Born or Bred?...Style Discussion...

[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]

^ 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...

 

[eternitygoddess]

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.

I think that may be the key.

 

[softgrey]

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.

i like this...


B)

 

[softgrey]

seems like this thread is due for a comeback...
...

 

[silk skin paws]

This is a really good thread. This discussion reminds of what writers and artists in general talk about. Being born with a gift vs learning a skill such as writing, painting, photography and in this case personal style. There seems to be a split. Some think you must be born with it while the rest think you can learn by practice or building your techniques, skills, etc. I think just about anyone can have the ability to improve yet there will be ones who are a few steps ahead of everyone.

They are often individualistic, don't care for trends or thinking about setting a standard for others to follow and everything he or she touches is personalized, you see them, if you hear, read or see something created by them you'll know. This sets the geniuses a part from everyone. They see things differently and/or in new ways. This isn't to say that people born with it such as style or anything else art related don't spend time learning, exploring or crafting, and plenty do just that. Maybe it's the pessimist in me but I don't believe just because someone spends an awful amount of time practicing or learning something doesn't necessarily means he/she will be great at it. Some are just gifted in areas and excel well.

 

[Tinetush]

I think to really excel at something, you have to be born with it, it's part of you as an individual.
That's not to say that good style can't be taught through techniques, guidelines etc. But great style comes is something that one is born with.
IMO...

I think that's the case for any skill basically, for example; I'm quite messy and more creative than structured, but studying at a university has taught me how to be more academic and thus how to write and think more strategic.
But I'm not nearly as good as it as my study partner whom it comes natural to

 

[greengrassia]

to have good style, you need to have knowledge, knowledge about yourself and knowledge about clothes. basically, it's technical.
to have great style, you need to have vision. vision is unlike knowledge, it's not technical, thus it can't be learned. for example, to have a vision is like having the innate thirst for beauty thus the ongoing quest for inspiration.

 

[Phalene]

Definitely bred, and dependent on things such as location, wealth, health, etc. I worry when we say things like 'people are born with style' that we aren't taking into account class based distinctions -- for example, Bourdieu (1984) noted that the upper classes tended to value the aesthetic nature of clothing, while the working class prioritized functionality and value-for-money. Does this mean that, because working class prioritize different things, that they cannot or are not stylish? Is style something that only becomes a possibility when one has the financial means to prioritize the aesthetic nature of clothing over its functionality?

This being said, I think that some people have more of an aptitude for personal style than others - but once again, this is a learned behaviour highly dependent on social context.

 

[ultramarine]

Utterly disagree .. Kate Moss came from Croydon ... and she looks nothing like that ... she has it

 

[Vega Magnus]

Both. It's obviously something that can be learned, but it can also be an innate thing too. When it's broken down to it's base level, "style" is nothing more than a skill based on an understanding of aesthetics; quite similar to how some people have artistic ability from birth and others don't. Everyone can learn how to paint and it's totally possible for someone to start of with no skill and develop in to a master, but there are some who simply have a natural ability for it. "Style" is no different, although it is not quite on the same scale, if you will, of something like painting.

 

[juneping]

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.

i agreed with this.