while doing style exercises...

After a lengthy hiatus (I was suffering from style depression, of sorts), I am back to the game. I have started re-working some exercises from Brenda Kinsel's Fashion Makeover (I would highly recommend this book, by the way, as a style bootcamp for people who are unclear about their direction, and find a set timeframe helpful). I like her exercises, in part because both visuals and verbal cues resonate strongly with me.

So I'm trying to find my style...I doubt I have one! Or "one." Yes, I really like Pirate Dandy (or Girly Pirate: see pic 1). Matador, etc. I think they probably come under the larger umbrella of "theatrical." Reviewing all the inspiration pics, I have to confer: is it ever that simple? I'm still racking up some vastly different adjectives: mod/urban/futuristic, quirky artist, Eurochic casual, masculine/femine tension, vintage romance (representing the elusive soft, girly factor I'm trying to step up in my wardrobe), etc etc etc. Descriptors that continue to resonate: moody abstract (as in patterns and colors), sporty urban, offbeat, girly tomboy, mod, dashing (which grabbed me from out of nowhere)...

Not that much has really changed. This is not a complaint, by the way! But what a mess! It's like having a bunch of kids, and you have to love them all, right?

A few things that are new and a little more unexpected (not to mention I am not entirely sure what they are), but feel real and true to me:

1. Future retro

2. Codified. Now how that word popped into my head, I have no idea. But this red Furla (?) bag represents well. To me it's like a Paul Klee painting. Mysterious. Something under the surface, not easy to pin down. (ETA: Interestingly, it's a Fendi, apparently called "Secret Code." I'm sure that was there in my subconscious...)

What a puzzle! And how to do this all with a minimalist wardrobe? LOL. Well, the journey begins....

Pics 1-2: Girly Pirate
3: FUTURE RETRO
4-6, 16: Masc./Fem. Tension
7, 10, 12: Vintage Romance (with a dash of Tango Glamor, LOL)
8-9: Earthy Basic
11: Not sure...Arty Romantic? Earthy Romantic?
13, 19: Urban Mod
14: Moody Abstract
15: CODIFIED
17: Urban Japanese Minimalist! (LOL)
18: Eurochic casual

Yes, I am procrastinating on finishing my tax return. Why do you ask?

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8 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Interesting interesting. I find these looks unified, but I need to find the word/s for the common theme.

Mochi

Theatrical.

Jenn

(website)

Like Rachylou, I find these looks pretty unified. Sometimes, I think it's easier to look at a collection like this from a distance than it is to see the connections from the inside. I do see the theatrical, which you could also call "arty." I feel like "arty" implies some tension in the service of being interesting (i.e.: the masculine.feminine) as well as things like the interesting layering and textural combinations.

The word "playful" also comes to mind for me.

As an aside, I really love almost every one of your picks for myself, and I'm ten times in love with that bag from #9. Any idea where it's from? Also, are you collecting these on Pinterest? I want to stalk... erm... follow you!

Jenn, I never thought to source that amazing bag, but I just now found out who makes it. Maybe they could recreate it as a custom order. http://abknyc.com/shopbags/

I've thought about starting a Pinterest page. I don't go there for now. It would be like falling down the rabbit hole.

As for "playful," I heartily agree. Apart from the soft, romantic looks...most of the other iterations have some aspect of playful to them. Your overall analysis is spot-on! I like the thought of textures and/or layers also creating a sort of tension.

Alas, of course it's one of a kind. It looks like all their work is lovely, though.

(Also, yeah, Pinterest is a total rabbit hole. I made my account into a business account, so now it's even worse, because I can pretend like it's "work.")

approprio

You're making me want to dig out my VW pirate boots! Roll on summer

It's definitely consistent. I see a romantic, feminine but very edgy theme emerging here, a more grown-up, disciplined version of Courtney Love in her mid-90's phase.

Naming these things is difficult though. You need to do it yourself. I focused less on my look and more on the values I apply to selecting and mixing. Using Angie's five descriptors formula, I came up with: timeless, urban, eclectic, androgynous and individual. Sounds ambiguous but it definitely helped.

Heh, approprio, I unintentionally laughed at seeing Courtney Love and the words "grown-up" and "disciplined" in the same sentence. Regardless, thank you for the serious compliment, especially coming from you!

I will spend some time thinking about overarching themes and commonalities and try to narrow it all down to a few descriptors. I was also wondering if, and how, having those five or so style descriptors actually made it easier to plan and complete your wardrobe, or was it more of an abstract help?

And lastly, if you own VW pirate boots, YOU MUST WEAR THEM. Or else, give them to me, if they're US 8.5/European 39. (PS: I remember that post from when it originally appeared. So cool.)

heh yeah, grown up and disciplined aren't what you think of with Courtney are they? Still, she had her style moment back then and it resonates.

As for the boots, well, that kind of sums up my problem. Just when I think I've found my groove with one look, I see something else I like and I think... hmm... I could do that...

I'll keep you in mind if I ever decide to part with them. But then I'm very sentimentally attached to them, y'know.

Style Fan

I like these looks. I would wear some of these. I would call it arty, creative, natural. But of course there is more that I will think of later. I am not going to check out the handbag. Not a good idea.

Staysfit

Pinterest could be a sinkhole, but I find spending five minutes a day is enough. I breeze through and only pin what really strikes me. When and if I have more time I go back and categorize things and find there is surprising coherence. It's been very helpful.

Gigi

I'm terrible at finding cohesion in design inspirations, but I wanted to say that these are really neat pics! I have pinned no. 10 to my own board. I hadn't been able to give that look a name, but your "vintage romance" nails it. I am going to use that for one of my style descriptors. Thank you!

Yes. It's interesting to me because the look IS theatrical, but it's not like... Andrew Lloyd Webber theatrical. The wordsmith in me wants a modifier for Theatrical to rule out melodramatics... Lol... Ok. This has been a total aside...

Sally

There is a dramatic element to all the pictures and some of the pieces seem theatrical but its all very clean and not whimsical. the book sounds fascinating. where did you get the pics from ? I have a lot of pics on pinterest which I look at when I can...there is a striking coherence as staysfit said.

Anonymous

Nosandromenian? (Nostalgic + androgynous + bohemian)

Janet

Gah, that red bag is amazing!

I see *you* in all of these pieces and looks. Even though it is an eclectic collection, I can see the appeal. A love of detail, and a love of ease...muted colors, interesting textures, and yes, some drama and a bit of theatricality, but still grounded with a bit of structure and modernity.

I don't see why we would need to hold ourselves to one style to rule them all. I think I'm a fairly consistent dresser, but I like to have touches of a few different styles to suit my moods. Some are tougher or more structured, some a bit more boho or romantic, etc.

That book sounds interesting, even though I kinda sorta have my style figured out. I'm always open to seeing where I might go, so the idea of the exercises has some appeal for me. Probably because I too excel in procrastinating on tasks like tax returns (which I've already done this year, yay!).

Thanks again for great comments.

Sally, I'd say most of the pics come from style blogs, which I'm not following as much nowadays. (My obsessions wax and wane, LOL.) The Sartorialist, etc.

(by the way, this may be helpful if you ever see an online image and want to know more about it. You can drop the image here and hopefully get some info: https://images.google.com/ )

Janet, I think you're at a much more advanced understanding of your style where the book wouldn't be as helpful. It's great for many of us who are clearly confused (I'm somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.) I like her perspective on "beauty bundles" (groupings of similarly-hued or otherwise coordinated accessories and shoes that can take a lot of work out of creating an outfit). Her way of deconstructing an outfit is easy to understand for people who don't have as much innate talent for putting things together.

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