Minaminu - thanks for the kind words! I'd like to keep this image close and visible to keep me focused, too, and to inspire me. What I like about the images I've chosen is that many of them combine different styles similarly to what I want to do.
La Pedestrienne - thanks for pointing out the edge aspect of it, I hadn't thought about that, but it's definitely part of it. I really like the hats, too--I've always been a Hat Person.
torontogirl - QPE sounds so good! I'll think it over for a while along with the other suggestions!
Preppy Pear - thank you! I'm a big fan of blazers because they look good for professional and casual settings and I find them highly versatile. I'm glad you like the combination of styles I'm going for, and I will definitely post more outfits soon.
Jenn - thanks for sharing your old collage! I love all the pretty florals and fluid layers. Printing is a great idea--I think I'll do that with mine!
Angie - I am a child of the 90s and I love grunge! I'm undecided on whether I want to explicitly include it in my moniker because I tend to fall into a "does this count as X? No? I'm failing at my own style, aaah!" spiral if I get too specific. But I really like the idea of "grunge academic" because those aren't two words you usually think to put together and it sounds super fun.
slim cat - I would love to see your collage if you make one!
Roxanna - I'm glad it looks cohesive! And you should definitely try it if you think it sounds like fun!
MsMaven - yes, taking a look right before shopping or referencing it during shopping would be a great way to keep the overall idea in mind! I'm a very emotional shopper by nature and sometimes I get distracted by things I think I want but really should just be admiring and appreciating on others because they're pretty, but just not me, as you put it.
Sal - that's a very good point about words meaning different things to different people. I wrote down all the suggestions and am going to ponder it for a while and see what I gravitate toward moving forward, and I expect that after a while, something will click and I'll know which one fits best.
Style Fan - I highly recommend it, and I'd love to see your collage if you make one!
rachylou - my parents are a bit young to have been hippies, but my mom definitely has some aspects of the vibe down (and over the last several years, she's loosened up more, and I'm so proud of her/happy for her), and my dad just doesn't understand or relate to personal style at all, so I've always felt very free to explore. I count myself lucky. The only time I ever felt forced into clothes I hated was at church as a kid because pretty, dainty dresses with white tights and buckled dress shoes were so not me, but I was raised Episcopalian, and dressing up like that was all but mandatory. Thank you for sharing a bit of your story with me!
shevia - go for it! I'd love to see your collage if you make one! And I agree, having the visual does help make things clearer. I'm really happy I did this.