5 Steps to a Signature Style

a truncated version of my previous signature style studies

in case you like overwritten ramblings

PART I  ----  PART II

If your signature style analysis has uncovered some closet needs, check out La Redoute Women's Clothing.  My personal rebranding efforts could benefit from slim frenchy trousers and a sweet peachy dress.

Click here if you're on a budget and looking for some new styles, at Macy's.

Define Your Signature Style: Part II

to wear, to be.

The long awaited part II release of my style discovery compendium is now complete (for those who missed part i, click to rewind) the rest may browse on below.

step four.  illuminate aspirational luminaries
No one can fill a frock like you can.  Your distinct combination of bone structure, coloring, lifestyle, and charisma defies duplication.  Yet you share fancies with others, and your unique aesthetic may benefit by borrowing a word or two from someone else's visual essay.  Select between three to five individuals that inspire you stylistically and cite specific looks you feel incapsulate your aspiration.  With your collection in a single frame of view, structure your fashion thesis identifying commonalities between individual cases (a process similar to your earlier personal closet analysis).

my style celebrities: michelle williams, emma stone, emma pillsbury, blair eadie of atlantic pacific

I recommend printing, clipping, and pinning a board of your style inspirations within your dressing area.  This canvas can assist you in cross pollinating your existing inventory while simultaneously providing structure for a strategic shopping list.

fashion your own closet pinboard

step five. categorize

Stereotypes can actually help us move beyond generalized understandings.  They provide a template upon which we can elaborate differentiating details.  Rather than having to sketch every line of demarcation, you can pour talent and labor into fleshing out unique features rather than the underlying outline.  Stereotyped categories save time which can then be dedicated to drilling into depths that may never have been imagined in a definition designed from scratch.  So are you romantic, bohemian, traditional, modern, or dramatic?  (Click this previously published summary for a review).  


step six. add your own stamp
It might be the cuff of your trouser legs or the angle at which you tie your scarf.  Whatever your method, consistently sign your look.  Accessories are a dextrous tool with which to pen the necessary strokes.  Whether you always wear the same delicate posts or rotate within your extensive collection of brooches, apply a touch of something distinctly you.

In the meantime, tell me about someone's style which inspires your envy and admiration.

Desire something deeper? Reserve a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of uniquely personal ensembles. Rather than teetering between blasé and flagrant, relax knowing you will have an expert to offer informed opinions, creative outfitting advice, and savvy shopping experience. Sessions initiate with a signature style discovery interview.

Define Your Signature Style - Part I

my closet all-stars

Having scripted and debugged my style twenty-twelve program, moral obligations compel me to release the vogue code for open source consumption. Feel free to copy, paste, and reformat the template for your personal wardrobing needs.

step one.  identify your closet all stars
Following long, a dear friend is no more lost, a reunion looms in the next quarter-hour, which closet talent would you be most likely to summon?  In other frames, imagine yourself European, where wearing the same smart frock days in succession did not an express a lack of options but rather brilliant wardrobing success.  Which items would you queue for repeat?  Identify five to ten items that quite unequivocally robe your external self with your internal essence.

Careful now, avoid flagging the purely nostalgic or aspirational.  Those stone washed coveralls may have been your closet's Michael Jordan, but 1992 has long since set.  Go with items you've worn and relished in the last month.

my trend terminology

step two. trend similarities
Are there categorical common threads running through the grouping?  Carefully analyze colors, silhouettes, patterns, and fabric.  Weave a usable language between the items.  Wardrobes needs a shared culture and diction within which it may socialize.  Yet be sure you've included complimentary as opposed to duplicative items.  To construct a stylistic statement, you need metaphorical nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, not a colony of nearly identical blackish blouses.

a helpful list of terms to help you speak in clothing-ese

step three. weed and scrutinize stumbles
What we are NOT also defines us.  Which garments of clothing never leave the hanger?  Repeat the same process with dresser duds.  Abhorrence may not characterize your relationship, but something in their cloth or zippers inspires aversion.  Catalog your culls to reveal your indubitable inclinations.

Come back promptly for part II.

In the meantime, tell me about an all-star player and/or benchwarmer in your closet.

Desire something deeper? Reserve a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of uniquely personal ensembles. Rather than teetering between blasé and flagrant, relax knowing you will have an expert to offer informed opinions, creative outfitting advice, and savvy shopping experience. Sessions initiate with a signature style discovery interview.

Signature Style Makeover Week: Clothing

I am a romantic, with every frill, ruffle, and bow attached.  But with both feet firmly planted in my third decade, I'm ready to renounce "cute" in favor of a slightly more sophisticated "pretty."

a catalog of where I've been

And while I'm open to letting my pumps go nude, I cling to my narrative roots.  I want storytelling to be a part of my dress and enchantment to underlie every garment I select.

