Photo by Analyn Cuarto
What it means to develop a personal style
By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor
I don’t need to tell you that bodies come in all shapes and sizes—that’s obvious. That fact can also make it extremely difficult when you want to be fashionable, but the current trends sway towards something that may not be flattering on you or something you wouldn’t feel comfortable in. However, being fashionable and being on trend are two very different things. It is always possible to be stylish, because style is user defined.
So then the question becomes “what is a personal style and how do you develop one?” For the longest time I believed that fashion simply wasn’t my bag. My body is fairly disproportionate in terms of the torso to lower body ratio, and I have broad shoulders with a narrow waist. This made finding clothes really difficult, so I kind of jsut gave up on it and relegated myself to hoodies and jeans. The difficulty of dressing myself contributed to an overall self-consciousness that prevented me from fully exploring the wonderful world of fashion.
It wasn’t until I began designing costumes for various events that I realized that dressing up and having pride in what I wore made me feel better and more confident in general. I began testing the waters with what I liked, though not things that were necessarily in fashion—stuff that I would find in thrift stores, or randomly in independent shops. I liked the idea of not looking like everyone else—a remnants of my days as a little punk/goth high schooler. Through experimentation I learned what I wanted my body to look like, and what fabrics I enjoyed wearing. It was all about the personal for me, mostly because I am a baby, and everything I wear has to be comfortable.
What came much later was the ability to adapt current trends to suit what I wanted to wear. Currently, though I appreciate fashion trends, I generally don’t employ them unless they fit what I’ve come to realize is my way of expressing myself to the world at large. What it comes down to is “what do you feel attractive and comfortable in?” If you like the way you look, confidence can make any outfit work—I know that sounds cheesy, it sounded just as cheesy in my head, but it is true! Also, never listen to people who tell you that you shouldn’t dismiss certain styles as things you “can’t wear.” They’re saying it to tell you that you shouldn’t be so self-conscious, but it just comes off as dismissive.
Wear what you want and what you’re comfortable in—just don’t limit yourself to hoodies and jeans or say that fashion isn’t for you. Fashion is for everyone, it’s just that some people haven’t discovered their version of it yet!
