yet another 'what does my style say' question... - YouLookFab Forum

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yet another 'what does my style say' question...

hanna

(website)

several conversations over the past few days have brought up the fact that i look younger than i actually am (24 this year). which, of course, led me to wonder how much of that is a product of the way i dress.

of course i'm not suddenly going to start dressing like a little old lady in an effort to seem older, but i'm not sure how i feel about sometimes being mistaken for a high schooler (yep, it happens).

this whole "just-graduated, feeling for my own style slash what's appropriate" question is one i struggle with, and as those who see and critique my outfits most days, do you think you could tell me what how i dress says about me?

thanks for taking the time!

General

18 replies

Latest reply was from hanna

Inge

(website)

I'm sitting here thinking that it would be very interesting to put the exact same question to complete strangers as well, and then compare their answers to the replies you will get here.
Because: although most of us don't know each other personally, all our personalities do shine through in what we say and the way we 'behave' on the forum. So we've probably formed an opinion of each other based on more than just the clothes alone.

I'll come back to this thread later today Hanna, have to get some more work done first;-)

Dani

Veteran

Hanna, personally, I think your age is a very hard stage...you want to be grown up, responsible and taken seriously but you are still very young (both in looks and in actual age). I remember thinking the same thing at 24 and wishing I looked older. As someone now in her mid 30's, I have the perspective of wishing I hadn't worried about it so much at that stage of my life and been a little more daring, but hind sight is 20/20.

I think it's hard to find a style, especially when you have such a great funky, fun, eclectic look going on, that meshes with both your personality and how you'd like to be perceived by others when you are in your early 20s. I don't think your style evokes "dressed like a high schooler" but you definitely have a fun style.

I know this may not be the answer you want, but wait it out a few years and then see how you feel. I think the 20s are a time to enjoy your funky style and enjoy your youth. It goes by way too fast. I think your style projects confidence and an edge which is very enviable.

Anonymous

I don't think you look like a highschooler. Your style is more sophisicated in the way you wear jackets, scarves, broaches, etc. You look like someone who has a variety of interests and who would be fun to get to know. As Dani said so well, enjoy dressing the way you like while you are young. You look great!

anne

Veteran

Hanna, I struggled with this too, especially as I had a very round face when I was young, and I am short. It annoyed me that at 25 people would confuse me with the student workers. At 27 I cut my hair short to try to look older. So I've have been there.

In general I would second the others above - enjoy your current style while you can.

Maya

Veteran

I know how you feel Hanna. I'm a year older than you and I have looked younger than I really am pretty much all my life. Sometimes I'm afraid that I do dress a lot older and more conservatively than I actually want to, but I don't think that's true for you based on what I have seen. I think one thing to be sure to do is take advantage of what you can wear now, but might not be able to pull off as you get older. I wear my miniskirt all the time because I know eventually I'll have to give it up.

(Ironically, my personality and interests are much beyond my years. Laura called me an old lady at the YLF convention and it's true :p)

I associate certain things with high schoolers that I do not associate with your style. It's just a whole different atmosphere. I associate teenagers with being either very trend and brand conscious or the polar opposite. You don't seem to do either. You just wear what you like and you're able to put it together in some very refreshing ways.

Also, people are not divided into castes and cliques anymore. That's one thing I'm so relieved to be beyond. When I was a teen I thought punky guys with tattoos and mohawks and crazy plaid shirts and torn jeans was "my type." Now that I'm older, if I met a guy who was 25 years old and still looked like that, I would probably run the other way.

shiny

Veteran

Hanna, I think 80% of it is your naturally youthful looks. You are blessed with a baby face - you may not realize that now, but you will when you are older - and yes I fully know you probably HATE hearing that, LOL. I've heard that all my life. But, now that I'm mid-40s I can tell you it really really really IS true.

To my eye, only about 20% of it is the way you dress. To test my theory (completely unscientific!), I just showed your blog to my DH to get an unbiased opinion and he said that in the first pic of you in jeans, you look 17. Then the pic of you in a skirt or dress, he said mid-20s. That is the power of the clothes.

I think you look great in all the outfit photos. Okay, you look "adorable" and if you are like I was at that age, you are probably ***CRINGING*** hearing the word "adorable." I know I hated it, along with "cute." But, you are. So there.

I think what you acheive that I did not at that age, is an appearance of being perfectly comfortable and confident in your adorableness. When I see your outfits, I envy that about you. You do have a fun style and I really doubt that is going to go away as you grow older.

To make sure I'm being very clear: Fun and adorable is not the same as "high school" by any stretch. I have two teens and you do not dress like them.

If you really wanted to look older, I don't think I would change the style of your clothes. I fear you wouldn't look so effortless and authentic if you did that. Instead, I might suggest a different hairstyle. Hair is a very quick way to get a more "grown up" look. And possibly different glasses, but I can't get a very good look at the ones you are wearing to be sure.

Please don't dress like an old lady... that would just be sooo wrong.

