Style Statement

I have many pieces in my closet that I like, theoretically, but every time I try to actually wear them, they don't feel like "me." They're not really my style. How do you define your style? Can it actually be summed up in a few words? I have three sisters, and we've jokingly described our collective style as retro hippie Asian chic, as we all seem to have elements of these key words in our own individual styles. In this quest to further define my style, I read the book Style Statement. I can't word it any better than this, so I will just quote the description "Style Statement: a two-word compass that helps you make more confident choices in life -- from your wardrobe to your relationships, your living room to your career plans. Part workbook, part inspirational narrative, Style Statement presents a series of inquiries that lead readers to the personal words that guide the spirit, look and feel of their life. The first word represents your foundation, your 80%. The second word, your 20%, is what motivates and distinguishes you."

To get anything useful out of this book requires a lot of self-examination. After lots of writing, filling out questions and answers, look up definitions, and reflecting on everything I discovered, I settled upon Structured Sophistication for my two word style statement. Much more than just a description of one's sense of style, this is meant to be a description of how you approach life. Structured meaning a lot more than just my very analytical approach to things, but encompassing structures, or the the art of building and creating, which very much describes how I go about my work as a graphic designer. I have never felt that I related very well to other artists and "free thinkers", that my creativity might be more similar to an architects' was a very freeing thought to me. This word also fit my love of clean, modern lines with interesting details in graphic design, interior design, fashion and probably everything else as well. This word, "Structured" also explains why I can't work unless my house is clean, my files organized, etc. Knowing this allows me to just go ahead and do what I need to do to feel like myself again, then settle in to my work.

The second word I arrived upon was sophistication, a word that reflects my love of relaxed and unstuffy elegance, classic items, culture, and travel. Style Statement included the thought that someone who related to this word might be a seeker of knowledge and a voracious reader. Definitely an apt description of me. Here's where my love of pieces with an exotic flavor comes in, bold jewelry (which I first came to love traveling in Italy) Asian inspired pieces that are a link to my Japanese heritage or Moroccan style lamps that transport me to the enchanting idea of a Mediterranean vacation.

When I reflected back on items I had purchased, outfits I had bought, rooms I had tried to design, etc that never quite felt right, even though I loved the elements, I realized that the balance was always off. Too far to the structured side, (too stark, too serious, too plain) or too far to the "sophisticated" side (too glamorous, too artsy, too bohemian.) When I'd reconsider the balance, it always seem to instantly become more comfortable, more "me."

I always love the way West Elm catalogs are styled, they seem to have this exact balance that I strive for. Here's an example:




I highly recommend checking out Style Statement and figuring out your own two word description of your style. If you do, come back and let me know what yours is, I'd love to hear...