Style descriptors?

Helena

Hi there, Angie's post about our favorite outfits of the year got me thinking that maybe I could analyse my favorites to come up with some style adjectives, which I've never done before. Looking at my photos, I am coming up with: simple, classic, modern (?), neutral ... BUT the same could be said of all my outfits really, and they do not necessarily become my favorites.

Looking to the collective wisdom of the group - what do you see here that I am not seeing? Anything beyond what I've identified? Perhaps something a little more aspirational than the ones I've identified?

And/or - what was your process for coming up with your adjectives?

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11 years ago

Dressing

9 replies

Latest reply was from Helena

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Polished with flair came to mind. Great outfits!

11 years ago

Dimity

Active Member

I think your descriptors capture it nicely. I also see high contrast but maybe that's not a descriptor.

11 years ago

Tania

Veteran

I am still struggling with this myself.
As for the process of figuring it out, I am noting what looks I am drawn to. I know some folks look for inspiration photos and bloggers, but I get a lot from this forum's diversity of styles. I am also allowing myself to play with different personas (order, return if necessary) since pre-YLF I focused on utilitarian dressing and not expression or style.

11 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Simple, Classic and Casual come to my mind right away, TG. You could add the word Neutral too.

11 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Casual, polished Classic -- CPC.

If that doesn't do enough for you, think about how you FELT in each of these outfits. Sometimes it's not that they look so different from others you wore, but that the fabrications, fit, or some other aspect made them feel better.

I didn't find adjectives helped me a whole lot -- for me a style persona was a better way for me to begin. (I got dubbed "urban prince" and this sort of helped me figure a whole lot of things.)

11 years ago

Helena

Veteran

Suz, CPC is great - perhaps it is the "P" that separates the wheat from the chaff in my books - "finished" is perhaps another word - for example, if I have on jeans and a white tee, but my hair and nails are done, and I perhaps add a scarf, I feel great; whereas the same outfit with my hair in a messy bun feels blah. It's the finishing touches that make me feel great.
To Angie's comment, neutral is accurate on these pictures, but I'm having fun with color right now, so I will see how color fits into the CPC world.
textstyle and tania, thanks for the encouragement and kind words!
Dimity, great point about the contrast - I do often enjoy an element of contrast, as to me this feels polished ... I'll have to explore that thought further.
Thanks all!

11 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

I'm terrible at this, for me.

But--I see "sporty" (which may be Angie's casual), or active, fit--even the wrap dress gives that vibe, but in a more dressy feminine way.

11 years ago

Staysfit

Veteran

Torontogirl, creating adjectives from your current style favorites is a great idea! youre off to a good start.

I went through a similar process a few months ago and eventually came up with five words that I liked. I will spare you the details but the words are "easy, creative, calm, graceful, and classic/simple." From there I took things a step further and created a style statement, honing my adjectives down to only a two word statement "Composed Creative" that I believe is all encompassing. So far I am very happy with the style statement. I no longer use the style adjectives and I find my style statement fits into other parts of my life, not only fashion. It's powerful, useful and effective.

Suz gave me the information about Style Statements. It's in a book called Style Statement by Carrie McCarthy and Danielle Laporte. (Thanks Suz!)

Oh, Unfrumped, somehow I was thinking exactly what you just typed. I agree that there is a feminine element there and I see sporty also.

11 years ago

Helena

Veteran

Unfrumped, I think that is very insightful - and it made me happy to think of that as a descriptor, so that's a sign you are on to something there! I sort of think of Jennifer Aniston or Cameron Diaz when I think of sporty/active style ... JA once said her red-carpet gowns were usually basically floor-length tank tops and I thought, "that's my kind of girl!". Thank you for commenting!!

Staysfit, I have read "Style Statement" and really liked it - the statement I came up with was "Simple cultivated" - simple being obvious, the cultivated referring to the fact that by nature I am always tweaking, evolving, learning, studying, analyzing, all in the name of growth. The five adjectives, I think, is a good way for me to cultivate my style, as I almost think I was simplifying TOO much ... to the point where I was hacking away at good raw materials ... if that makes sense. I'll look forward to seeing your progression on Composted Creative!

11 years ago

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