When describing your style persona it’s perfectly fine to mix things up. You should never feel that you have to box yourself into one fashion persona exactly as it is defined. After all, these fashion personas are just approximations of our own making. And since style preferences will vary a lot from person to person, you should expect to describe yours using more than one. It could be several, or just two.
To avoid confusion I should be specific about what I mean by fashion personas and style persona. Fashion personas are the ones that we’ve given names, like “bohemian hippy”, “trendy fashionista” or “modern classic”. Your style persona, on the other hand, describes your own personal style. It is probably a mix of many components, some of which you might describe as fashion personas.
I narrow my own preferences into three main categories, which have been pretty consistent since the ’80s. First, there’s my adoration for pearls, and impeccably crisp, tailored garments with clean lines. Then there’s my love for iconic Dr. Marten boots, biker jackets and distressed leather. Lastly, I have a thing for menswear inspired clothing.
So to summarize that in terms of fashion personas, my style persona combines Modern Classic, Punk and Androgynous tendencies. I am also drawn to Retro and Preppy looks, but those preferences are not nearly as strong as the first three categories.
In some respects these components of my style are related. For example, it is easy to see classic minimal elements being part of an androgynous look. But they can also be opposing. A friend recently told she found it interesting that I like a flared, ladylike skirt with patent shoes and hose as much as I enjoy bright tartan skinnies with a black biker jacket. There seem to be many such contradictions in my ensembles. I can’t tell you why I am drawn to Kate Spade and 20 eyelet Docs. Or why I love black as much as white, neutrals as much as brights, soft fabrics as much as rigid ones, and Carolina Herrera as much as Gwen Stefani.
Like everyone else, my style persona is a melting pot for many different preferences and influences. What I aspire to do is combine all of these different components into an overall style persona that is cohesive. To me, this cohesion is extremely important because it makes my style feel stronger and more focused. I want all my outfits to look and feel clean, simple, modern and bold no matter what. Even when I add new trendy pieces, I create cohesion by combining them with classic pieces. The classic pieces are the magic glue that brings my ensemble together.
Over to you. How do you combine the different components of your style persona? How do the different elements relate to and play off of each other? Do you think it is important to have a cohesive style?
