Tell me a little about yourself

minimalist

Veteran

What a fascinating and constructive challenge, shedev! I'm going to ponder it while walking on the treadmill.

9 years ago

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I'm dressing for me, not for work (I have a uniform) so I never need to think in terms of whether it's 'appropriate for work' be that a shorter skirt or corduroy pants.
I'm not interested in looking conservative, quite the opposite. Too buttoned up makes me start to twitch. Ditto suburban 'mom' looks. Very much not me.
I like a bit of alluring, if not all out sexy, as a part of my style. Tight jeans - fine. Short shorts - great!
I'm interested in trends to the extend I look like I'm paying attention and know what's going on, even if I don't jump on a lot of them. I'd give myself a 6 or 7 on the trend scale.
My aspirational style is a bit off from my day to day looks, due to location, station in life, budget, and on and on. I'd like to look like a lot more rock n roll and a lot more expensive than I do

Hope that helps some. I like the idea of this thread! Thanks, Shedev.

9 years ago

Alassë

Veteran

That is a wonderful idea, Shedev!

1. Dresses, skirts, and shorts feel like me; pants are not quite "style home."
2. I try to keep strictly to a warm autumn colour palette, but anything in it is fair game.
3. I prefer to be dressy and polished.
4. I like all things feminine - pink, polka dots, lace, hair-dos, hair accessories, ruffles, bows, velvet, rounded lines, skirts that swish....
5. In addition, I require comfortable, non-fussy, washable, and walkable looks.

9 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

Great thread! Here are mine:

1) I'm in constant conflict between a conservative public job and my style persona.

2) I would like to aim for the fewer but better items in my work wardrobe, and leave room to play in my casual wardrobe.

3) I have a fairly consistent sense of what I like, although finding YLF led to a lot of experimenting with other people's styles in order to come full circle back to me.

4) I live in a climate that strongly limits what I can and should be buying for practical reasons.

5) If it's not comfortable, I won't wear it.

9 years ago

shedev

Veteran

Cant wait Amy K.

Mo, I wear a uniform too. In some ways that is freeing because I don't have as many constraints on my purchases, but it means I spend an awful lot of time wearing things that do little for self expression.

Alasse, sounds like you have your style nailed down. I'm all for easy care.

Una, it's really funny how we tend to come full circle, but with a renewed confidence in our style. It can really be hard to resist things that we see other YLFers rocking, even if they aren't really our style. Do you feel more limited or focused by your climate? Comfort is king.

9 years ago

SarahTheWhite

Veteran

Thank you for thinking of this! It is a really great way to be able to help each other along in the feedback department... These are my five (rather wordy -sorry!) highlights:

1. Quiet: I do not like colors and styles (on me) that shout to grab attention. I don't feel comfortable in bright colors and ultra hard edged styles. I prefer grayed colors (except for green, which I feel is a natural color even when it is bright) and in general, lower contrast color schemes (meaning colors are lower contrast to each other, not to my coloring) and an overall "quiet" look.

2. Quality: I have always struggled with a desire to get a lot of items for the money, rather than spending good money on one piece. Now that I have a more stable wardrobe of things that I love, my goal is to buy better quality pieces, slowly and purposefully.

3. Conflict between Simplicity and Details: I am in a never ending tug of war between loving simple, clean lines and tons of interesting details! This is a very difficult balance for me, and I honestly love both equally. This means that I tend to wear extremely different types of things from one day to the next. One forum member commented once that it is hard it imagine that the same person would wear some of my outfits. I really liked that she brought that up, because it is true. I don't think that I will ever resolve this conflict, and feel that it just adds to the variety of my personal style.

4. Texture: I love natural fibers and textures, partially because of the feel on the skin, and partially because of my love of detail. Texture can be an amazing detail in the overall look of an outfit. So cashmere, linen, cotton, wool, silk... bring it on! (Maybe the funding for this should come before bringing it on, but the desire is there!)