Maya

Veteran

I'll echo Shiny on the hair thing. After I cut my hair, everyone kept telling me I looked older. My brother told me I still look young, but more like I'm in college than in high school. I can accept that. That doesn't mean you need to cut it or make it short but I do think it's hard to pull off hair that's much beyond the collarbone if you have a young look/face.

You know, turning 25 kind of made me start feeling grateful for looking young (and this happened only 3 weeks ago). Maybe next year you'll get the same feeling :p

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Your style is young, funky and edgy, and I wouldn't change a thing. I think you look great and age-appropriate! You should have fun experimenting with all sorts of styles and looks that you won't be able to wear in 20 years

Laura

(website)

Veteran

p.s. to Maya: You ARE such an old lady at heart, but the best-looking old lady around!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Hanna, I’m with Laura 100%. I think you look and dress like a stylish 24 year old. It’s a pleasure to watch :0)

Tanya

Veteran

Hannah, you have a great style and I think it's perfectly appropriate for your age. Actually, it is PERFECT for you. Please do not change.

Anonymous

I was not surprised to hear that you are 24. You look nothing like a teen or high schooler. I think you have style maturity that shows. I also can't help but call you adorable because you just are. So I hope like Shiny says, you will enjoy being adorable.

Antje

Veteran

Hanna, you look like a super stylish funky 24 year old. Don't change a thing - you don't want to look like a 24 year old trying to look 35 (you'll get to that age soon enough ;-))

Inge

(website)

I had also noticed the difference between your jeans-look and skirt-look, although all your outfits have a playful twist (Shiny's right, no need to lose that;-) and you always look very put together.
For me that translates into being a multifaceted person who isn't afraid to try different/new things.

From your thrifting talent (and ability to mentally 'walk through' your closet and know how a new thrift find will fit into your wardrobe) I deduct that you are imaginative and have great visual insight. Which can be very useful in more situations than you imagine, work-related included.

From your recent girl-on-the-bus thread and your blog, we already knew that you have a great sense of humour and sense of perspective.

You also have great eye for detail (look at how you always find the perfect accessories to go with your outfits, the details on your clothes like beautiful buttons, ruffly shoes, the way you combine styles and colours...), which makes me think (correct me if I'm wrong) that you are a bit of a perfectionist too (nothing wrong with that, I am too;-).

To conclude: you come across as someone who really has a good sense of who she is and is perfectly capable to express that through the way she dresses. I admire that.

By the way: I LOVE that flower skirt paired with the red cardigan.
That yellow flower bag is so lovely! Oh no, I see that it's sold out-(((

hanna

(website)

wow, so many insightful responses! i don't think i can thank you ladies enough for taking the time to think about this and type a reply. and you are all so very kind. it's like having an entire internet full of sisters

i think dani was spot on when she mentioned wanting to dress as i do and wanting to be taken seriously. my style has grown leaps and bounds since i was in high school (oh trust me on that one), but i was worried about the 'fun and funky' vibe detracting from how i go about my work. i take my job very seriously, and i want to know that people can see that!

the consensus seems to be, though, that my style works for me and that i should take advantage of these years when it's okay to be fun and funky. so thank you laura, maya, tanya, angie, san, and everyone else who said things to that effect!

shiny, your comment made me giggle. i DO get "adorable" and "cute" quite a bit, and while i'll admit it grates coming from some (great aunts who like to pinch your cheeks, for example...), it definitely doesn't coming from YLFers!

inge, wow. just wow. you can tell that much from how i dress and write? because let me tell you, that was creepy. haha! you are spot on about being a bit of a perfectionist. in fact, the word you may be looking for is anal... or so i've been told! an example? for our camping trip (in JULY), i already have a document detailing which cities we will be going to on which days, which attractions we will see while we're there, addresses and phone numbers for each of those attractions, possible camp sites for each city we stop in, drive times from city to city, number of miles i estimate we will cover, estimates for how much we will spend on gas, on food, on campsites, on admission fees....yeah. in JULY. it's MARCH. i know.

several people have mentioned hair. i've been toying with the idea of a cut to give it more edge, but i'm trying to see how long i can grow it out because i'd like to be able to do locks of love, so when i DO get to that point, i'm going to go for it! i'll keep you posted.

thank you again, everyone, SO much. it means a lot that you took the time.

Inge

(website)

LOL! I love it Hanna;-)

Let's rephrase this: you're just a very detail-oriented lass;-)
And besides, planning a trip and the anticipation is half the fun, right!

yublocka

(website)

Veteran

hanna I hope you don't change your style. I think it suits you to a tee!!

But what are locks of love???

hanna

(website)

locks of love is a non-profit that takes hair donations to make wigs for kids under 18 who have lost their hair due to medical conditions, like alopecia or cancer... http://www.locksoflove.org

it's something i've always wanted to do, but in order to donate the shortest layer of hair has to be at least 10 inches! we'll see how long i last :\