Such an interesting post Angie, I love how you reached your epiphany whilst helping someone find their.!

Fashion is always changing but this does not have the same significance as a shift in your personal style. I’m transitioning at the moment, I don’t quite know what my next look will be but I’m feeling more mature and wish my look to reflect this change.

After years of thinking I was too short-waisted for anything other than the occasional low-slung belt, I discovered that the problem wasn’t my waist, it was that I was trying to belt garments that were too big and had the wrong drape. My style changed overnight to include lots of cardis with skinny belts. Kind of kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner, but I’m so happy now that I have!

My style has changed a few times over the years, but not always as a conscious decision. I know something is shifting now, and it’s more deliberate. I’m not sure whether that will shake out as a significant change, or more of a refinement. I suspect the latter. I’m vain enough that I am not willing to sacrifice the flattering factor for the latest trend.

One of the funny things about my style evolution over the years is that my choices have become less conservative with age, for the most part. In my 20s, I worked in a very conservative environment (a private school) on weekdays, and at a rock radio station on the weekends. I went from very covered-up suits and dresses to punk rock. No wonder I’ve always felt a bit scattered, style wise.

I have a lot of appreciation for many different styles. I’ve come to realize this over the last few years as I’ve worked on decorating our house — the first house in my life I have purchased — and plunged deep into interior design and decor magazines. I love the classic, clean lines of a modern aesthetic, but I also love touches of bold color (our living room sofa is an orange leather sectional!), and ethnic ornamentation, particularly Asian details (for instance, our front yard resembles a Japanese garden).

I’m seeing parallels in the process of designing our home and evolving my personal design style, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it takes me!

I love your insightfulness! I even noticed a ‘new” high contrast, but totally unfussy look you sported in Mexico and loved it adding the fun/funky/trendy twist to each one.

I think your style evolution is wonderful!

A simply beautiful look, Angie and a very interesting post. Clean lines, minimal but perfectly chosen accessories and a modern twist looks elegant and confident. I love it! (but that doesn’t surprise you, right?)

Love this phrase: “the current leg of my style journey.” It is a journey and when I read your blog Angie, I never feel pressure to be something I am not. So refreshing, it’s why I came here in the first place.

Love how you wore the pearls backwards, a la Chanel.

Great post, Angie!

I agree with everything you said. My own personal style has ALWAYS been classic and sporty, but lately I have been craving a more modern, arty, uncluttered look, which is exactly your style!

I think that personal style continually and necessarily evolves as time goes by, our lives change and we become bolder, wiser and even more fab!

Thank you for continuous inspiration!

I love this outfit because it has bold touches. The shoes and the belt pairing. The wider necklace. The fun shape to the jeans. Yet the items themselves are classic, jeans and a white buutton down shirt. This is something I want to incorporate more of with my style. I wear a lot of long sleeve t-shirts and knit wear. I’m trying to add more button down shirts and blouses instead. I really like the idea of a classic look with a western twist, such as a button down with a pair of cowboy boots.

Great post! It’s interesting to think about where my style is now, how it has changed dramatically in the last few months and where I would like it to go in the near future.
I’m actually starting to think more about layers and accessories, both long neglected parts of my wardrobe.

Timely post! I too have started evolving in my style lately and now, instead of doubting myself and my choices, I can accept it as a journey, not a destination.
You look lovely.

I like hearing about your style journeys.

RoseandJoan, I am eagerly awaiting to see your style shift.

SarahH, it’s never to late to start having fun with fashion.

Sara, Sarah, Barbara and Beth, thank you

Lisa, I love the look of jeans and the right cowboy boots too.

Jaime, you are observant to notice my pearls were on backwards – deliberately. Thanks for feeling comfortable at YLF.

You are so striking, Angie! I love the simplicity and boldness of this look on you. I feel like I’m in the midst of a transition too. I’ve been growing weary of my regular casual looks and I’ve been considering ways to make them more interesting and fun to me. Not exactly sure where I’m going but I intend to have fun along the way : ) Congrats on your epiphany!

