[Feline]

You have to have something within you, but people can learn. I've learned lots from here & you never stop learning & developing. Follow your heart - don't follow trends & you can't go far wrong.

[BerlinRocks]

style is you ... and others with their influence ...
imo style is cultural ... not natural ...
but you can born with a natural sense of style ... i mean you know what fits you and what doesn't ... but this is because you are born with the eye !!!!
style is something you develop ! the most important is finding your own (saying style is quest means basically it's not something you're born with) ....

[fashionista-ta]

^ Maybe you're born with the desire to go on the quest

[SHSH]

I think the most stylish people are akin to artists most of whom have inner conflicts or are very much inspired artistically to be creative and this is what style is to me. You cant buy this talent and it cant be taught I think it develops over time from inspiration whether it be events in your life, music or your role models.

To me a stylish person is one that is just inspired and has a vision of their own look independent of any one else or a scene for instance.

[rollagasper]

I started thinking about my answer to this question and then started wondering what "stylish" even means...

Like SHSH said, style can't be bought. "Tips" can be given to prevent people committing fashion no-no's, but "style" is much more than about following rules/conventions.

Stylish people have a good eye; combining colours and shapes is instinctual rather than rule-based like "pair volume with something fitted." And again i have to agree with SHSH that people with good style are inspired. Music, celebrities, fashion collections, landscape, artworks... Stylish doesn't really necessarily mean "individual" for me. Lots of chic people reference and appropriate other people's styles. We all have fashion icons and it's inevitable to "borrow." Patti Smith, Kate Moss, they've all "borrowed" from elsewhere. As long as the person shows confidence and a sense of belonging in their outfit, they are stylish.

[dumbfairy]

Hmm. I think you're born with style,but it's something that you develop and learn more about every day I think,so to me it's both born and bred. Money definetly cannot buy you style,you can have all these nice clothes but if you don't know how to wear them it just doesn't work

[ChloeFrancoise]

I think I'm just going to go with Rollagasper's answer because it pretty much covers what I would say.

[JessicaYorkin]

You can be born with natural instinct of pairing things yet I think you can be highly inspired and grow into your own taste in life's course

[Egghead]

What is style? Country people have their own, city people have their own. It's in the eye of the beholder really. The girls who wear uggs and denim skirts with abercrombie and fitch shirts must think thats stylish. Personally I look at them and kind of laugh but hey, most teenagers are mean that way. So I personally think it's what influences you and what you think is aesthetically pleasing in your day to day life whether it be from magazines or your neighbor.

[mollygrace]

i definitely believe style is instinctual, so i would say 'born', for sure. that's not to say that one can not be influenced by where they live or who they meet. but to say that style can be bred would mean that people can learn/be taught to have style, and when i hear/see people say they are "new to the whole fashion thing" i can't help but think that that type of person will never achieve the kind of effortless fashion sensibility that the style-born possess.
but, hey, born or bred - a world of style is better than none at all. i encourage everyone to aspire to style regardless of the manner it comes to them.

[Florecita86]

I feel people don't just become stylish, they are born with a sense of style. Sure, as children we all had things we regret wearing but the truth is the most stylish people are not born over night. I always have this love/hate relationship with Nicole Richie because when she first became famous, she had terrible style and than she hired Rachel Zoe, and over night she became a style icon. To me, that is cheating and is very unstylsih. But everyone has their own opinion of what is stylish.

[fashionista-ta]

^ It's a lot easier to be authentic when thousands of the most judgmental people on Earth aren't critiquing your every outfit I prefer seeing people's real personal style, but it's hard to blame people in the public eye for hiring professional help, given that so many people want to criticize. Down with haters

[CaitlinC]

I believe style is something you are born with and develop over time. As you grow older and experiment with different styles, you will find certain things that you like and make it your own.

[Florecita86]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fashionista-ta ^ It's a lot easier to be authentic when thousands of the most judgmental people on Earth aren't critiquing your every outfit I prefer seeing people's real personal style, but it's hard to blame people in the public eye for hiring professional help, given that so many people want to criticize. Down with haters

You have a good point. We all can be very harsh when judging the way people dress. Believe me, I will be the first one to say I am my biggest critic

[ElleLesley]

From my surroundings (a little hick town in the Maritimes of Canada), one can find it specially difficult getting on bored of the whole 'fashion thing'. I was by nooo means born with in a family who gave damn about fashion or clothing. More or so of hockey, and food.

One thing however I found interesting is how you appreciate clothing. People complain about not having this and that designer boutiques in their area or close by city, or simply some retail branches of Barney's, Zara and the like. You work with what you have, the resources and your money budget. I find my self putting in a effort to be absolutely 100% sure x-store is selling what I want, the quality I want and being completely positive I'll actually wear what I'm buying. Because of this, you just well, appreciate the experience of shopping, you don't find your self following trends as much because how long will you be wearing it?
I only go the States twice a year, and buying online is a hard job at hand. I have to make sure my parents approve the item(s) I'm buying and give them all the details of shipping and whatnot. Heh, I remember my dad automatically disapproving from buying of AA because of it's sultry advertising. It took some time to get him to say yes, but it happened.

It's almost like quality-control in my wardrobe. I don't like throwing an clothing item away from Zara, etc (or any place for that matter), only because I feel rotten waisting that one time experience and money on a shirt I never really worn.

Anyhow, I don't specifiably think you have to be some sort of hick to really admire the workmanship of clothing, you could be from freaking NYC or some fashion conscious area and have the same level admiration of myself or anyone. I'm just happy at least there is one thing from being in a ridiculously small town can help me love style just that much more. As cliched that may be

As for this effortless style and born with style ... I think it comes down to knowing what looks good on you, how you love your clothing and feeling comfortable/confident, that automatically comes to show. I don't think it's the actual style its self this person is wearing, it's how they present them self's with the clothes they are wearing.

Sometimes I feel people "hate" peoples choices on clothing because it's simply something they don't feel themselves is too this and that (not their personal style basically) ... as long as they look tastefully done, I don't see the problem. Though ... people have different views on what is tasteful...