My thought at the moment is that if you feel too stultified by the local culture to do your own thing, then perhaps your own personal style is not that strong, or that you lack the courage to put your creativity into action.
I speak from considerable personal experience as a lifelong Midwestern girl with a very distinctive, if frequently idiosyncratic style. If you've got the brass 'nads to work it, you can look and act practically any way you like. Not saying your
modus operandi will be generally appreciated, just saying that you can be stylish wherever you've hatched.
If I were to sum up midwestern style, however, I'd say that our area of the country is where "the girl next door" comes from. No matter the race or ethnicity, I see a lot of very fresh-faced, appealing young women around Kansas City, who have a vibrant, youthful beauty enhanced by simple, classic, and harmonious clothing.
If the nice weather we had today holds though the weekend, I'll get out and see if I can prove my point.