Embracing Your Personal Style

by Anne Taylor

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With New York Fashion Week winding down, my Instagram and blog reader have been filled to the brim with pictures from designer shows and fabulous parties. Though I am a big fan of fashion, and appreciate all the artistry that goes into it, it is hard not to be jealous. Jealous of the women who can afford all those beautiful clothes, jealous of those who can fit into sample sizes, and jealous of all the fabulous parties they get to attend. It makes it hard, when I’m that jealous, to really appreciate fashion in my own daily life.

So how do you embrace your personal sense of fashion in the adventure that is your everyday life? Here’s a few tips I’ve learned over the years:

"Pick pieces that reflect your personality instead of following some social sense of what's 'right'." 

-Frida Giannini of Gucci

1. Tell your own story: Did you grow up on a farm, and find yourself drawn to naturalistic, light colors and fabrics? Or maybe you grew up in the country, but you are all about the bold geometrics and city life now? Fashion and style is all about expression, and it’s a chance for you to share a bit about yourself and your own story. If you’re a nature lover but don’t like wearing hiking boots all the time, why not express your passion for the environment with floral fabrics and colors that you can find in the natural world? It’s time to get creative!

2. Own it: One of my favorite colors is orange. I used to deny this to nearly everyone, but one day I was color coding my closet (I love organizing), and there wasn’t any use hiding it anymore. Half of my tops and sweaters were orange or some off-shoot of orange. The thing about personal style is - you have to own it. You have to rock your style, and then don’t apologize. 

3. Embrace your shape: I don’t know about you, but this is probably the hardest one for me. I have a hard time finding popular trends and styles that I like that are suited for my curvy shape, but it's become a lot easier in the last year or so, with popular shows like Mad Men that feature curvaceous women like Christina Hendricks. Embracing yourself for how you were made can be a difficult journey, but it brings so much happiness. 

4. Try Something New: Last year, I realized that I was in a big fashion rut. I was always adding the same types of pieces to my closet, like neutral colors and tunics with skinny jeans. I decided to try something new to spice up my wardrobe, and so I went out and bought a bright coral lipstick. It made my neutral style pop with a wild flare, and it wasn't as expensive as going on a full out shopping spree. What is a new fashion trend you can try?

Do you have tips on embracing your personal style? We'd love to hear your stories!