Attempt at Collage and Avatars....round 2 - YouLookFab Forum

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Attempt at Collage and Avatars....round 2

Sal

Veteran

Thanks to TorontoGirl and Kaelyn for the inspiration. I am not sure I am fully there yet but wanted to give this a go!!

My Style Statement - Relaxed bold elegance

I came up with four avatars split into approximate percentages I need in my wardrobe based on usual (non Covid) activities. Please keep in mind I don't see myself as Grace Kelly or Villanelle...... I feel like I have the first and last pretty well sorted (they are the easiest for me). I have worked on my business wardrobe and am happy with it now. Getting the balance in our male dominated aviation industry has made it a bit tricky. The second one is one I love - but would like to expand a little bit. And I think where I can go wrong at times......

The Film Star (10%)
Muse: Grace Kelly on and off duty
Palette: camel, off white, black
Key pieces: sheath dress, big sunglasses, heels
Natural habitat: evening events
Representation in my closet: I have several pieces - enough for my needs. Love this for parties or meals out or celebrations.

The Flamboyant Fashionista (20%)
Muse: Villanelle from Killing Eve
Palette: Bolder patterns, textures, pinks and reds, florals, hats and sunglasses
Key pieces: Dresses, skirts, sandals and boots, coats
Natural habitat: Working from home, at the beach on holiday, casual night with friends
Representation in my closet: Not good. Would like to pursue this further. This is where I find wildcards...

The Business Owner (30%)
Muse: ??
Palette: Black, camel, blush,
Key pieces: black pants, boots, knit tops, easy dresses, tidy denim– all practical, non revealing and timeless
Natural habitat: working from the office or home, meetings and conferences.
Representation in my closet: Good, after a bit of purchasing over the last six months.

Active Sporty Practical POTG (40%)
Muse: ??
Palette: Denim, Stripes, pink, coral, black, navy
Key pieces: sneakers, sports gear, scarves, shorts, knitwear, sunglasses
Natural habitat: the sports sideline, walking with friends, working from home, day trips, holidays
Representation in my closet: Mostly pretty good, although this needs the most regular updates due to wear.

I also made a collage with some of my favourite Pinterest images that I think represent some of these styles. I added a few WIW that represent different aspects of my style.

What I am I missing? Any ideas for muses or words (the titles could be improved?) And this is a bit disparate.....but I think/hope there is a common link.

Thanks in Advance.

ETA: Have revamped this and refined it further down the thread after the great input and some further thought.

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43 replies

Latest reply was from Sal

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Yes! The common link is your statement: relaxed bold elegance. And wow, do you exemplify it! Gorgeous photos of you. \

Also, your key neutrals and colours remain quite constant across the board, so there is that. If your colours and neutrals are consistent, you never know how you might end up mixing pieces down the line. I mean, honestly -- five years ago, who thought we'd be wearing sneakers as much as we are these days? You could be wearing new(ish) sneakers with an (older) silk top and still remaining true to your style.

I'm terrible with avatars/ muses, Sally, so I can't help you much with that.

Do you think you got any closer to clarity for yourself, though, going forward? Do you feel you've identified some holes or potential gaps to fill?

Joy

Veteran

You look fabulous in dresses and skirts. You need to think about adding to your Flamboyant Fashionista capsule. You could overlap this capsule into Business Owner and even the other two capsules.

rachylou

Veteran

I have to think more on avatars and their role... there’s something about your selection that makes me go Aha! but I can’t articulate it in words. But it has something to do with how I think Victoria Beckham has smashing style and yet I’d never want to wear her clothes and I like the Olsen Twins enough to want to see their collection in person but only rarely want to wear their look... but I DO occasionally wear grandpa slippers and a sack (lol).

Also: is there a reason for four avatars?

Kaelyn

Veteran

YAY, your collage looks great! Thanks for sharing. The avatar stuff was interesting to read, too, though I'm still working on wrapping my head around it as a concept. Joy's assessment that you could get some overlap between your Fashionista and Business Owner capsules makes sense to me. If you're your own boss (I'm not sure if you meant literally or figuratively, but hey, either way), you get to dress however the heck you want, after all!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

This is great! Before I went to sleep last night I was jotting notes on my phone for myself about this too! You have fleshed out the ideas really well. I love the movie star one of course, that’s the most fun one to me.
Rachylou, I think the four might be because this partly arose out of discussion about shadow personas, and that we all have different roles and different directions we may like to pursue...but Sally please correct me if that’s wrong.
Sigourney Weaver as an avatar for the business owner one??- from both Alien and Avatar, if I have the right movies??