5. Growth: I have a desire to be constantly changing. My basic personality won't change, thus the previous 4 things will always need to be incorporated into my style, however I do feel a need to continually reevaluate and "tweak" my style. I am afraid that I will one day wake up to realize that I got stuck in an era or look and the rest of the world kept moving. I am always looking at new things and thinking that I can't wear them because of this that or the other rule that I must follow for body type or age, but then I push myself to keep trying to find a way to incorporate the look in a flattering way. I also love to expose myself to the style of other people with extremely different sensibilities from my own so that I can adjust my eye and/or learn to experiment with new things. Case in point: after probably 15+ years of never wearing polish on my fingernails, and convincing myself that the natural look was part of my signature style, last night I suddenly painted my nails a very dark, matte color. This may or may not be a continuing thing for me, but today I really like it, and it felt very good.

9 years ago

N-Marie

Veteran

Interesting challenge.

1) Most of my fashion choices are very practical- I'm a work-from-home mom of a 10-month old and a 3-year old, so I'm not going to be rocking the high heels, unfortunately.

2) Figure flattery is a pretty high priority for me - I'm still struggling with several of the newer trends (fluid tops, high vamp shoes/booties) because they are not always the "best" choices for figure flattery.

3) I'm very interested in color and texture, and sometimes I'm completely blind to issues of fit and proportion. This is something I'm trying to focus on right now, and an area in which taking pictures and soliciting feedback has been really valuable.

4) I want to look current but not too trendy- I don't like looking as if I'm trying too hard (even if I am trying pretty hard!). Looking TOO put-together or too fussy can be off-putting to other moms in my very casual environment (the majority of my social circle at this point).

5) My husband is very into photography and likes to take pictures of the family; I sneak in outfit shots into our photo session when I can. So you'll often see kiddos somewhere in my pictures!

9 years ago

columbine(erin)

Veteran

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm eagerly looking forward to all the comments. My five things:
~I don't have a style moniker yet. I wish I did. I aspire to "playful polish" though. As a mom on the go I want to play with my children and be active but still have a polished outfit.
~I admire many things on others that I'm too modest to try; hard edge, very bodycon looks, distressed details, shorts, above the knee skirts, harem pants. I'd like to try a trend here and there (ladylike pointy toe pumps, say) but am not fashion forward.
~I have a horror of looking bigger than I am and this fear is still with me even though I lost a lot of weight this year. I like some boxy tops lately but am somewhat afraid of the oversized trend.
~I'm interested in slightly retro ladylike looks lately.
~I've been working on getting away from constant wearing of black bottoms and so have primarily focused on building a navy/blues/white capsule this year.

9 years ago

Cerinda

Veteran

1) I could just about live in jeans, boots, and tees.

I pretty much do live in jeans, boots, and tees. Quite happily.

2) I aim for understated but not minimalist.

3) I wear simple, largely neutral clothes.

I wear color and pattern as if they were accessories.

4) I am all about accessories.

I favor current shoes and bags. I collect vintage costume jewelry and contemporary designer-craftsman jewelry and wear it sparingly.

5) I keep trying, not altogether successfully, to look as RATE as I feel.

9 years ago

Emily

Veteran

I'll play.
1. I don't have a persona, but my "5-adjectives" rubric is: Luxurious, Feminine, Effortless, Cultivated, Rogue. To sum it up, I want to look like I am a well-put-together, grown up, serious, but not too serious woman.
2. In general, I am not an "early adopter" of trends and it takes my eye a while to adjust to less conventionally flattering silhouettes; but I try
3. I dress for my office job (Conservative Business Casual M-Th, Jeans Fri) in a conservative office on a mostly male team, and casual weekends, with the occasional play, party or shower thrown in for good measure
4. I dress for a 4-season climate with serious winters and hot summers (most years, at least); but commute by car, which is lucky because...
5. I LOVE shoes. The right shoe really changes how I feel about an outfit.

9 years ago

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Great thread - thanks for starting this

1. I love to learn - anything from fashion to physics.
2. Angie dubbed me an elegant eclectic - I have a lot of leeway there but I wanted to refine my wardrobe so it worked well for me. So I narrowed the eclectic down to "womanly androgyny" & "organic creative". If I can get the balance between those concepts right then I'm very happy.
3. Pants, jackets & great footwear are my go to items. I've let go of all my winter dresses & feel really good about it.
4. I recently had a colour analysis & was typed as a soft autumn, which I'm very happy about. This really explained my personal love/hate relationship with black - the drapes showed me it is my worst look.
5. Like you I'm much more persona driven than trendy in my style. I do find that as I get older I am more interested in trends. I like to look current as opposed to unaware.

