Tips to live your fashion fantasy and begin dressing up as you always imagined.
When you dress in the morning, do you think about what you are wearing? Or do you simply go with the first thing you see? For me, it depends.
If I do not have time, I might get into something comfortable to get through my day, like leggings and a top. But if I am feeling creative, I might take a few minutes and try something I have not pulled off yet.
Still, I find it hard whenever I try to be adventurous because I do not consider myself a fashionable person. And no matter how hard I try, I cannot achieve my “passion for fashion” Bratz doll fantasy.
Fashion can either be your best friend or worst enemy.
For every moment in our lives, fashion has always been there. It was there when your mom bought clothes for you as a kid and the first time you dressed yourself. And now, it is all over social media.
From all the “Get Ready with Me” videos to simple breakdowns on new fashion tendencies, fashion is everywhere. And I do not know about it, but it is easy to get lost in between all the mess.
So, I always end with the same question: What should I wear?
If you are lacking inspiration or simply do not know your style, I have compiled tips that might help you become the ‘it’ version of yourself that your younger self would admire:
1. Don’t buy something because it’s trendy or everybody else is buying it
We are used to rapid-changing environments. From magazine websites to social media content, every outlet is continually pushing out trends that come as easily as they go (as proven by the 2k fashion revival).
Suddenly, we are buying baggy jeans and forgetting the skinny jeans era ever existed.
Though seasonal pieces or trends might be important for fashion development, “we know those need to live alongside a capsule of staples, because every wardrobe needs a yin-yang balance,” The Get Editors said in an article for Vogue about 2023 wardrobe essentials.
If you start buying into every fashion trend, you will fall into the unending spiral of not knowing what to wear. So do not fall into the trap. Instead, adapt those trends into your personal style and rely on “capsule staples.”
2. Make a Pinterest board
If you have Pinterest, this is for you. If you don’t, you should consider downloading it for this one. I remember once talking with a friend about how she created her outfits and where she drew her inspiration. “Pinterest,” she said without hesitation.
If you are in the middle of a style crisis, download Pinterest and search for either simple words like “night out outfits” or very specific fashion styles.
3. Get familiar with your closet
I recently found out the root of my fashion problems and the reason why I stand there looking at my closet too long before choosing an outfit: I do not know what I have. So, if you are also guilty of this, here is a trick for you.
The “hanger trick” by Vestiaire Collective co-founder Fanny Moizant is used to test the wearability of your clothes. You start with all your hangers in the same direction, and you only turn one around when you use the piece hanging from it, she said to Vogue Magazine. At the end of the season, she said you sell what you do not wear.
However, this trick is not restricted to hangers only. You can also use it with your shoes or folded pieces. My tip is to use pins or post-it notes to keep track.
It is a good way to know what you have and what you are comfortable wearing while also getting a closet detox.
4. Don’t be afraid to accessorize
Everybody loves jewelry, but we tend to restrain from fear of overdoing it. However, jewelry or any other accessories are a must-have. They help you to transform an outfit you might have already worn into something new and exciting.
I recently came across the Instagram account of fashion stylist and influencer Karina Berenice or better known as @benulus. She is a great example of elevating your clothes through accessorizing. She makes a bunch of Get Ready with Me videos, where you can see the many functions and places you can use accessories.
5. Look up to those who know more about fashion
Though anybody can become a fashionista, we often need a little help to understand why things go together. So if you want to know more about clothes or their history, look up to those who know more than you.
Read a book about fashion or subscribe to a fashion magazine and see what those writing about fashion are wearing.
But also get familiar with the brands and designers to find your style. A tip: search for new and old brands’ fashion shows to get inspiration and identify staple pieces or cuts you like.
6. Go back to the things you liked
Though styles change, we always aspired to dress in a specific way. You would watch a female character on your favorite TV show and immediately say: “I want to dress like her.” And that happened to me recently.
A couple days ago, I rewatched a telenovela called “Rebelde,” which tells the story about teenagers attending an elite boarding school in Mexico. This telenovela was one of my favorites. Besides the plot, I loved the female characters and their fashion sense. For my child self, they were ‘it’ girls dressing as I aspired to do so (and often still do).
My binge-watching sessions did not only bring me back to my childhood but helped me remember my personal fashion icons growing up. It made me realize that I may not be dressing according to what I like.
For this tip, I want you to remember and reflect about your past self. Look out for TV shoes or old trends that caught your eye throughout the years. And ask yourself: “why did I like this?” Your answer might help you narrow down particular style trends you have followed throughout the years.