Helena

Veteran

Ooh Sally this is fabulous! And yes I can see all these aspects to your style, I think you do them all so well!

Thinking on a muse for your business owner avatar ... There's a design guru in Canada called Sarah Richardson that has a professional style that looks stylish but also right at home when she visits construction sites ... And she has that stylish flare that adds some boldness to her practical looks ... Will scope around for pics ...

Brooklyn

Veteran

Great work! I can see those 4 different aspects to your style and how identifying them will help with planning.

I don’t know if I can be much help on naming avatars/muses. I tend to think in terms of vibe/mood rather than personality/monikers. That said, there’s gotta be a more inspiring name for avatar 4! I will think on it.

Bijou

Veteran

Sal I can see your Avatars in how you dress. However I think you are missing the elegant 70s influence in how you dress. Which Avatar does the outfit with the white camisole and black cropped flares fit? It looks so good on you.

celia

Veteran

I am loving how you identified your avatars in your style. There is a bold quality in all the fabulous outfits you are showing here.I am not great at recommendations for others but would love to know more about this journey.

rachylou

Veteran

... Oh! The Cardinal Points. Yes, of course.

And Sarah Richardson! Love to watch her shows!

Anonymous

I see all of you in these . The Flamboyant Fashionista one might need further fleshing out though? You mention the pieces as being worn at the beach on holiday ...which sort of confuses me, but I suspect it could be because our versions of beach holidays are vastly different (that's a cultural thing )

The FF category seems to have pieces that are in other categories too ...I'm just thinking aloud here as I'm working through this exercise myself . The others make a lot of sense and cover all the bases.

What about your at-home /leisure wear? Again, thinking for myself here ....do we have an avatar for our off-duty selves?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Fun read and analysis! Your avatars sound spot on - although I'm missing an important reference to the '70s. Looking at Farrah Faucett on your collage brought it all home

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

HAHAHA! I just read Bijou's comment after positing my comment. We're on the same wavelength

L'Abeille

Veteran

for #3 the business owner, from your description I was thinking of the French fashion editors from the description (Karine Roitfeld comes to mind, for one). I wasn't sure if that was way off the mark, but then I saw your pic with the faux fur coat. What do you think?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I think Flamboyant Fashionista could bring in that 70s Glam, no?

Helena

Veteran

Wish I could find a better Sarah photo, but her on-the-job uniform is famously a great blazer, jeans, and a patterned top or she adds interest with jewellery. Never anything precious. Very practical, but still with a bit of flare. Imagine this blazer in coral for you Sal? *cartoon heart eyes* But the formula works equally well with neutrals.

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Anonymous

Good idea re: Sarah Richardson, Helena. Although I can see here too.

Anonymous

Your natural classiness shines forth in all these looks!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

The descriptor is great - it contains the relaxed/bold element of your style. I like the idea of Farrah in Charlie Angels as a subtype too!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

YES. Jaime is dead right. You need a Charlies Angels Avatar! Sporty Relaxed Bold Elegance to a tee. That's our wonderful Sal

nemosmom

Veteran

You nailed it, Sal! I can see you represented in all the descriptions you provided. Agree with others about Farrah - maybe this could be your POTG?

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Anonymous

at Farrah! Can't help with muses, since I don't watch TV or movies, but love your dress outfits especially! Think I'd like the Vilanelle style most

Sal

Veteran

Thanks all! I will revisit this later today - I need to do so on my computer rather than phone! I think I could merge a couple of these together and Charlie’s Angels could help with this......

Sal

Veteran

Back to this...

Thanks Suz. Your comments are very kind. What this made me realise is that I need to keep an eye open for statements that feel very "me" to pursue that more flamboyant side of my style.

Joy - I do agree that I could pursue this side and merge with my casual style and with my work style.... (fabulous coat, statement shoes etc)...

Rachylou - I chose four because I couldn't quite work out how to make it three - but I might have done so now....

