Great question! And not easy to answer. I'm still working out all my style adjectives. A couple I've chosen so far are: Elegant and Comfortable.

If I had to choose the one piece in my closet which best represents Elegant and Comfortable, I'd select the Vince Camuto poncho I got from last summer's NAS. It was a real workhorse for me in fall. I wore it with everthing from jeans to dresses. It even went to the ER with me, where it provided warmth, modesty, and even a bit of style, the hospital gown notwithstanding.

The first item that came to my mind is my Eileen Fisher harem pants. They capture the arty, edgy, elegant, and boho aspects of my style. They are kind of chameleon-like, too, a quality that I think suits my style. I find analyzing my own style very hard, though; I may not actually be all that chameleon-like.

Tricky. I am pretty moody, but it is probably going to be shoes. My red Tony Lama python ankle boots come to mind - unexpected, comfortable, and thrifted for $1!

Oh, what a great question. I'll go with my R13 crossover jeans. They're casual but edgy, a little avant-garde. I haven't been wearing them so often recently but they really define my look.

Fun reading all the responses.
It's nearly always footwear and jackets for me.
Our summers are hot so I don't get to wear the jackets - I tend to use sandals to keep things fresh. These sandals work with everything I own, they also seem to bookend my hair.
An ink pants suit is a HEWI of mine. Last winter I found this ink jacket
that works with all my blue pants. I would still like a pants suit but there is no urgency now.

Two things that came to my instantly is my purple Furla bag and my Katen Kane top in both the black and white.

What a fun thread idea SF! And I love your two picks.

I love my simple sassy style moniker of farm fashionista (because, ranch fashionista doesn't sound as good). So I'm going with these impractical-for-a-farm light colored suede booties.

I love this post, such a variety of responses.
Mine would be my aran cardigan. Casual and warm.

I do think though that my jewellery reflects my style more. The only problem with that is that since it is so delicate summer is really the only time it can be truly part of the wardrobe. I don't do bare skin in the winter.

Interesting reading all the answers.
I have to go with my wool coat. It's what people see me wearing almost every day in winter. It's warm, I like that it's belted, it was a once in a lifetime steal!

Well this is fun. Thanks for starting this SF. I am working on my style descriptors and have come up with (in no particular order) natural, easygoing, a bit of a rebel, edgy, arty or boho influence. I like some structure to my outfits but I like to be comfortable.
I mostly wear jeans in the cooler weather. So jeans seems obvious. But really they are like undies.
I think toppers are my single item that I work around. I like good fitting jeans, a well fitting T, great accessories and then a fantastic topper.
I hang on to my toppers for a long time. These are my 2 current favourites.
Burberry Trench. At least 10 years old and I always feel amazing in BT.
Leather jacket. Another decade old piece. I bought it when I was 50 and now am wearing it in my 60s.

I have no idea what my style descriptors are or how to choose them, but this dress probably sums me up at the moment because it's black and has a 60s vibe. The shoes are spot on as well.

I have only worn this three times (but have an upcoming party in two weeks to wear it again but I love this LBD. It also has a cut out back. I love the neckline, the thick fabric and the length on me.

I feel it is very elegant...which is what I am going for (both for dressy and casual looks)....and I love it.

Actually four wears for a cocktail dress is not too bad in one year!!

I love that dress on you Sally!

Well, I started to cheat and put in about 6 things. Very hard to choose and probably different items represent different "faces" of style.

I decided on these ankle boots. You might think I would put loafers or oxfords, but hey, it is still winter ! and these represent going out the door with a polished, professional look (for pants) that has a practical, low heel and is dark both for bookending and to be intentionally understated, but with just a small twist, a bit of rich color (and the angled zipper, though it doesn't really show much). No, it's not an exotic color, but remains a bit unexpected in my environment. The color works with both warm and cool colors and the ankle fit works with my more tapered pant hems as well as straight or bootcut. Because they are not just another black boot, they seem to "help out" what might otherwise be ho-hum top and bottom combos.

I'm bad at style monikers and even worse at choosing one piece to rule them all, but I've been mulling this question over since you asked it. What I've come up with is something that isn't super apparent in my shopping reports or WIWs: gold jewelry. I don't go a day without jewelry and 90 percent of the time it's something gold, likely Arabian gulf sourced, that I've had a long time. Not high profile pieces, but I don't feel dressed without them.

Everyone has thoughtful answers! Sorry I don't have time now to acknowledge each of you individually!

No style monikers or adjectives here, but this season I can't live without my sweater dresses. Easy peasy, comfortable, and stylish for when life is hectic! I'll be wearing the one below today

Ha -- actual style, or aspirational style?

What I actually wear on most days is very casual, mostly because a recent move and a stay-at-home lifestyle means I'm doing a lot of messy chores (cooking, cleaning) and manual labor (dragging furniture around my house to see it in different locations).

