Personal style is key to buying clothes that will stand the test of time.

There are various ways people pin down their personal style (in both clothing and makeup), some being rigorous categorisation systems and other being general ideas and concepts. Personal style imo is a mix of:

Knowing what works

That is, using systems with a basis in some kind of theory.

Colour theory

Seasonal colour analysis

Enter: seasonal colour analysis. Uses the colour of YOU to figure out what colours theoretically complement you best. I am a dark autumn because I have:

• “warm” skin? (see below)
  • I like gold-toned jewellery more than silver.
• med-high contrast
  • black hair, v dark brown but basically black eyes, against lighter skin
• medium chroma
  • I am not very saturated, but I am not totally desaturated in colouring.

Very popular to do colour analysis in SK but actual colour analysis sessions are SO EXPENSIVE yoinks

Links:

• https://theconceptwardrobe.com/colour-analysis-comprehensive-guides/dark-autumn-a-comprehensive-guide

General comments on colour theory

SKINTONE and UNDERTONE what even is this

there is not really a consensus on how to categorise skintone and undertone?? I would say I have a yellow skintone with an olive undertone. I am yellow, I am green. And this makes me warm overall?? but my undertone is cool. So, idk. I DON’T THINK OLIVE IS A SKINTONE?????????

technically for seasonal colour analysis you’re supposed to consider your skin UNDERTONE but I like to consider the overall impression of my skin’s colour. I think bc I have olive undertones, I like to lean towards navy a LOT as a neutral in my wardrobe bc it works for me.

How this influences my clothing choices

My general wardrobe colour palette:

HOWEVER COMMA my main colours are

• black (I don’t like vintage black so much, should be a pure black)
• navy (warmer, greener undertones, rather than purple or ultramarine)
• brown (all variations, but warmer undertones are better)
  • beige
• red (deeper, medium saturation)
• greens (either light olive/lime or mostly dark greens)
• yellow (a deep-ish mustard-ish but not typical mustard?? idk)
• pink (deeper)

I want more

• purple! (deeper purples)

and I avoid

• burnt orange (don’t ask me why, I just don’t like it even though it’s technically in my colour palette)
• light blues (except for my light wash jeans which tbh I might get rid of soon)
• bright anything
• colours that are too desaturated
• grey (unless it’s warm like cozy elephant vibes)
• tan?? (it’s too close to my skintone makes me unfomy sometimes)

Body type

Kibbe body types

I’ve read a lot of Cozy Rebekah’s blog posts about this lol. I think I’m soft classic?? but people notoriously categorise themselves as this when they’re actually a theatrical romantic, or soft gamine. I still don’t know, and it’s been years. Anyway, pretty controversial method of body typing. Has pros and cons.

Dressing for your “body shape”??

Like, if you’re a “pear”, then you need to wear things that appear to make your shoulders broader and your hips or thighs slimmer.

General comments on body type

I like the Kibbe idea of complementing your features rather than “negating” them like in a typical “dress for your shape” guide. In a typical “dress for you shape” situation, you’re trying to negate things to achieve the ideal “hourglass” figure. But Kibbe says, EMBRACE THE AESTHETIC.

Past experience

I know I like certain cuts of clothing, and I don’t like others

Clothing aspects I like

• high waists
• wide legs
• collars
• crew necks
• long shorts

Clothing aspects I avoid

• Silver hardware
• Rose gold hardware (I could write an essay about my dislike for rose gold)
• asymmetry?
  • eg. wrap dresses
• thick waistbands on clothing
  • eg. pants with two buttons on the waistband, just, any thick waistband.
• sleeves:
  • too short (I don’t shave so this can cause issues)
  • raglan
• necklines:
  • boat
  • scoop
  • turtleneck
  • mock neck
• exposing my waist or too much thigh
• linen :sob:

Knowing what you want

Generally, figure out what you want your style to be I guess??

Like, I want my style to be a certain way.

