It’s a new year and you’re still trying to decide what’s your fashion sense.
Well thank goodness, you have me because I am going to help you! I am no fashion expert but I have developed my own sense of style.
Here is a guide on how to find your fashion sense in 2023:
Start thrifting
The real fashion girlies are thrifting. Not necessarily some might only shop for luxury, or from local brands. If you are just starting out though, thrifting is a way to go.
Thrifting allows you to find unique items that someone may have or someone once had. Many items, I have thrifted have been vintage pieces from the 90s or early 2000s.
The style and even quality of clothing are better. I don’t buy everything from the thrift but I am an advocate for their two-piece sets, jackets, mini skirts and of course handbags.
Some local thrift shops I enjoy in Michigan:
Value World: 25646 Eight Mile Road, Southfield
Value World: 22130 Coolidge Highway, Oak Park
Salvation Army: 26175 Greenfield Road, Southfield
Grace Centers of Hope Thrift Store: 23105 Coolidge Highway, Oak Park
Motown Thrift: 8050 Middlebelt Road, Westland
Stop looking at trends
Trends kill fashion because they come and go. In the era of fashion now it’s so much trend.
We’re in an era where some people are into fashion because they genuinely like fashion. Others are into fashion but only follow trends.
If you’re on a journey to find your own style, you have to let trends go. The reason they have to go is that they can box you in and stray you away from being uniquely you.
Your fashion should be YOU, not like the other 10 girls on Instagram or at Target. It should be.
I typically try to avoid buying trendy pieces because they typically die rarely fast. Growing up, I used to always want to jump on trends to seem cool because everyone else was doing it. Once I got older and started experimenting more with my fashion, I realized that I was spending money on things I didn’t like just to be on trend and fit in. After I started buying items that were unique to me, that’s how my personal style and own fashion sense started to develop.
It’s okay to not wear trends.
Look at inspiration on Pinterest
Pinterest was my giant mood board. I started saving outfits that I wanted to try out. I fell in love with so many fashionistas on the site, because they were wearing the style I wanted.
Despite me using Pinterest for inspiration, I still decided that I didn’t want to copy and paste. I pulled inspiration but I didn’t make myself look like the girls online because the girls online actually looked nothing like me.
If you frequent Pinterest a lot, you will notice that many of the women they show are super tall, skinny, blonde and white.
I am 5 feet, wear a size medium and black. So obviously, I knew I wasn’t going to look at a carbon copy when I tried those styles.
Some outfits and styles look different on different body types, skin tones and that’s okay. Despite that, don’t feel bad about it not looking like you wanted or what you envision per the inspiration on Pinterest because you have to understand and learn what works for your body and skin type and what doesn’t.
That’s something I taught myself as well because on my journey, sometimes I would get embarrassed by how certain clothes looked on me. Hence a mini skirt, while it may look super cute and ordinary on a skinny model on me it looked like I was trying to sell something.
That skirt hugged my curves and it definitely made me almost uncomfortable because I didn’t want to look “sexy” I just wanted to wear my skirt and look fashionable.
I am saying all of this to say that when you are looking at inspiration from others, take it all with a grain of salt.
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Experiment with different pieces
Start wearing clothing pieces you ain’t never worn before. Not into skirts? Try those skirts. Not into baggy jeans? Wear the baggy jeans.
This is your time to take a chance.
Explore different brands
Are you going to a fast fashion girlie? Are you going to wear only high fashion? Is second-hand shopping going to be your only choice Ms.Sustainability?
Learn what different brands stand for…some are more ethical while some are more.. well let’s just say problematic.
Stay true to you
Don’t do or be someone you are not. At the end of the day, a fashionista is going to show out, she’s going to do her. You gotta believe in the real you so that you can be comfortable and own the moment.
Mix and match
Have statement pieces and luxury pieces that make a unique look. Mix it up, know the label, get vintage icon pieces and mix it with new season items. Don’t make it look tacky though.
Have a “YOU” thing
A “YOU” thing is literally your go-to statement piece. If someone was to ask me what my “You” thing was, I would say a beret.
It’s just an accessory, clothing item, or color you wear often. You begin to start piecing all your outfits centered around this one thing. Some folks thing is gym shoes, sunglasses or beanies.
Start accessorizing
Accessorizing is key. I will never be able to express this enough. Hats, sunglasses, belts, jewelry and colorful bags, are the key to a successful unique outfit.
Have fun
Experiment and remember that fashion is about having fun. You have to do different things, find a style and stick to it.