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Different style personae

Liesbeth

Veteran

I was wondering if there are others here who feel they have different style personae. I recall someone mentioning their ‘shadow style’ once so I guess there are… How do you deal with this when wardrobe building? Do you have one ‘main’ style that makes up the majority of your clothes, then a small selection that veers into different territory? Do you think this means you haven’t honed in on your ‘true’ style enough or do you
consider yourself a bit of a chameleon? Do you combine different style personae in one outfit for a very individual result or do you choose one style every morning depending on how you feel?

Personal story: for years I’ve been drawn to menswear inspired, neutral and minimal outfits on most days but then to classically feminine things on others. Can one be an androgynous minimalist with a demure bombshell shadow style?? I feel like some days I want to be the college professor and on others the sensual secretary ;). This is not easy when
rebuilding a wardrobe as I can’t afford two of everything. Yet I cannot imagine either of those styles ‘winning’ anytime soon as they’ve both been there for years now …

Extra thanks if you can link me to an Angie post on this topic – not very good with searching the archives.

Dressing

18 replies

Latest reply was from Gigi

RobinF

Veteran

Hmm, very interesting question. Personally I don't think I have a shadow style. I might WANT to look different but I am usually drawn to things that are comfortably "me". When I branch out it is still "me" but maybe a more daring me.

Kathie

Veteran

My styles for work vs. weekend are pretty divergent. Work is sleek, lots of neutrals with pops of color, straight cut dresses and pencil skirts. Weekends are still simple, but much more color, prints, denim, and even the occasional ruffle. I have a few tops that cross over between very casual, no-meeting days at work, and weekends. but otherwise, I buy separately for each sphere. I’m occasionally tempted to get something that’s feminine/bright/printed in a dressier fabrication, but usually I resist, since those items often become orphans- neither my style for work, or casual/practical enough for weekend.

Carla

Veteran

I've almost always had 'tomboy' as a discriptor, but have morphed from 'happy tomboy' to 'elegant tomboy'. I have a wardrobe that leans heavily on CLASSIC and SPORTY items in luxe fabrications, even for daytime. My signiture pieces are SILVER Converse sneakers and utility sandals, a bomber jacket in black satin with floral embroidery, t-shirts and tank tops in casual and luxe fabrications, jeans (including 3 pair in white), trousers that borrow elements from gym-wear (full and flowey like yoga pants or with adrawstring waist). I have a ROMANTIC streak that is expressed with velvet, lace, cashmere, curly hair. (As a 'happy' I had a more colourful wardrobe, as an 'elegant' I have a more neutral wardrobe but luxe fabrications and textural interest.)

JUXTOPOSITION in an outfit - lace top with jeans, jean jacket over dress, etc. -is my favourite formula for creating interest in an outfit. From what you describe, I could see you mixing your style personas and wearing , for example, romantic florals with tweed or plaid. A tailored blazer jacket could be a signiture piece. Maybe splurge on a beautiful Smythe or similar topper. Look for patterned trousers, jeans or skirt (dark, romantic, floral) and silky button downs (or tie -neck/pussy bow!) or cashmere t-shirt style sweaters. Footwear could be a menswear brogue or a feminine pointy toe.

always trying

Veteran

I feel I do not really have a style. being old, I do not look like most women in my age bracket. I wear jeans a lot as I find them practical and comfortable. most are narrow leg or skinnies, and for summer crops. I always try not to dress too young though, Guess i just aim for classic, neat and comfortable.always skip trendy things that are not me-like cold shoulder, but do like interesting sleeves, and more trendy footwear.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

"Can one be an androgynous minimalist with a demure bombshell shadow style??"

OF COURSE, Liesbeth

I was a Tomboy who was equal parts LADY about four years ago. I evolved from Tomboy and am now 100% LADY and Urban Polish. Bring on the Pretty.

Christina F.

Veteran

I don't know if it's a shadow style, but I think my styles are a bit different in summer and winter. In the former, I skew a little more preppy, and in the latter, a little harder edged.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Those with eclectic taste can be drawn to a variety of styles and mix them up. Others have two major style personalities and alternate between them. It's all good.

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Anonymous

Honestly- I think yes.
If you follow the advice of mothers every where: wear clean good underwear in case of an accident...... doctors in the ER would get a big surprise with me- giggle giggle.
I am a solid sporty classic and outwardly I do not have a romantic / bombshell style at all. My underpinnings are a different story. My underwear is much more romantic / bombshell than sporty or classic.
Is that an alternate personality- Nah- I think it’s more speaking to that aspect of my personality in a small way that is comfortable to me.