Simple as it is, this may be my favorite outfit of yours ever! LOVE those chunky pearls!! And you look so happy and confident — your epiphany has done wonders for you!

I had an epiphany of sorts while thrifting over the weekend — I like pretty colored print tops and they make me feel happy, and I am going to wear them whether they are cutting edge fashion or not! (Then I had a divine confirmation later in the day when I saw an entire rack of blouses identical to the vintage one I’d thrifted in the window of a store at the mall!)

I came to YLF hoping to put together the perfect wardrobe that will last for years. I still hope to collect some perfect-for-me pieces, but see now the value of thinking of the journey and evolving, not a destination, especially with this blog. You are so wise!
I hope to see my style evolve into more lady-like looks that can still be worn in a casual setting and are a bit arty. I want to limit myself to the very best fit and fabrics I can afford. (This is hard because I do too much nickel and diming and then don’t feel I can splurge for a big ticket item.)
Your outfit is just perfect! So classy, so of-the-moment, so interesting to study, and so Angie.

Fantastic post Angie, and quite inspiring. For you as an expert in your field to share that your style journey changes as well, and that YOU sometimes come to realizations that were brewing and not always obvious, makes me feel less that I am being wishy-washy in my own journey. I definitely have changed and tweaked directions and sometimes notice it only when going through my closet trying things on and realizing, “this isn’t what I want anymore.” It is not always obvious like leaving the tight-clothes phase of early 20′s to a more relaxed-but-fitted phase in my 30′s. More recently I realized my love of polished modest jewelry had taken a back seat to wearing one dominant piece with color, that my love of classic pieces did not feel right anymore unless there was something edgy in the ensemble, and that dressy casual now included knits instead of only wovens. Thanks for encouraging us on our own journeys Angie!

Well, I feel better now! Knowing that Angie, the most stylishly confident person I “know”, goes through style epiphanies makes me feel a little better about my own style journey. I just need the breakthrough moment that lets me write it all down coherently (also a la Angie). Also, thank you to Fernanda for sharing her own journey. It feels more common now that I know so many women, even stylish ones, are also pondering and evaluating their images.

Loved you post! I have discovered m style recently too. That is so good because we do have a focus when shopping and we know what we will continue to use year after year and what we won’t use (so no need to spend money on that).
I’m classic and minimalistic, love clean lines, neutral colors mixed with a bit of color and I don’t wear many accessories (a scarf, or a bold necaklace or a bracelet).
I do love trends and embrace many but try to incorporate that on my style!
I feel that YLF help me to discovered myself!

I definitely experienced an epiphany a couple of years ago when I started forcing myself out of a very black and grey dominated wardrobe and into using color and pattern, and especially into using different neutrals. I’m still only partway through the result of that.

Back before that, I figured out that clothes that fit looked better than too-big clothes, even when I was still fat.

It is definitely a journey of self discovery along the way. I want to look polished and put together but have elements that make the outfit me.

This post really resonated with me. I think we have come to very similar places, Angie. I, too, like to mix in trends but have found that I feel most myself when it’s with a classic foundation. It’s exciting for me to think that we may have a similar style esthetic. I think you and Bella are probably my style inspirations because you both capture the look I love so effortlessly. Ok, maybe it’s not effortless, but you make it look that way.

Love this post! You perfectly explain your evolution and it makes so much sense. It is sort of a fashion ying-yang – the balance of trend and classic. )