Thanks again shedev.

9 years ago

Deborah

Veteran

Shedev, awesome thread! I'm at work but will come back. Love reading the comments above:) I will bookmarking this thread as it will be incredibly positive in the light of looking at outfits posted. BTW, some of your 5 points could so be mine too

9 years ago

Kristin L

Veteran

Great idea Shedev! I'll have to think on my 5 for a bit.

9 years ago

Sal

Veteran

Great idea.

1. I am working on my style persona but I aspire to elegant, easy and I would like to be a little more bold at times. I am aspiring to more polish as I age especially in my hair and make-up. This is a fight with my laziness. Some days the laziness wins!! I am happy to stand out and not blend.

2. As a tallish hourglass I look great when I play to my strengths - but it can go all wrong if I follow the wrong trends. With a short neck and a bust I can look matronly - volume is not always my friend.

3. I work from home mostly but when in the office it is male dominated and quite casual. I like to walk around alot so I choose my outfits from the shoes up. Some days I work from home in "gear" the next day in a pencil skirt. I also spend time watching the boys play tennis and rugby so pointy heels feel out of place on the sideline.

4. I like a moderate wardrobe - I don't aspire to a minimalist one, but I have a "greeny/thrifty" streak that makes me determined to wear the clothes I have. I repeat often, both pieces and outfits.

5. I don't mind a bit of retro thrown in, but it is not a huge part of my persona. I like the Charlies Angels look, the Mad Men look, and I loved the costumes in American Hustle. Not so useful for the rugby sideline!!

Thanks for reading.

9 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Nice thread, Shedev. I had no idea you wore a uniform.

9 years ago

Peri

Veteran

Fun...not sure what to say though. I have my style words so I'll start with that.

1) Easy, Artistic, Soft and Yes! It spells easy because I won't fuss over my clothes. I think the words don't need elaborating, except the Yes!, which means I want to feel that emotional happiness with something to buy it. I can never predict what will trigger that, but I want it.

2) I live in a 4 season climate so I need some of everything. Unfortunately the longest stretch is very hot and humid and those clothes are my least favorite.

3) There are so many looks I like that I don't get to wear because of some health issues. Shoe dependent looks for instance, and things that press on my back. When I post a WIW and get a suggestion that something would look great with fill in the blank kind of shoes, or that the top I'm wearing would look best with skinny pants, I want to cry. Not really, but sort of.

4) I am very color driven and won't buy something unless the color makes me happy. I can understand limiting color palette to simplify but it isn't me. I limit my colors to all the colors I like.

5) Among the styles that aren't really me, I would choose edgy as being the one I would most wish was me. I love edgy looks but would feel like I was wearing a costume. But I often drool over edgy on others.

9 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

Fun challenge!

1. I work in a male dominated firm in a male dominated industry in a conservative part of the country. I oversee people in both this country and oversees. This has a huge impact on my style choices.

2. I have a 2 year old and am 30 weeks pregnant with our second. Comfort, ease, and simplicity are musts. I simply do not have a lot of time to pour over outfits, and I don't have a lot of time for fussy clothes.

3. If it isn't comfortable and weather appropriate, I won't wear it. (Don't care how on trend it is, I am not going without socks in the winter!)

4. Climate dictates a lot. I wear full boots in the winter, and a full winter coat. Practical concerns always trump fashion, although I am always open to a practical and fashionable alternative.

5. I continue on another journey to accept my body as it is. After dieting for over 25 years and struggling with eating disorders, having DD changed my outlook. But it is an ongoing journey, and from time to time, can be really hard to mesh with looking fashionable as I will never have what society currently deems as a fashionable figure.

9 years ago

shedev

Veteran

Sarah, I'm a little surprised that you don't do hard edge. I'm not sure why.

N-Marie, I think that dressing appropriate to our own environment is important.

