Some of us have very uniform sartorial preferences, drawing our looks from a single fashion persona. Others have a wide range of preferences covering many different personas. And a third group draw from two very distinct personas.
For example, a number of my clients draw from these two, somewhat opposing, personas:
- Neutral, hard-edged rock ’n’ roll look with tough elements and lots of black components.
- Colourful, soft, and more romantic vibe that is playful, a little bohemian at times, and not as serious.
This is not uncommon, and if you find yourself in this third category there is room for you to navigate and satisfy both personas. You can either alternate between them, or combine elements of both into the same outfit.
1. Rock One Persona at a Time
Pander to your mood by wearing neutral and tough looks one day, and softer and more colourful and playful looks on other days. Some of my clients like to keep their work wardrobes on the serious and hard-edged side, but go colourful, romantic and pretty over the weekend or on vacation.
2. Rock Each One Seasonally
A hard-edged look lends itself well to cooler weather because of items like denim, jackets, leather, boots, layers, and wearing lots of black. Conversely, soft, colourful and romantic dressing lends itself well to warmer weather because of flimsy fabrics, flowing silhouettes, a lot more white, and brighter colours. Some of my clients like to wear neutral and tough looks during the Autumn and Winter, but switch out to a more bohemian, colour-rich and pretty style in the Spring and Summer.
3. Combine Both in One Outfit
This is a little harder to achieve, but it gets the creative juices flowing. It is very satisfying once you’ve got the hang of it. The result can be a colourful, bohemian and romantic style with tough and hard-edged components. Or a rock ’n’ roll style with a good dose of playful patterns and pretty jewellery.
Here are some examples inspired by my clients:
- Neutral, tough looks with bright red or coral nail polish and lipstick, colourful bags, beachy bohemian wavy long locks, and large playful hoop earrings.
- Pretty floral dresses with stompy black boots or chunky black sandals, black studded cuffs, and skull rings.
- A pretty pair of white jeans with an asymmetrical and avant-garde black blouse, black sandals, blush bag, black and blush patterned scarf, and lots of chunky silver jewellery.
- Fuchsia ruffles with black leather, pair of dainty and refined footwear with a black moto jacket.
- A pile of pearls with a Pearl Jam T-shirt.
Of course, you can move between these strategies if that tickles your fancy. The point is that you don’t need to feel boxed into one fashion persona when you’re drawn to multiple of them. With a little forethought, organization, and creativity, you can have it all.
Over to you. Are you drawn to more than one, different fashion persona? If so, how do you integrate them into your style?