Fascinating post that asks some key questions, Angie. Now that I’ve been evolving under YLF guidance for the better part of two years, I definitely feel I’ve come to a few realizations about my style:
1. Concepts that I can’t visualize will never work on my body, simply because I will not feel confident in them. The most striking example of this is the idea of style contrasts. Other people go into orbit when they see ruffles juxtaposed with biker jackets, or feminine floral blouses paired with rugged, chunky-souled boots. That is not for me, because I can’t reconcile the two ideas and picture a cohesive outfit. Some contrasts are easier to accept, like the idea of a denim jacket toning down a dress or my moto jacket with chunky pearls, but somehow it only works because the ideas have some sort of tactile harmony that I can’t really explain.
2. Much like you, clean and simple lines are what I strive for, again because they are easiest to absorb through tactile means. Unlike you, though, I am still enjoying layered looks, particularly with jackets.
3. My ideal outfit will always have one trendy element and one colourful one.
4. Waist-surrendering styles are difficult for me to get behind, because my style is very feminine and I feel I lose a key aspect of my look if I deemphasize my most flattering feature. For me, the fact that I’m not skinny means that I feel best when wearing garments that are actively slimming.
5. In a similar vain, androgynous outfits don’t feel right on me, though I’ve recently realized that the occasional cravat-style scarf tying has a place in my wardrobe. Oddly enough, I like it best when paired with a very feminine top, like a ruffled white button-down (that’s a contrast that makes sense to me somehow).
6. I do not feel right without at least two accessories physically on my body. Since I don’t wear glasses or a watch, it’s gotta be something like a necklace and bracelet, scarf and earrings, bracelet and statement earrings or some similar combo. Don’t worry, Only one accessory is allowed to be a statement piece.
7. Polish is key to my overall look, and I don’t feel right without it.

Angie I adore that outfit : )
I think you have just put into words the style I would like to have. Simple, not over done, but with that little lift.
LOL Simple I do, just looking for the lift now!1

How timely. I was just writing about this on the forum. Yes, I am also undergoing a transition. My style has been hard-edged and dark for a while now, and I’m feeling very bored and done with it. Lately I am more drawn to softer, girlier, quirky looks. I could–and do–spend hours looking at Irregular Choice shoes and dresses on Modcloth and Anthropologie, and I find myself asking “could this piece start a conversation?” before considering it. I want more color and pattern, and less black (although I still prefer black shoes by a long shot). Surprisingly, I want more fitted silhouettes than voluminous. Not because I have stopped enjoying volume, but because I have so much of it already and I’m just craving something new.

I am also feeling just the opposite of you Angie–I am more drawn to complex, layered looks rather than simpler ones.

This style is so different from what I was doing before that I’m feeling a bit schizophrenic, but it just feels right. I think it started with my hair. Gone are the days of pin straight, choppy, short hair. I’m enjoying my soft, wavy, long hair.

This is exactly what I love about fashion and part of growing older/maturing, we see things with fresh eyes .

I LOVE this type of look, and it suits you perfectly!! Bold, fresh, clean, with a splash of modern/trendy for fun:)

You look beautifully polished!
.

I would add that it is precisely because you allow your own style to shift and evolve that you can do the work you do with others without becoming formulaic! Thanks for this window into your process. L.

Ah, the ever-inspiring Angie – once again you share your personal journey and encourage us to evaluate ours!

I’m in a strange phase right now. In some ways, I feel I’m going back to where I started. I like simple, and I like black. But I’m definitely more aware of fit and fabric now, which makes a huge difference. Age feels like a big factor for me these days. But as you say, it’s an ongoing process!

Luv this outfit on you, Angie! I look forward to watching the new tweaks in your style evolve.

Playfully casual feminine is how I’m describing my current style. My recent attraction to pencil skirts is drawing me to cleaner lines but I still want to add a touch of fun. : )

Thank you for sharing this epiphany! As someone who feels frustrated and grounded on her own style journey, it is good to know it’s all part of a longer trip…. You are a constant inspiration to me.

I love that your style is not static, Angie, and what a privelege to share your journey here! This outfit is one of my all time favourites on you – strong, bold, and edgy.

Really interesting points. I guess over time we all figure our what works and what doesn’t and what we like and how we evolve. I really agree with your statement about incorporating a new trend with a classic look.

What an interesting post! I don’t often really think about how my style has evolved, although it certainly has! When do I think about it? When I’m moving things out of the closet, especially when the seasons really start changing. Some of the thinking goes with “what was I thinking?!?!” when I get to certain items.
I think my style is still in the artsy realm, or at least I’d like to think. And that usually involves layering over what I call my “black underwear” or my “grey underwear” – a black or grey pant or some kind of bottom, and a black or grey t shirt or tank or some kind of top. The layering pieces are usually something I’ve made or some piece that can be more showcased on the quiet background of the under wear.
Still of fan of layering, but have become more thoughtful about it.
And reading this blog has certainly become a daily time to think about style and fashion, getting ideas, rethinking ideas and enjoying the visuals!

