Finding Your Style

[twilight fairy]

blah as you probably have guessed i have some style problems/questions..since you're all so amazingly smart i think it's the best place to ask these questions

okay..so now i know how to shop..(making a list of things and NOT buying ANYTHING until i get something on my list..get 2 or 3 plain coloured pale pink, white, black and green shirts or jumpers..well fitted jeans and so on)

but the thing is i don't really know my style. i want to feel comfortable and look great, but i end up looking too simple and boring
i adore japanese street style..i love retro glam looks..i like the mixture of things people wear but i don't know how to wear/mix it on me..and when i do mix something together people look a bit funny at me because it's not usually 'my style'.
i wanna transform into wearing something classy/cute/comfy and just nice..
but how can i find something i like, not look dumb and be comfortable?

oh another problem...since i'm 14 my mum thinks its her duty to go off buying stuff for me..i mean she does have quite a good taste..she's young and so on..but she likes the stuff that's a bit more 'trashy'..not like too bad trashy but stuff that i'm not really that close to. just basically i only like 70% of the stuff she gets me..
and i don't want to be rude..and it's hard to shop with her if she doesn't like what i like
ehk..i wish i were older and had my own credit card etc

 

[SophieKawaii]

I think you have time to experience what you like and how your taste is. I'm 19, but still don't have real own special style, i'm still on the way to find myself the best. I have some nice own creations, but i cannot have perfect look everyday.

 

[purplelucrezia]

Maybe start collecting a scrapbook of looks that you like. Don't worry too much about finding a unified style just yet though, eclectic is good! B)

 

[maarit]

Originally posted by purplelucrezia@May 12th, 2004 - 1:11 pm
Maybe start collecting a scrapbook of looks that you like. Don't worry too much about finding a unified style just yet though, eclectic is good! B)

That's what I do, I clip things out I like. even if it's not outfits or even clothes, just pictures I like for the colors/subjects/objects. Even though I have a pretty good idea of what I like it makes me more daring with clothes.

Oh, and find out what colors suit you! Try all kinds of different things on to get the idea.

 

[chocsta]

I agree with everyone... Midori is right - you have plenty of time to find your style. Meanwhile, just experiment and have fun. Purple's idea of a scrapbook is also great. That way you can keep track of what you like, and see if the looks work for you. Just remember to wear what you feel comfortable with, because you're living a life, not walking a runway

 

[J!nx]

i also have a scrapbook, and im starting to have more confidence to wear what i like, and have fun with style.
Experiment with different sorts of clothes, and find out how you can make a cool outfit
Im 15 myself, and i try not to take myself so seriously when it comes to clothes. i go out, and try on things i normallly would pass, or things i think is too "look at me".
Now i know that style and fashion is supposed to be about fun, and wearing things _you_ really like

 

[strawberry daiquiri]

I say experiment now, and with everything, young ones can get away with pretty much anything. Once you've tried it all, got the different looks out of your system, you'll begin to notice the patterns in what you are taking from your wardrobe, or what you want to buy. But if there aren't, I wouldn't worry, clothes are ideal for expressing your mood, and yes while we're teenagers those change quite a bit

I wouldn't worry if people are saying something 'isn't you', if you're happy to be wearing it, it must well be, or at least one of your dimensions.. Karma chameleon et all that B)

The others are right alright, scrapbooks can save a life, plus you can make them easy on the eyes, and an improvement on the conventional diary

And don't worry about looking boring, the term to use is 'classic', or 'timeless'... or 'minimal'. And if you still want spice in your life invest in some interesting accessories rather than the interesting clothes and there may never be a dull moment again...

Can't help you in the slightest with the, shopping with mother, problem. I've had that all my life and still haven't found it a solution

 

[ahhGucci]

I think I may find my own personal style when Im an old man.
Like fashion, it is forever changing, I may be wrong. I like to wear black one day, and I like to wear white another. It changes. A LOT!

 

[Orochian]

You still have *plenty* of time to find your own style - it's not something you can force and work hard on over a matter of days, it has to come naturally with age and experience.

What you now deem to be "simple" and "boring" may very well turn out to be what you like when you're 20. To me personally, the most desirable wardrobe should be filled predominantly with good-quality, versatile, well-tailored basics.

Avoid what most teenage girls seem to do - pile every pattern, logo, and fad ever known to mankind on themselves at the same time. You'd save yourself a lot of grief, regret, and anguish when you're older . Stick to the classics, and liven them up with accessories.

You may get criticized for looking twice your age - but at least you're being tasteful while doing so.

 

[FunkyDiva]

I think the worst thing you can do as a teenager is develop a "style". What's the fun in that? From the posts I've read from you, you seem to have a very good sense of fashion and a mature outlook. Just worry about feeling comfortable in your own skin, and you'll be eons ahead of anyone else in your peer group. When I was in High School, the girls that always looked the best were the ones who didnt give a damn what other people thought and that was probably about 2 or 3. One thing you need to learn right now, teenage girls will always...I mean always criticize the people who think for themselves. It's been that way since the beginning of time, it will never change! Ignore the looks.

As for your mother, be happy she's not completely out of it #1. It could be worse. And second, you may want to just let her know how much you love fashion. Maybe if she knows how important it is to you to try some of your own ideas she'll take that 70% down to like 40%.

Lastly, go with your gut. Write down every outfit you were wearing when you felt your most adorable, or confident, or cool - and you'll soon have a definition to your style.

