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Help with Style Moniker

Sara L.

Veteran

I need some help with a style moniker. I can't believe that after all the time I've been on YLF, I've never figured this out.
I think it would be useful in reducing outfit duds and evaluating individual pieces. The closest I've gotten is telling myself that I'm no longer allowed to buy "cute" shoes and that has helped immensely to avoid shoe mistakes.

Here's some photos of favorite outfits (although honestly I like the vast majority of my outfits lately and this was actually a difficult exercise that ended up being somewhat random) from the past few months but you can always go back and look at my WIW posts for more outfits.

Thanks in advance for your help!

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30 replies

Latest reply was from Suz

Anonymous

Looking fab, and love the kitty in the background.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sara, I made a suggestion in the blog comments right away:

Casual Refined Eclectic, or Southwest Refined Eclectic.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I LOVE #1 and #2. KILLER.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

#8 makes me smile, and your wavy hair is adorable.

Sara L.

Veteran

Ooh, I like Refined Eclectic (sometimes Casual, sometimes not). Thanks! I can't get behind Southwest as the photos below are what Southwest style looks like around here - colorful, rustic, etc.

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JAileen

Veteran

I would have included Southwest in your moniker, but when you posted the home style pictures, they look like a caricature of Southwest style. I guess I don’t live in the Southwest like I thought I did!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Polished was the first word that came to me. I thought about star in it somewhere ( but that may have been the Star Wars T-shirt!). And I thought you are pretty enough to look like a celebrity, Julia Roberts comes to mind. So then I got Polished Performer in my head. I don't mean you're not genuine, I mean in terms of performing your various roles as engineer, wife and mother.

jussie

Veteran

I see you like to play with different looks and palettes and there is a gamine freshness to your looks, so it makes me think of the following words: fun, playful,
Light hearted, pretty, enchanting, sweet.
Best of luck

Bonnie

Veteran

Eclectic for sure. I also like colorful for you. What about elegant?

Sal

Veteran

I also see polished in there strongly - you wear a variety of colours and shapes - but often with that smart casual, dressy, professional balance

Anonymous

I agree with others that your work looks are somewhat dressy. I think you wear a lot of playful looks, and most have a feminine vibe.

rachylou

Veteran

2 is my all time favourite. So chic! I do see Refined Eclectic Casual... re casual, casual is a tricky word. It can be fancy or not. I feel you are have a bit of fancy, but are never stiff... Fancy Casual Chic?

LaPed

Veteran

I agree with you, I don't see enough turquoise or cowhide for true southwestern.

I'm no Angie when it comes to monikers, but I'd go with Playful Elegance. Your WIW round-up is great, btw. Especially 2 and 3.

Lynn

Veteran

I am really bad at style monikers or statements. Angie's refined eclectic does seem to fit and I also see the fun, playful element. Maybe refined, playful, eclectic?

Anyway, I really like all your outfits especially 1, 2 and 4. In fact they are what I am aiming for so I am really glad you posted them. If had could tolerate a jacket and needed to wear a skirt or dress your outfits would be what I would aim for

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

(Not that I really know what Southwest style is......so I'm gad you set me right).

Definitely Eclectic, and Colour too. How about Colour-Rich Refined Eclectic.

Sara L.

Veteran

Ok, those pictures are slightly exaggerated. Here's some below that are more indicative of what I would actually find in a normal person's house. White walls are much more common that the painted walls in the first photos. I'm mainly just trying to get across why "Southwestern" is a word that doesn't resonate for me when it comes to style. It just goes to show how words can have different connotations for different people.

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texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I agree that Southwestern is a much more rustic, old world style. I see you as more Modern Soft Polish or something along those lines - not so much eclectic because I feel that is more "busy" or mixed styles and yours seem mostly more streamlined.

JAileen

Veteran

Okay, the second set of home pictures are really nice. I can see that they aren’t your style, though.

Mainelady

Veteran

Refined Eclectic?

Sal

Veteran

I think it needs to be catchy.... so I wonder if

Relaxed fashionista
Fashionista on the go
Practical Princess

with descriptors of colourful, refined

I always love your WIW Sara because they are practical for your busy life (work, family, exercise, climate, budget - mix of thrifted and new), fashion forward, you experiment a fair bit with new colours or combinations, and have a natural polish and refinement even in denim shorts and a tee....

Sara L.

Veteran

This has been a fun and illuminating exercise. It also feeds directly into today's blog post about Style Adjectives. I still haven't settled on a Style Moniker although I think Refined (or maybe Polished) is a key word. I'm still ruminating - I'm not sure Eclectic is quite the right word - I don't feel like my style is quite that mixed up. Although maybe that's where having an outside view is helpful - I don't feel that eclectic but maybe it looks that way to everyone else. I don't Fashionista is quite right either - I'm not trendy enough. Still thinking. I'm going to work on adjectives too and maybe that will cement things in place.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

#1 and #2 are killer outfits on you, wow!

I think of jewel tones when I think of you because you look so brilliant in them.

I like Sal's suggestion of "relaxed fashionista" but I hear you re trends...although you do incorporate quite a lot -- that is where people see eclecticism, I think. You wear a lot of different silhouettes, different patterns, colours -- your signature might be the combination of the "relaxed" and "polished" in one outfit.

Sara L.

Veteran

Thanks Suz for chiming in. "Relaxed" might be a key word for me. I think Angie might have been going for the same vibe with "Casual" but I tend to think of my style as a weekday sort of "dressed up" style and then a weekend casual style. I can't put Casual in my Moniker because it confuses my mental categories.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Relaxed Refinement.

karen13

Veteran

I love relaxed refinement, and also see smart the way I think Ginger uses it.

unfrumped

Veteran

A blogger used the term Comfortably Dressy as goal of being able to have a single wardrobe that worked for most occasions as well as everyday wear. That sort of mirrors Relaxed Refinement. Seeing a dressy or even feminine element in your outfits but comfortable style and fabrics that could make it through the day.

SarahD8

Veteran

Two elements that I see in all of the outfits that you posted are Polish (e.g., pointy toes) and Playfulness (e.g, Star Wars shirt, but can also be more subtle like the fun scarf in #7).

Sara L.

Veteran

I'm going with Relaxed Polish. I actually like the words Refined or Refinement slightly better but it doesn't off my tongue or come to mind quite as easily as Polish. Many of the terms on this thread are going to be helpful coming up with 5 adjectives. Words like Playful, Color, Modern, Etc. Still thinking on those.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

NICE.

Please go back to the recent blog posts and add your conclusions when you have a moment.

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