3style

Veteran

I always go with: “what kind of image do I want to project?” And work my way backwards from there. For example at a moment when I suddenly and drastically lost weight on account of illness, I bought a pair of pinstriped gray denim pants. They had enough formality for business casual, but could also be dressed down. I think it’s harder to rebuild a tiny capsule with pieces that veer very far in one direction of formality or another.

I do find I tend to dress preppier than my style preference for pragmatic reasons. I need to be taken seriously most of the time, and I need to not spend time ironing or dashing to the dry cleaners more than twice a month, and I need to not buy new clothing all the time, at this point more from a time than a money perspective, thankfully.... I feel like the easiest way to do this is mostly washable preppy clothing.

Last summer I tried to buy a few of those bright feminine and printed crossover pieces that Kathie alluded to in her response. I do wear them a lot, but primarily for activities where nothing else will do, like popping by physical therapy at lunchtime with no time to change clothing during the day. I don’t really like a few of them, but I figured out it’s because I prefer blue to bright pink for this kind of thing, so I feel like I learned something.

As I was telling Sterling on the budget for new wardrobe thread, I think it’s important for women to give themselves permission to be pragmatic at certain challenging life moments.

Liesbeth

Veteran

Thanks all for your wisdom and experiences!
Runcarla: some good tips there! Florals and romantic is not really me, but pussy bow blouses and pointy footwear could work!
Angie: I'd forgotten all about that, will check your older posts :).
Suz: thanks for the links, will check them out later!
3style: you are so right, fashion brings me a welcome diversion from the challenges of transitioning into motherhood but at the same time I must not get perfectionist about it because that just takes out all the fun and adds more chores to my to do list!

Like the Season

Interesting question, Liesbeth!

With help on this forum, I chose "arty casual" as the phrase best describing my main (current) persona. But at various times in my life, I've embraced preppy, sporty, outdoorsy, grunge, new wave, minimalist.

These days, all those elements are somehow represented in my fairly small wardrobe, which I mix and match to my heart's content. And I ended up with look that is pure "me."

One thing I've learned is that I should buy clothes mainly because I love them, not because they fit a particular persona. If I focus on the latter, I lose the fun of dressing.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have a sort of core style (sophisticated badass) but a few shadow styles that seem to mesh into that style pretty well — a little sporty tomboy, a little bombshell, a little boho. I like it that way because I am an emotional dresser and enjoy variety. I tap into these other styles depending on occasion and mood.

Anonymous

Like the Season’s last point is spot on for me too.
If I like it, it doesn’t have to fit a mold, only bring me joy.

Anonymous

Yes, I think you can do tomboy and bombshell. And I don’t think you need to segregate the looks. Mixing them would create your own unique style.

But it does take some thought as to how to mix these two personas.

Sal

Veteran

Yes - I am like Janet - second time today- my core style is flamboyant natural but I lean classic, sporty, bombshell and boho on different days and different seasons and occasions. I don't do bombshell at work but I might wear white sneakers (sporty) or my faux fur ( boho). I try for easy elegant relaxed long lines. I don't always get it right though!!

It might only be one or two dresses or a gorgeous pencil skirt in your shadow style - but that might be enough. I only have three or four bombshell dresses - so it is not a big part of my wardrobe but I do like the chance to pretend to be Joan from Mad Men!

jussie

Veteran

Yes I definitely have this. I usually swing between two main looks: librarian-ish in Care Bear colour palette OR boho lite. Occasionally I’ll do classic too. I have a couple of polished sophisticated items too.... just for fun :).

bj1111

Veteran

Yup. I’ve let go of the dystopian preppie. Now I’m working on brooks bros x Coachella for off hours or casual work days and mistress of the universe on serious work days or conferences

Gigi

Veteran

I haven't read the other comments, but I would say yes, you can have those two styles as part of your "real" self. We do have contraries within ourselves, and that's OK!

I have two main styles that are pretty much equal: a boho style, and a sleek modern style. They have been there for a long time. I consider them both "me."

I also have a shadow style that I call rocker chic, which is a little tough looking (but still feminine). The rocker chic is a side of me that likes to come out and play only every now and then, so I have just a few pieces for this style--but they are important ones (leather jacket, studded booties, coated leather-look jeans).

I have also recently started developing what I call my French girl style: classics with a fluid fit, with a bit of a sensual vibe.

How to buy for several styles can be tricky. I buy just a few pieces at a time, in whatever style I feel drawn to at the moment. I try to concentrate most of my money on my main styles and not overbuy for the shadow styles.

As you buy pieces and start to wear them, you might feel drawn to other styles as a tangent...so I think it's a good idea to go slow and allow your mind and emotions time to subconciously chew on what you're wearing.