Well – the style philosophy you’ve outlined is pretty much what mine has been for years. But for me, the epiphany is that I can KEEP it, no matter what direction the fashion winds blow.

While the trends have been toward busier accessories, more layering, belting all the time, and outfits built with 9 different colors head to toe – especially in street fashion and on blogs – those looks feel wrong on me and I have realized I don’t have to play their game. I will nod to trends, sure, but I don’t want to lose touch with what I feel works best for me.

I’m not much of a “classics” person outside of a black pencil skirt, but clean lines, simple shapes are what I prefer to start with. As a busty, petite hourglass, there’s only so much busy I can handle.

Angie, you look absolutely perfect.

I have come to terms with being a style chameleon. Every day is a new day. =)

I’ve been having similar thoughts about my style. I’m actually hesitant to comment, because I dont’ want to sound like an Angie copycat
When I first discovered YLF a year and a half ago, I had never really taken chances with style, and I enjoyed exploring some creative looks and adding some edginess to my mom style. I think I have a bit of that out of my system now and am ready to settle into a simple, effortless, chic style. I want to continue to incorporate trends and add an unexpected touch now and then, but I’m also enjoying the simplicity of jeans, top, necklace, and out the door I go.

Jamie (above) captured my sentiments precisely by referencing the following phrase in your post: “the current leg of my style journey.”

I adore that you never frame things as “here’s what is hot now” or anything suggesting how others *should* be dressing. You merely make observations about what feels right and fresh on YOU at a given moment while underscoring that the journey is an individual one. Your insightful reflections about your own preferences at any given moment are inpsiring because they make me step back and think about my own image, my preferences, my aesthetic in a completely new and more thoughtful way. Thank you for that! Finally, I love that your approach to fashion seems (to me) to be a combination of the instinctive and the cerebral–you are instinctively drawn to certain items, looks and trends but you also think cerebrally about how things go together, about the evolution of your own aesthetic and changes you want to make.
As someone who gets dressed based almost exclusively on what looks “good” (to my eye), I am excited and inspired to start thinking more cohesively and introspectively about my own style journey!

Its good to know even a stylist figures out new things for herself!

I’m a bit mixed up, but part of my issue is my weight. I cannot fit all of my clothes and it’s very limiting and frustrating when I want to try new things!

I think my style is evolving and I’m not really even adding taht many new items. Just a piece here and there, very carefully, in a way that points up what I feel about my style ATM.

I like what Maya said about starting a conversation. It is important to me to feel interesting in my clothes and for me to look interesting to myself. I have begun to let go of my worries about what other people with think about me and be more experiemental. But for career reasons I don’t want other people to feel uncomfortable around me.

Wonderful post! I think there is something about spring that tends to help us assess and possibly reinvent ourselves–like a new beginning each year. Traveling to new places can oftentimes help to nudge me in a slightly different direction too. I love how you combine unusual shapes (like your jodhpur jeans) with classic ones–the look is very distinctive and you, and somehow beyond what is purely trendy at the moment. It’s splendid! Thanks for sharing your style journey with us.

Clean, modern, simple, bold – I like the sound of that!

I am in a bit of a softening-up phase. Softer colors, softer fabrics. It’s a relaxing mood to be in!

I’m absolutely heading the same way as you are, Angie, because yes, there is unmistakenly a serious overlap between your and Fernanda’s style and mine (that’s why I enjoyed reading last weeks’ post even more than usual!). Also: I think it’s wonderful that you were able to finally ‘get to the bottom’ of your style evolution while you were helping someone else find her ‘new way’.