So I began with a rigorous analysis of the signature style spectrum.  Prisms split light into seven categories ranging from red to violet, I have dissected fashion into the following five flavors.

And whether a store or celebrity, most looks fall somewhere along this continuum.

True, purity can be luxurious: Missoni's bohemianism, Gucci's drama, Chanel's traditionalism, Valentino's romance.  But I intend to blend.  What I want is a style hybrid, a sophisticated breed made of my own natural selection.

As examples:

Bohemian + Modern = Tory Burch

tailored lines intersect natural motifs, sharp outlines blend with bohemian overtones

Dramatic + Romantic = Betsey Johnson

perpetually girly at an unrelenting party, a blushing bold

Modern + Romantic = Kate Spade

vivid feminity, neatly organized whimsy

Where does your style like-o-meter point?  Or who's style do you most envy?

Desire something deeper? Reserve a 60 minute virtual shopping session to compile a portfolio of uniquely personal ensembles. Rather than teetering between blasé and flagrant, relax knowing you will have an expert to offer informed opinions, creative outfitting advice, and savvy shopping experience. Sessions initiate with a signature style discovery interview.

P.S. If you're looking for similar styles to J.Crew and Ann Taylor, try these coupons for Overstock.

Signature Style Makeover Week

Just as one size may not flatter your figure for a lifetime, you may outgrow your initial signature style as well.

I am ready for a change.  Stay tuned for this signature style transformation schedule:

Day 1: Clothes

Day 2: Smile/Cosmetics

Day 3: Hair

In the meantime, might I recommend this article by Real Simple on how to Re-energize your Signature Style?  I'll be back with personal results tomorrow.

Live the Life of a Catalog: J.Crew

Timeless yet fresh, classic yet surprising.  Enroll for an education on J.Crew.

Slightly Androgynous:
the most feminine item in a J.Crew look is the woman wearing the clothes.  Garments are tailored to her figure but remain naked enough for her to take the lead.

Classic with a Twist
Individual pieces find their distinction in combinations: chestnut and seafoam, wedding gowns and thickly framed glasses,   

All American
Drawing from its East Coast roots, its timeless stylings represent cross generational americana

Refined:
simple elegant details finish every look.  A thin patent leather belt or a sumptuous structured satchel, finishing elements are always applied but never overdone.

J.Crew Look for Less

Gap

Old Navy

J.Crew Factory

Plus Size Options

Old Navy

And don't forget a clean face with poppy flame lipstick

J.Crew Women

Let a J.CrewAfficiado create a distinctive brand identifiable look for you. A complete Fashion Package: combines a theoretical look book & a practical virtual shopping session

Live the Life of a Catalog: How to Dress Like Anthropologie

As promised below is the decoder ring to the Anthropologie Aesthetic.

In other examples:

Feminine.

Style is signed with Romantic and Bohemian strokes.

Down Country/Rugged.

Provence not Paris.  Efforts should be made to keep the look slightly rugged.  Thick sweaters over gossamer blouses, silk dresses over aged leather boots.  Mix your Yin & Yang or Highs & Lows.

Traveled/Wanderlust.

Culture, food, and customs inspire her home and wardrobe.  Liberally mix and match ethnic prints and global materials.

Educated/Cultivated.

Anthro-ites are well read, well spoken, and curious.   Abandon the path of straight and narrow matching in favor of unexpected color and pattern combinations.  

 Distinction Footwear:
Boots & Blocky Embellished Heels

  Trademark Accessory:
Statement Necklaces & Scarves

  Unmistakeable Styling: 

Mismatched Prints and Patterns

In actual execution:

Anthro-philes demonstrate.
Alex  (pregnancy induced middle figure, warm complexion, bohemian style)
Beth (linear figure, cool & delicate complexion, romantic style)

Feminine: Floral Prints + Bohemian Hues

(yes 6 months pregnant!!)

Down Country: Equestrian Print + Statement Necklace

Traveled: Exotic Camels + Statement Necklace

Educated: Unexpected print pairing

Accessories: Scarf + Boots

Thanks to Behind the Dressing Room Door for a comprehesive archive of Anthropologie Catalogs dating to the early 2000's.

And now that you know the keys, find the Anthro Look for Less at:

Tulle

ModCloth

ShopRuche

Or assemble an Anthropologie ensemble in Plus Sizes:

eShakti

Let an Anthropologie expert (7 years of personal shopping) create a distinctive brand identifiable look for you.  A complete Fashion Package: combines a theoretical look book & a practical virtual shopping session