Style Guide: How to Develop Personal Style
Three tips for developing your personal style.
Words by Foli Creppy
DRAKE’S OF LONDON
Social media has become the go-to for fashion advice and to see your favorite influencers or content creators. Many style influencers on social media platforms will tell you that when you build a wardrobe, you should buy interchangeable clothing. Most influencers advise you to purchase minimalistic garments for your wardrobe collection to get the most out of each garment for easy wear for any occasion. Personally, I feel this is a bit redundant. A minimalistic approach is a good starting point for purchasing your basics. However, such advice devoids us of personality and taste. Here are my three rules to guide you on your style journey.
Colors Are Important
What specific colors look the best on you? Finding color palettes that work best for you in relation to your skin tone is your starting point. For example, an ebony skin toned individual should seek color palettes of black, navy, brown, and gray. These are essential colors needed in your wardrobe. But also experiment with other complementary colors like white, orange, green, and yellow. Complementary colors sit across from each other on the color wheel. When placed side-by-side a strong contrast is created between the two colors.
Know Your Exact Measurements
Having a good understanding of your current measurements is vital. Especially when shopping online, you will know the appropriate size to purchase for yourself that will frame your current body type the best. There are countless tutorials on YouTube about how to take your measurements the correct way. If a YouTube tutorial is not your thing, head to your local tailor and ask for your full body measurements.
Find an Archetype
Find an archetype to emulate but not copy. Your archetype should be someone similar in body type, skin tone, and style. Note the brands they purchase from and how those garments fit your archetype. These are indications of how those garments may look on you. However, never copy your archetype. The last thing you want to be is someone else. Use styling cues and make your wardrobe collection unique to you; further, your message to the world, that not only you gained a good sense of style but also have some level of control over your life and how you want to look at others
My last piece of advice for your style journey is to purchase garments that make the most sense for you geographically; for example, I live in New York City, and we experience all four seasons. We do not experience as much snow as compared to upstate Vermont. Because of this, there is no need to invest in specialty clothing that protects against the snow or invest in a variety of different snow-proof-related garments. In this scenario, you only need one pair of snow-proof boots and a solid winter coat to protect you against the elements.
Overall, using these few styling tips has proven to be a fundamental base for anyone looking to level up on their style journey. With time, one can even hope to inspire others to develop their own ways of expressing themselves, one garment at a time.
Foli Creppy covers fashion and style in New York. More about Foli Creppy
Oct 10, 2023 – Updated Nov 23, 2023ADVERTISEMENT