Kaelyn - thanks. I am my own boss (sort of) and have no dress code. Some days I need jeans and boots because I am in a workshop environment, but often I work from an office or from home. It is engineering and male dominated and located at a small airport with grass to walk on....so no high heels, white with caution, and practical looks only.

Thanks Jenni - I love the movie star one but when I think about it is nowhere like 10% of my life - more like 1% or 2-3 times a year. I will check out Sigourney Weaver - I do like her acting especially Aliens and Ghostbusters.....

Torontogirl - thanks for the inspiration. I like Sarah Richardson's style - she does have a bit of flair with a practical edge which is what I need...

Haha Brooklyn - the name is not great is it. I was low on inspiration by then. I don't know if muses quite work for me either - but the names do for the others.

Bijou - thank you. That was an outfit I wore for a summer BBQ here back in the first week of March. I loved it too but it is not quite any of these of categories (maybe a blend of them all....) And I agree re the 1970s...

Celia - I am there with some but not with others. And thank you for the nice comments.

LisaP - haha - beach vacation is probably the clearer term. The FF is aspirational and I don't think I am there. The last one would be my weekend, walking, errands, at home wear. I do have a couple of pieces that are strictly loungewear but I don't quite count them as fashion.

Sal

Veteran

Angie - I know..... and I think I have vague plan to incorporate the 70s love........I will write this at the end.

L'Abeille - I love Carine Roitfeld - I love the insouchiance of her style. But I think she is cooler than me (well duh - of course, A French Magazine editor)....but I do like the undone aspect of her style.

Xtabay - thank you! That is a lovely comment.

Shevia - thanks - Farrah is definitely part of the plan now:)

NemosMom - haha a trend is happening... (I am not sad about it)

Thanks Suntiger - Villanelle has a wardrobe to envy but she is absolutely terrifying.....(a trained assassin).

I have a thought about incorporating the four into three..... and will have a bit of fun tweaking it later and come back tomorrow with some further thoughts.

Sal

Veteran

Here we go - I think I have it:-

Relaxed Bold Elegance or The Grown up Charlies Angel......

Overall I will take the Charlies Angels theme and mix it up a bit. I love 70s style (and early 80s) but of course they were stars in their 20s....I am in my very very very late 40s... So I will take it and grow it up a bit.... taking the characters (Jill, Kelly, Sabrina, Chris in particular) forward a few years whilst retaining their love for fashion and glamorous jobs.

The Grown up Charlies Angel heading out on the town (10%)
Palette: camel, off white, black
Key pieces: sheath dress, big sunglasses, heels
Natural habitat: evening events
Representation in my closet: I have several pieces - enough for my needs. Love this for parties or meals out or celebrations.

The Grown up Charlies Angel having fun with fashion (20%)
Palette: Bolder patterns, textures, pinks and reds, florals, hats and sunglasses
Key pieces: Dresses, skirts, sandals and boots, coats, 1970s looks
Natural habitat: Working from home, girls nights out, beach vacations.
Representation in my closet: Would like to pursue this further. This is where I find wildcards...

The Grown up Charlies Angel at work (30%)
Palette: Black, camel, blush,
Key pieces: black pants, boots, knit tops, easy dresses, tidy denim– all practical, non revealing and timeless
Natural habitat: working from the office or home, meetings and conferences.
Representation in my closet: Good, after a bit of purchasing over the last six months.

The Grown up Charlies Angel off duty (40%)
Palette: Denim, Stripes, pink, coral, black, navy
Key pieces: sneakers, sports gear, scarves, shorts, knitwear, sunglasses
Natural habitat: the sports sideline, walking with friends, working from home, day trips, vacations with family
Representation in my closet: Mostly pretty good, although this needs the most regular updates due to wear.

Am I there?

I did love the suggestions made by others too such as Sigourney or Sarah or Carine and I do like their style a lot. But this simpler version feels right.....

Bijou

Veteran

Sal you definitely have the Angel vibe going on. Jacqueline Smith is still gorgeous and retains her Angel look without looking like she is not embracing her age. I always loved Charlie’s Angels and the more recent movies too.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Awesome! None of us will ever top this!

Brooklyn

Veteran

Yes! And of course the Charlie’s Angel crew did adopt different personas for different aspects of their sleuthing work. Brilliant!

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