 

[banana]

I'm well past my teens and I still don't feel like I have a lot of style. Unless you have a lot of money to spend on one of a kind items you'll still feel like you look like everyone else. Just be thankful you don't have any old pictures of yourself wearing really dodgy clothes.

 

[seditionary]

ex crystalized... i cant beleive ur so young... u seem much older from ur posts... n ur english is really good for a foreigner of ur age as well i feel

abt the style thing... as a teenger ( havin jus been through those years myself, n i still dont think they have faded now im only 21 , my dad said im more like i am 18 still ) anyways.... yeah... jus mess around... do whatever u feel comfortable in.. if u want to wear vintage mixed up clothes.. n its not ur regular style n u get some comments or funny looks... FFFF IT... this is the time ur allowed to b a bit wacky n creative with ur appearance etc... if u wer messin around with clothes wen ur 30+ then u will b deemed mutton dressed as lamb.... right now ur lamb... go b free n play in the fields of fashion n dont bog urself down with a style...

 

[As You Like It]

Originally posted by banana@May 12th, 2004 - 4:38 pm
I'm well past my teens and I still don't feel like I have a lot of style. Unless you have a lot of money to spend on one of a kind items you'll still feel like you look like everyone else. Just be thankful you don't have any old pictures of yourself wearing really dodgy clothes.

No way! I don't have much money to spend on clothes and accessories, but I have definitely got my own style. You just have to slowly accumulate pieces that you like, that you are comfortable wearing, and that look good on you.

I don't really stick to a "classic and understated" wardrobe, even though I am in my mid-20s and work in an office job. You don't necessarily have to go conservative as you grow up, although you may want to--it is a very individual preference. I feel awkward and nerdy in khakis and twinsets, though that is what the majority of office workers like me wear. I wear a lot of vintage and make a lot of my own clothes in my own designs. I have a very eclectic aesthetic with an eye toward kitsch and a distinct affinity for bright colors and exuberant prints.

It all comes down to wearing what you like and making a look your own. I rarely buy stuff from the major fads and trends, though I do occasionally buy a few currently fashionable pieces, I may wear them long after the trend has passed, paired up with all sorts of other stuff, so that you can't look at me and go, "Oh, yeah, the fake-snakeskin print--SO 1998," because it is only one little element of a total look that may actually reference a 1940s Carmen Miranda theme or a 1970s acid rocker.

 

[seditionary]

Originally posted by As You Like It+May 12th, 2004 - 10:14 pm--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(As You Like It @ May 12th, 2004 - 10:14 pm)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-banana@May 12th, 2004 - 4:38 pm
I'm well past my teens and I still don't feel like I have a lot of style. Unless you have a lot of money to spend on one of a kind items you'll still feel like you look like everyone else. Just be thankful you don't have any old pictures of yourself wearing really dodgy clothes.

No way! I don't have much money to spend on clothes and accessories, but I have definitely got my own style. You just have to slowly accumulate pieces that you like, that you are comfortable wearing, and that look good on you.

I don't really stick to a "classic and understated" wardrobe, even though I am in my mid-20s and work in an office job. You don't necessarily have to go conservative as you grow up, although you may want to--it is a very individual preference. I feel awkward and nerdy in khakis and twinsets, though that is what the majority of office workers like me wear. I wear a lot of vintage and make a lot of my own clothes in my own designs. I have a very eclectic aesthetic with an eye toward kitsch and a distinct affinity for bright colors and exuberant prints.

It all comes down to wearing what you like and making a look your own. I rarely buy stuff from the major fads and trends, though I do occasionally buy a few currently fashionable pieces, I may wear them long after the trend has passed, paired up with all sorts of other stuff, so that you can't look at me and go, "Oh, yeah, the fake-snakeskin print--SO 1998," because it is only one little element of a total look that may actually reference a 1940s Carmen Miranda theme or a 1970s acid rocker. [/b][/quote]
as you like it ... did i ever tell u that i u...
ur so sensible n practicle and yet so diverse n funky at the same time

 

[Glamourina]

I'm still having trouble finding my style and I'm 20. I tend to steer clear of anything uber trendy ie trucker hats or UGGs that is gonna go out of style in two months. Mostly I just wear classic basics and jazz em up with some kind of cute accessory.

Yeah I agree with what everyone has said by the way.

 

[As You Like It]

Originally posted by seditionary@May 12th, 2004 - 5:18 pm
as you like it ... did i ever tell u that i u...
ur so sensible n practicle and yet so diverse n funky at the same time

Aaawww, thanks!

 

[ultramarine]

Personally, I think that your style suits your music taste ... checking whatever you got on your cd rack (or Ipod) can definitively help you to find whatever you're the most comfortable wearing ... break a leg!

 

[purplelucrezia]

Originally posted by blumarine@May 12th, 2004 - 10:01 pm
Personally, I think that your style suits your music taste ... checking whatever you got on your cd rack (or Ipod) can definitively help you to find whatever you're the most comfortable wearing ...

Huh?

 

[banana]

That is true too. And I hate to say it but the clothes that you get from your family at Christmas time does too. I get nothing but sweaters from my grandparents so I try buy stuff to go with them because I feel bad not wearing them. You're body type also plays a big role. There are some looks that just do not look good on me.

 

[softgrey]

Originally posted by blumarine@May 12th, 2004 - 10:01 pm
Personally, I think that your style suits your music taste ... checking whatever you got on your cd rack (or Ipod) can definitively help you to find whatever you're the most comfortable wearing ... break a leg!

interesting theory...dress like you're in a video for your favorite band...i like that!!!