But as far as how I love to dress, I'm going to go with my button-print Akris Punto skirt: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/Ak.....x-Leather-...

I love the quirky print that looks like real buttons but isn't, I love the luxurious fabric, I love the faux leather waistband. It's very me.

Plus, I am swooning over every single item posted by Bonnie G.

This has been fun to read! I'm a SAHM, so it's been a long YLF journey to learn to shop for my casual lifestyle in a stylish way.

My style adjectives are casual, feminine, and fun. The two Loft finds below, currently sum up my style jam. The sweatshirt dress is uber cozy and warm. I pair it with pleather leggings and ankle boots and feel very stylishly prepared for the day.

The lilac corduroy skinnies are a new color addition to my wardrobe. I already have lots of grays, blacks, and blues that coordinate with this bottom quite nicely. It's comfortable yet feminine and fun.

I have to say it's my leather jacket. I'm still struggling with style descriptors but I'm sure my style starts with modern classic. I picked this leather jacket because it fits me perfectly and every time I wear it I feel comfortable, like myself.

This very dark olive green field jacket. Been wearing it every day and I love it. Took me several years and a few fails to find the "right" utility jacket for me.

April, moving is stressful so you get a pass on worrying about your actual style right now. It should be easy, comfortable, and mindless! Perhaps we should have a new thread for aspirational style! I have hundreds of Pinterest pics to choose from. Your Akris skirt sounds fun. I wasn't able to open the link you posted though. I've been admiring Akris for a long time and finally purchased one item as a birthday present to myself. Good luck getting settled!

Mine kinda depends... I love my camo cargos because they are comfortable, durable, pratical, and most of my shirts can be paired with them. If im in a fun mood i have a pair of suede boots with fringe and thin chains. They are flirty, edgy, attention grabbing, and make me feel like i could take on the world.

NauticalVulpine, those are amazing boots! I would definitely stop and stare at someone wearing them, or at least I would secretly think to myself about how stylish they are!

Texstyle, nice utility jacket. I owned one like that at one point but it never fit me correctly. I brought it to the tailor and it would have cost more than it was worth to remake. I love how one item is so right for one person and not for another. We're all so unique. (I really wanted the jacket to work, it was my olive green period, I was trying to find and wear as much olive as possible).

Colette, your leather coat is beautiful. It's definitely modern classic. I think the struggle to find the correct style descriptors is fun.

AJ, I was only a SAHM for a total of 16 weeks, 8 with each of my children, if you can even count that?! However, if I had done it full time, I would definitely want to be as stylish and comfortable as you! Nice choices! I love those lilac skinnies! Pretty color!

SF, here's my skirt.

I have two styles: at home stylish, and the slightly dressier casual chic for everything else. At home is awfully basic, just nice pants, nice top, nice shoes. I think my Paul Green side zip sneakers define my indoor look pretty well.

For my casual chic, going out to meet friends for lunch or dinner, look I would say my truffle leather jacket is a key piece. It looks great with a tank and jeans, or over a column of black for going to the theater, and also with scarves. I wear it a ton and have even taken it on a cruise. So I guess it passes the single-item test!

This is such a fun exercise! I really enjoyed thinking through my first crack at style adjectives (Appropriate, Colorful, Comfortable, Structured... maybe Elegant and Whimsical?) to find an item that typified everything I love about my style.

Right now, this dress from eShakti is the one. The picture is small, but the design is the same as this one. It is very retro, but I don't think that's why I like it so much. I like it because the fit is AMAZING and very flattering on me. The color and the print make me happy, and it is a knit dress that is cool but with a wonderful fit. I got it last July and could have happily worn it 2-3 times a week. (I did when on vacation!)

I admit I've already duplicated the design in another color, and I have no plans to stop there...

Mine would be my Wear-Ever black boots. They come right below the knee and have a buckle at the ankle and another towards the top. They zip up on the inner leg. I LOVE these! They have a rugged feel but still are dressy enough for church with a dress and leggings. They remind me of Star Wars and Narnia which makes my heart sing!!!! People have also gotten used to me wearing these with almost everything and will ask why I'm not wearing them if I wear something else.

I've been struggling to answer this question, but it's such a good one, I want to!

I think what I'm going to pick is my Helmut Lang tee from last summer. Everything about this is right on. High contrast, touch of interesting colour, asymmetrical design, drapy fit, wonderful fabric.

I'm still struggling with descriptors, but "refined edge" is what resonates most these days.

I'm going to go with this dress which I posted about here - http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....help-again - and which I haven't even worn yet (one more week!).

Effortless - It's one piece. I love wearing dresses for that reason.

Comfortable - It's stretchy and there's no waist to bind me.

Playful - There's something fun about the Mod shape of this dress with its long bell sleeves.

Shiny - well... because that's me.