• comfy
• easy
• poppin

Style priorities

Suggested by Body and Style. Video: How to Stop Buying Trends + Find Your Style | from a stylist. Pinterest board: Style Priorities, Collection by Body & Style

• style priority = message you want to send to the world with your clothes, i.e. how you want to come across

1. Choose 4 priorities
   • you can break down these too
2. Dissect that style
   • write all elements, regardless of your personal preference for them
   • eg. edgy = chains, leather, metal, lace, black, etc.
3. Combine elements to find your perfect clothes
   • combine details from across the list

• Take body type and colour season into account? eg. romantic body type should take into account romantic elements.
• Don’t create a mishmash of different elements: create harmony.

Doing the method

1. Priorities
   • Academic
   • Retro/60s/70s
   • Elegant/clean/minimal
   • (Currently very) Sporty
   • (Mayyybe) Girl next door/cosy/cute/comfy

Aesthetics uwu

Just using pinterest and seeing what sticks LOL. Brings me back to tumblr. Are you a bruh girl or a hi girl?? Also see Cozy Rebekah

• dark academia
• Parisian
• fairycore
• cottagecore?

Essences

• Dramatic
• Natural
• Gamine
• Classic
• Romantic
• Ingenue (technically scrubbed by Kibbe)
• Angelic/ethereal

I am not dramatic or natural. I think I am ingenue? Classic? Romantic?

TRends?

It’s fun to try trends (normally can be found in op shops) and to see what you actually like long-term or if it’s just a fad. Eg. I was into layering camis over shirts, and that has found mild longevity in my wardrobe, but I probably won’t buy more camis for this purpose, since I don’t really like wearing them alone.

Knowing what you actually wear

I recently thought about it, and the stuff I reach for on a daily basis is just comfy stuff. Big zip-up jumpers, with a pair of high-waisted, typically wide-legged pants or jeans, with a t-shirt.

My uniform

Advice from https://youtu.be/yxz4FCSDjIs is to find a “uniform”, i.e. a go-to outfit you wear often. Like, if you were a cartoon character, what would you wear?

Typically: pants, t-shirt tucked into pants, jacket (even in summer bc aircon gets cold), with converse or my mary jane docs.

Balancing act

So, I guess there are three aspects:

• What works, your theoretical style
• What you want, your dream style
• What you wear, your current style

And your personal style falls somewhere in the middle of these three things.

In the end, WEAR WHATEVER U WANT.

Another style theory: Style Roots

A style theory by Body and Style (by Ellie Jean) discovered by me on 2022-07-13. Video 1: find your unique style | Style Roots QUIZ + body types. Video 2: Combine Your Aesthetics + Find Your Style | STYLE ROOTS P2.

• refreshing take!
• gives one the option to incorporate personal taste into determining the theory
  • other theories above can impose “correct” ways to dress
• one can “create an effect” by breaking away from what other theories tell you is best to achieve a certain look (creating/reducing contrast between what is harmonious for your colouring, body, etc.)
• basically,
  • take quiz
  • choose top 3 answers from quiz (in order of priority))
  • identify main roots based on top three answers/general preference (three, in order of priority)

Quiz

CHOOSE 1

• sensual or modest
• dark or light
• carefree or on top of things (i kinda wanna be carefree tho)
• strong or delicate (i can’t pick)
• experimental or timeless (but I like both of these too LOL)

TOP 3

• dark
• modest
• ??

Types!

MOON: dark, gothic, edgy, provocative

• dark
• strong
• carefree
• sensual

FLOWER: delicate, pretty, sweet, cute

• light
• delicate
• modest

FIRE: sensual, glamorous, luxurious

• sensual
• carefree
• delicate

EARTH: natural, earthy

• part of dark academia?

• carefree

• delicate

• experimental

MOUNTAIN: strong, powerful, on top of things

• on top of things
• strong
• timeless
• modest

MUSHROOM: elegant, classic, timeless

• on top of things
• delicate
• timeless
• modest

STONE: relaxed, carefree, comfortable

• modest
• carefree
• timeless
• strong

SUN: creative, wild, bold

• elegant clothing with quirky undertones: the undertone is SUN

• experimental

• light

• carefree

My mix?

mushroom, stone, fire