Columbine, it can take a long time for the mind to catch up with the body after weight loss. I like your palette of blues.

Cerinda, I live in basically the same things. I'm glad they make you happy.

Emily, I'm not an early adopter either. It takes me forever to make up my mind.

Caro, nobody could say that you are unaware. I'm interested to know the trends, but not always in wearing them.

Deb and K, I'm looking forward to your 5.

Kiwigal, I start with shoes a lot too. I could stand to repeat outfits more.

Angie, I'm surprised it never can up before.

Peri, I love that your descriptors spell easy. I think wearing the colors you like is a great way to narrow it down.

Thistle, most of us struggle with body issues at times. You have the hourglass shape that a lot of people want.

9 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Great thread!

1. I use fashion primarily for emotional reasons, to explore different personas. I consider it part of my emotional development.

2. I am very short and very small on top, so I don't have access to many clothes that fit. This severely limits my clothing choices and affects my style. Tailoring is just too expensive to have to do to everything, and especially for tops, it is difficult and can easily go wrong. It can be hard for me to see so many nice tops on the forum when I know that I can't wear any of them because they don't come in petites' or don't come in a small-enough petites' size.

3. I am not very trendy. If a trend appeals to me, I will wear it, but most of them do not appeal to me, especially if they are not figure-flattering trends.

4. I have a lot of health problems, so I don't have the energy to be that polished. My biggest challenge is my hair, which looks overly RATE. My next challenge is makeup, which again I usually leave off because I'm just too tired. Also, I have to take naps during the day, and a person just doesn't look good with mascara everywhere because she's taken a nap!

5. Generally, I try to steer clear of anything chunky, androgynous, sporty, or preppy.

9 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What a fantastic thread, Shedev. I am really enjoying learning and/or being reminded about others' style preferences, descriptors, aims, and needs.

1. My style moniker is "Urban Prince" -- which, according to Angie, means: "Lots of Refinement. Equal Parts Boyish and Ladylike. A little Romance and Preppy. No nonsense and lots of Inner Punk."

That still feels accurate to me and helps guide my buying decisions. If I could pick a quintessential outfit it would probably include a great - fitting pair of jeans, a refined chelsea boot, a fitted or fluid turtleneck sweater in navy, and a houndstooth or navy or ink blazer in a cool cut.

2. I live in a four season climate, work mostly from home, but travel a lot (at least once a month, mostly by train or plane) and commute almost everywhere on foot. I'm also a very active person. That's where the "no nonsense" comes in -- I really can't handle clothes or footwear that are uncomfortable or make me fuss.

3. My wardrobe needs are varied. The aforementioned wildly fluctuating weather and frequent travel are only two factors. I mostly work from home but I also have to give occasional readings, presentations, and classes or talks to different kinds of audiences. Sometimes without a lot of warning. I also parent an active teen.

4. The core of my style is classic -- but "modern" is absolutely crucial, and I like to experiment with trends. My "Kibbe category" is Dramatic Classic. Without the classic, I feel like I'm in costume -- ungrounded, somehow -- but without the drama I feel washed out, bored, and depressed.

5. I like a moderate sized wardrobe, and I enjoy frequent wardrobe edits, refreshers, and upgrades. I love all my beautiful clothes, but I tend to show my love for new additions a little more enthusiastically.

9 years ago

Echo

Veteran

I strongly identify as UWP, although I am easily influenced by other things. I have a hard time staying true to any sort of look, but I would very much like to cultivate a stronger sense of "my" style so that I can walk away from things that look good on me, but aren't "me". Black is the dominant colour in my wardrobe, and I am happiest that way. I also lean far more toward polished than RATE.

Figure flattery isn't paramount to me; my main criteria is that I don't look pregnant. I still struggle with a bit of a tummy, and that's the only thing I really want to disguise (of course, it's also the hardest!).

I love shoes, and "stompy" seems to be the best descriptor of the styles I favour. Shoes that are black, lug-soled, studded, buckled, etc. are more my style, regardless of trends. My feet have also become pickier, so crazy heels aren't me anymore.