Until recently I’ve been feeling extremely frustrated with and insecure about my current style. Partly because of budget restraints (couldn’t get the pieces I needed to evolve my look), and partly because I just couldn’t figure out how exactly to get to ‘cleaner, simpler, more bold and modern’ (I don’t care if I sound like a copycat now, that is just who I am and how I want to look and I’m not going to apologize for that;-)

Today’s post has definitely given me even more food for thought (very helpful descriptions) and it helped me tremendously with accepting that it truly is a journey: it takes time to figure out where you want to go, to get the items you need and to play around and experiment. And you know what, that is seriously fun!! (I wasn’t feeling the fun lately, I only felt stuck and unhappy clothing-wise, glad we got that out of the way now!!-)

In my mind I am having a whole style transformation. I am rethinking all of my style decisions. I am letting go of alot of things in my closet because I realized that I was trying too hard to find what was comfortable on me, yet would make me a feel a bit unique.
Like you Angie, I am thinking about more simple lines, and less complicated looks altogether.
With my personal style, even in home decor I realized that a big hurdle in being successful was that I am trying to hard to figure out the secret. I’m just making the whole thing too much work, then I find I don’t like the choices I’ve made when it comes to living with them.
So onto a less complicated look and life. I will stick with my love of high quality and let that speak louder than unique fashion.
Thank you for this thought provoking blog thread Angie.

I love this post Angie. And I love the look you are sporting in the pics. Simple, clean, bold. I am not sure what to even call my style right now. I have come from” dressing not to feel uncomfortable” to “dressing with consciousness.” And I am loving how that feels — to be dressed in a way that feels like me. So I guess I am just at the beginning learning the basics of who I am and what I like. And it’s fun!

Hola de Mexico, chicas! Angie – one of the many things I admire about you is that you embrace change in trends, in others and in yourself. Thanks for reminding us that nothing stays the same and that fact can be celebrated.

Part of me wants to change, but part of my likes my look and it seems to work for me. I can’t see me going the way of Maya and embracing the girly, overtly feminine.

Angie, yours is a truly unique voice in the style blogosphere! you are able to generalize your own and others’ experiences into larger ideas and concepts behind style that can help so many people to find what works For Them. it’s one thing to come up with a few rules ‘so you can dress like i do’, but helping other people to create a way to dress that expresses their own style, that fits with their lifestyle and climate and profession……that’s a whole ‘nother story! you’re a gem. steph

Love the new non-layered look!

My recent style epiphany is that I would like to revisit my bohemian tendencies, but in a way that is clean and somewhat tailored. If that is at all possible.

So interesting!!! I’m working on finding my own style and enjoying shopping for clothing more than ever! Looking forward to seeing more photos of your personal new style Angie!
- Sheryl

Love love love love those jeans!!! I wish an adorable apple could pull them off:)
I love what you said about mixing trends with classics – something I have been thinking about too. Great post!

Wow. Such lovely things have been said here. And I really enjoyed hearing about your own style journeys so thank you for sharing them.

Michelle, what an excellent style epiphany! You go girl. You are so on the right track.

Joy, Taylor, Steph, Thumbelina, Inge, Mac, Alecia, Kelly, Aunty, Tarzy, Palm Fronds, Tiny Jinco, MaryK, Morethanbeige, AJ Alaskagirl, Hbaber32, San, Auburn and Lynne – thank you. Your kind comments and style epiphanies made my day.

Whatever road your style journey takes you on, I like the view!

Incorporating trends with classic workhorses makes total sense.

Sometimes I feel too bulky with all the layers so I’m happy to know that it’s ok to lighten up and simplify things and you wont think me lazy!

In the beginning it was so fun to be creative and experiment, but I’m all in for classic dressing with the modern twist (and great shoes)!

It’s great that you used this outfit as an illustration of your recent journey Angie because this outfit has remained in my mind from the recent ones you posted. I think as I get older, I find I am increasingly more and more comfortable with who I am. So my style more closely mirrors an expression of who I am rather than who I think others want to see me as. This has reduced some of what I would call was “noise” in the past. And simplified and clarified things for me.

