved some money). It should be a no brainer, however it’s essential to consider what you personally like, versus what your favourite celebrities or influencers are sporting. You can always appreciate a development from afar without forcing it into your individual wardrobe or look.
Forget the “Rules”
I assume plenty of finding my personal style has been reassessing what I thought I might and couldn’t put on. For occasion, my complete life, I never felt like a “Dr. Martens particular person” as a end result of I related these shoes with more of a rock star aesthetic. But, this previous year, my white platform Chelsea boots ended up being the pair I wore with every little thing. You don’t need to be X, Y, Z or fit into a certain field in order to incorporate one thing into your wardrobe (age included!), and it does not should be a certain season or occasion to wear the items you like. If you retain looking at that one piece with a robust yearning that you just just wish you ‘could’ pull it off, I’d encourage you to try it. That will be the key to unlocking a style profile that felt off-limits, however really isn’t.
Consider the Core of Your Wardrobe
Something else that really helped me develop a personal type was discovering items I knew I might depend on daily, which weren’t necessarily on-trend however introduced me pleasure. It’s how I would describe my previous relationship with bandanas, however then it turned puff sleeves, ruffles, and polka-dots — people I labored with even jokingly (and lovingly) referred to as my sense of fashion “Fashion Clown,” because I tended to gravitate towards pieces that featured these details and wore them all the time. Even when I fashion movie star photograph shoots, I can’t escape adding a white boot or sneaker — that’s my private alternative, because I assume a neutral shoe appears nice with every thing.

Think about the versatile items you your self can’t quit, then fashion your outfits around them. If you are already gravitating towards Birkenstocks, don’t simply save them for casual days. Pair them with attire and denims, or experiment by including some socks to your look. If you love carrying button-downs, use them as sweaters, layer them beneath overalls, or wear them as cover-ups.

Soon, these staples will become your signature pieces, aka something people immediately associate with you in a positive way.

Play Dress-Up With Your Own Clothes

Is there something you own and love, but you never put on because you don’t have the ‘straight off a model’ perfect outfit to put it in? Maybe there’s an entire different way to put on that piece you haven’t considered but, and it could possibly work with what you already personal. Former stylist and TV persona Stacy London lately informed InStyle she turned reacquainted along with her wardrobe this manner. “I spent plenty of time in my closet through the pandemic, because what else was there to do? And I took it upon myself to play, to take out garments that I haven’t worn in years — perhaps they don’t match anymore, perhaps it was time to eliminate them. But additionally just play with what I had and experiment, buy groceries in my own closet, and have a glance at my clothes via different eyes in order that I may provide you with something new. I would strive placing things on collectively that have been ridiculous, that completely didn’t belong together. But out of that got here some amazing magic,” she says.
Think Less About Fast Fashion
Another trick that helps me boost my wardrobe is searching classic shops, or shopping secondhand websites like Etsy, The Real Real, or Depop. With so many many years price of clothes at my fingertips, I’m much extra likely to purchase something that I personally love, without being influenced by scorching tendencies of the moment. Maybe I’ll discover a enjoyable floral costume with ruffled sleeves, inspiring me to kind in that search term and store multiple choices, later making that fashion a serious part of my wardrobe (it’s happened before!). Plus, it is a good way to embrace throwback-inspired trends while nonetheless having clothes and equipment that really feel unique and special to you. Of course, you need to make sure these items could be worn together with your staples (the green footwear you possibly can’t cease carrying, your growing collection of chunky earrings, and so forth.), and that they are gadgets you really do love, quite than impulse purchases. But, don’t worry so much about putting a label on your style if some of what you buy feels eclectic or “punk,” while other gadgets are extra primary or “girly.” The thing about private type is that it is simply that — private — so if you’d like your thing to be old band tees styled with voluminous skirts, go ahead and do it.

The point is to determine on correctly. You can purchase two to a few special, standout gadgets that epitomize you somewhat than walking out of a mega store with 14 items, and end up happier and with more outfit concepts — I promise. London explained that creating your personal sense of style is all about asking your self the right questions: “How do you make your style give you the results you want in every facet of your life? How does it bring you joy? How does it have utility in your life and your closet? Do you feel that your closet is a place that is cohesive, or are there huge holes in order that it is onerous so that you can put on 80% of your wardrobe, and also you put on 20% of your wardrobe, 80% of the time? You desire a wardrobe the place you put on every little thing. Where you’re eager on every little thing.”
A few months in the past, with the Y2K resurgence and my old Coach baguette bag on my thoughts, I went on Depop and scooped up the same design for $40. The ‘cool children’ might not be carrying it today, but I do not care. It reminds me of a time once I was actually starting to return into my own, and I like it extra and differently now. Instead of fitting in, it helps me stand out.