I have been a sahm for over a decade. I am now working as a substitute teacher in both the elementary/middle school and the high school. Most of my wardrobe needs to be appropriate to wear to school, so while I want to remain true to my style, I don't want to look like "mutton dressed as lamb" or like I have been shopping in the same places the 8th graders shop. This is part of the issue with UWP for me. I live in a very small and conservative area, although I am not originally from here and I don't identify at all with the general look (or attitude!). So I don't want to completely blend in, but I don't want to look costumey, either. The hard edges I like can easily go overboard.

Fall/winter is the dominant season here, but I always run warm, so practical winter items aren't as necessary as they are for others. I have a puffer, Uggs and appropriate accessories to wear when I have playground duty in the winter, but I lean much more toward wool coats with interesting details and non-gear.

9 years ago

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

1. My style descriptors are:feminine, casual, colorful,maximal,boho. 2. I use fashion as my artistic creative outlet. I would also describe myself as a mood dresser 3. I don't go for sexy looks but prefer to feel Sassy and create looks that put a spring in my step. 4. I use the term Ying/Yang a lot to describe my favorite looks like leather moto jacket with a dress. 5. After losing weight and creating a wardrobe of a lot of classics from thrifting,I am now adding more modern and trendy items to the mix.

9 years ago

Alana in Canada

(website)

Veteran

Sorry, shedev, I really can't tell you five things about my style. I am still learning. I'll tell you what I have learnt, though.

1) I want a small wardrobe for being about the house and running errands and going out. (I, too wear a kind of uniform. The work clothes remain completely separate from "my" clothes.) I LOVE the vivienne files/french capsule wardrobes as an idea--but as I actually begin to assemble the components, I admit I feel a little bored.
2) Scoop neck, turtleneck or V neck, just about any neckline looks good on me. (I've yet to try a boatneck, though)
3) I do not like Body con on me.
4) Comfort--always.
5) I think I like a little "edge" to my look, a little something unexpected--though heaven knows what.

9 years ago

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Shedev! Another uniform wearer! I've identified myself, Mo, Anna and you. {Group Hug}

Here are 5 things about me:
1. I spend most of my time in my uniform/dress code.
Where YLF can help me: any tips on the best non or light ironing/easy care woven white shirts? Send them my way. Ditto on the latest in non-slip, 8+ hours on-your-feet shoe technology. And I'm always on the lookout for jeans or pants that don't slide down with lots of activity and motion.
2. My style has been described by Angie as both "Urban Pacific" and "Farm Fashionista."
Where YLF can help me: what can I say? Sometimes I think all of you know me and my style better than I know myself.
3. My lifestyle is super casual (the "Farm" part of the above descriptors reflects 90% of my life -- the urban and fashionista activities comprise a minority of my activities).
Where YLF can help me: keep me real! Don't let me over-buy for my fantasy lifestyle.
4. Conflicting Style Personas. As others have described (Alaskagirl, Sarah the White), I am torn between different style personas. On the one hand I lean towards colorful Boho/rocker skewing looks, on the other hand I want to achieve a sort of Scandinavian minimalism.
Where YLF can help me: help me be OK with this! Does everything have to be consistent and cohesive? Can one person express really different style personas from one day to the next?
5. Overshopper. I admit, I love to shop, I buy too much. I have more than I can actually wear, especially given my non-eventful, uniform-wearing, casual lifestyle.
Where YLF can help me: help me curb my appetite for buying. Hopefully with a technique that does not involve an SYC or ban. Any ideas?

9 years ago

T

Active Member

This is a bit tough as when I actually start to think about it, I have style preferences that are opposing in some ways:
1. I love preppy style. Blazers, skinny pants, boots, striped tees or plaid really make my heart sing. I also love the French girl uniform of scarfs with skinny pants.
2. Yet I also love being trendy, I generally want to be the first to adopt & wear trends. Skater dresses, crop tops, palazzo plants I want to try them all!
3. Figure flattery is high for me, as I recently lost a lot of weight and suddenly now have access to styles & clothes I never ever had before! I'm wearing pencil skirts & dresses & skinny jeans for the first time in my life! I want to look good after years of just being happy to find anything in a store that fit me & was decent looking. Part of me also wants to make up for the early twenties I spent hiding under clothes.
4. I also have a bit of goth in me. I love black & do wear a lot of it.
5. I have trouble accessorizing. I recently have taken steps where I spend two minutes every morning wearing some accessory with my office clothes. But I do have to use pinterest to really get ideas on how to finish off an outfit.
6. Because I have a full-time job I do get an opportunity every morning to dress up. The dress code is formal & modest though, but since we live in India, a lot more accepting of color. I tend to use clothes to motivate me, esp on Monday Mornings!