Such a timely post, Angie. I feel like I’m on the edges of an epiphany, but it’s out of reach. What makes it difficult is also the fact that I like different styles, and my moody dressing seems to have room for both soft and girly to harder edged cleaner bolder lines.

Sometimes I get impatient. So thank you Angie, and everyone else, for emphasizing that it’s the journey and not the destination that counts.

P.S. Oh how I love those jodhpur jeans on you, Angie.

Great post Angie! I love your style and that you feel fashion should be fun!

Thank you for sharing your style journey with us! I don’t know where my style journey is headed at the moment. It has been hard the last 3 years being in and out of maternity clothes. The clothes I had to wear while pregnant did not reflect how I felt or wanted to dress. I am trying to fill in my wardrobe holes. With your help I have realized that I do buy duplicate items and that it is unnecessary. I also realized I am attracted to buying pants, shorts, and skirts, and I never buy shirts. Now I try to look more at shirts. I am learning to take more risks now. I use to think certain things matched and others didn’t. Know I believe there are no hard fast rules. As long as the completed outfit makes me feel good, then I’ll wear it. I’ve also realized since blogging that I don’t like black leather, and I prefer brown and cognac shades. I don’t understand this part of my journey yet, but I sure am learning! And Angie I am trying to have fun!

Thank you for sharing your style metamorphosis and goals with us.

Since joining YLF, I am making much more effort and have fewer and fewer days when jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers (uncool ones) are what I wear.

I feel I am moving in a direction of classic with a rock edge. Even though as I write it, it sounds cliche and a little silly. I’m not in a band and I’m 52! The other day I looked at all my photos since joining YLF in an effort to pick outfits for my trip to LA. The looks that make me feel most confident have this vibe. Maybe another way of putting this is classic with a touch of the unexpected, eclectic and even unrefined.

As for layers, the one thing I can’t seem to let go of is my love of layering chains around my neck! This has been my style constant for many years.

In a year from now I am going to come back and read this, to see how I have evolved.

This is such an interesting, post, Angie. I love that you share with us the sentiment that personal style is not static, but evolves and changes over time. And as your reader and someone who has known you personally for several years it is especially interesting and relevant to me when you put this in words rather than just implicitly “living it”.
I remember, for instance, how you introduced me to the joys of layering when I first met you. You often had a colorful cami peeking out from underneath a knit top or other layer, and I loved all the possibilities this presented also for my own style journey. And it’s just as interesting to see that this type of layering is not something “Angie does and will always do” but that evolves into something different over time. Anyway, not really sure what I’m trying to say, but again, thanks for articulating something that is hard to put into words. And I love, no ADORE, your current style and the example outfit above. So classy and chic and most importantly very YOU as you are right now. And that’s the essence of style, right?

Angie – I love, love, love this outfit – eSPEcially those jeans! I want them bad! Thank you so much for sharing where you are at (style-wise) right now Angie – it really brings home to me the fact that our style is in a constant state of flux – and that’s a GOOD thing! One thing that has made me hesitant about actually defining my style is that I was afraid that it would be too restrictive and I’d feel boxed in. This post helps me realize that I never have to worry about that!

Well, I’ve been reading YouLookFub more than a year (I love clarks shoes and interesting haircuts and glasses too) but that was the post that made me register and join your club, because it was absolutely about me. Even your statement peaces are the same as mine. Wish you were my color type but it would be too good to be true, I know. Thanks, Angie.

This is really inspiring! My personal style journey has been to more pared down comfortable chic that suits my body well, so it relies a lot on subtlety of good material and pairing of proportions, and being unafraid to have cohesive coloring. I’m unafraid to go minimalistic now, because I know that it isn’t boring, and I’m unconsciously steering away from the norms that college students perpetuate in their style, so it’s a very seamless transition. My next ideal style is to transition more into a feminine androgynous style, where I’m unmistakably a girl but embrace all masculine-type clothing with ease.

there is NOTHING BETTER than a crisp white shirt and jeans.

the belt, shoes and necklace just make this outfit even better.

love it.

I usually wear J. Brand jeans and have them in every color. Angie, I love your jeans for their uniqueness. What brand is this?