9 years ago

viva

Veteran

It's been so fun to read everyone's 5. Here are mine.

1. My style persona is "Sophisticated Tomboy," and Angie has made Ines de la Fressange a hero of mine. I'm constantly trying to find the right balance of updated classic with a little roughness. I love to mix moods in an outfit: feminine/masculine, uptown/downtown, hard/soft.

2. My two favorite shapes are the slim pant and the shift dress. I love the simplicity of both, and I love using either as the foundation of an outfit. I am fairly small and angular, and I don't wear arty layers, too much drape, or anything that is too loose.

3. I push against any look that is too prim, too polished, or too perfect. I feel it ages me and makes me look boring. I am naturally an achiever and a straight arrow / geek, so early on I realized I would have to actively seek out ways to roughen myself up.

4. I edited my wardrobe and have successfully identified some wardrobe holes that I am actively working to fill: shoes, sweaters, tops for going out, skinny denim.

5. When I am not traveling for work, I still struggle on a lot of days to get up and get dressed. I'll take the dogs for a run or go to yoga and then work in my workout clothes. I've got to get a handle on this and frankly, I am not sure how.

9 years ago

Kimberley

Veteran

What a great thread! Here are mine:

1. I live in a four season climate with long winters and dress primarily for a business casual office job. Outside of work I live in jeans except for weekly date nights and I own a lot of dresses for this purpose.

2. My ideal outfit would be boot cut jeans, sleek pointy toed boots, and a leather jacket with interesting, not flashy details. I prefer understated, sleek and simple over fussy. No bows, ruffles, etc.

3. I don't like a lot of colour. I wear a lot of black although it's not the best colour for me. I try to wear more colour, but it just doesn't feel like me. I don't generally like high contrast outfits, but I do love a black and white print. My best colours are autumnal shades but I feel strange wearing them in the spring/summer.

4. Traditional figure flattery is important to me. I have had four babies in four years and seen more slouchy clothing than I care to admit. I cannot surrender the waist without feeling like I am wearing maternity clothes. Just. Can't. Do. It.
I want to look modern, but not necessarily trendy.

5. I fear that I will ultimately end up dressed like my mother. Really.

9 years ago

Meredith

Veteran

Great idea shedev!

I’ve never put much thought into identifying perfect fit or styling my clothes and would really like to improve in these areas.

I’ve changed jobs and climates 4 times in the last 6 years
(thanks hubby ), so my wardrobe is lean and confused.

Color, pattern, and texture excited me most when looking at
clothing.

I thought it would take me ages to identify my style descriptors, but artistic eclectic as defined by Angie is pretty spot-on. There is definitely something more to it, though. Right now I’m calling it Repressed Artistic Eclectic Urbanite because there are parts of me that want to dress with more edge and flair, but exploring those areas somehow feels disingenuous (my city barely qualifies as urban and I am not an artist). So, I’m still figuring all that out and in the past have defaulted to classic pieces. I really do like classic style, but I’m trying to break the habit of using it as a crutch.

9 years ago

citygirldc

(website)

Veteran

This is so hard for me because I like a lot of styles these days. I too live in a 4 season climate. I work in a conservative field (Fed Government) so I wear lots of dresses and jackets and separates, and you don't see a full suit these days. Black is my staple neutral, next to gray.

In the past, I knew what I liked (black, black and black) but now I'm self evolving and love everything from prints to colorblocking to minimalism. I like retro 60s looks but in a modern way (Zara). I like color, prints, and feminine dresses (think Anthropologie). I like prep (J Crew) and I like rock. I don't know what defines me these days but as long as I like it and it looks good on me, then it doesn't matter.

9 years ago

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