Why have a style recipe?
In my opinion it’s one of the most useful tools anyone can have when developing their style. So much of your style comes down to your personality, what you do and don’t like, from fabric to fit, shape to detail, scale and proportion.
- A style recipe will help you define your style.
- It will give you a framework to use when shopping for clothes.
- It will give you assistance when putting together outfits.
My Style Recipe is Functional Individualist
It does not have to limit you to becoming a “one-look-wonder”. I’ve written about it here. To me it allows me to wear lots of different looks, it’s just an encompassing thought that helps me buy only what works for me.
- Your style statement will change over time.
- You are human and your lifestyle will change.
- Your likes will change and different things will become more or less important as you move through your life.
Outfit 1
This outfit (below) fits my style recipe – it’s functional (I wear this when I want to be comfortable – these harem style pants are my version of tracksuit/sweatsuit pants, the tee is also loose and comfortable, the hot pink shoes and tee add a splash of colour (individualist) and I made the necklace myself (so you’ll never find another one exactly the same).
Outfit 2
This outfit below is a simple leopard print cardigan with a pair of cropped/clamdigger denim pants. It also hits my “comfort” need (and that’s a really important part of the word functional in the way I interpret it). It functions as a good outfit to wear on a day in my home office, yet the leopard cardigan is a little quirky, not too plain and boring. You wouldn’t say that my style recipe makes my look uniform, which is what some people worry about when trying to define their style. Worried that it will box them up too tightly and now allow their free expression.
How to Define Your Style Recipe
If you say to yourself “but I know what I like” that’s great – all a style recipe is doing, is putting that “feeling” of what you like into words. A set of words that you can use to define your style, to define what you love. If you feel a style recipe is limiting you, then you haven’t found the right recipe!
Developing Your Style Recipe – Tips and Tricks from the Professional
Get Your Style Education
Plus with doing the Evolve Your Style challenge (which comes freewith 7 Steps) and it will give you an added boost to finding and developing your style in only 31 days. And doing a program such as 7 Steps to Style will give you the help you need on the “what suits me” element of style, discovering the colours, contrast, and other physical elements, as well as giving you detailed assistance in understanding how your personality influences your style choices.
Read up on how to develop your style recipe:
7 Questions to Ask Before You Buy that Hero For Your Wardrobe
I started writing down how I feel about the clothes I love in my closet; here is the list
Casual/Relaxed/Comfortable
Creative
Unique
Soft
A touch of spice
Am I on the right track?
I make most of my clothes and I live in Alaska
Absolutely you’re on the right track – every person’s style recipe is unique to them. I love your “a touch of spice”! I may have to steal that for some of my clients.
My heavens, Imogen… You look absolutely FABULOUS!!! One gets the impression that good changes have happened in your life. Thank you for all the free sharing you do.
Thanks Kathyrn! Too kind. Life is good (and I do believe in many ways it’s what you make of it). I love to share and I’m grateful for my readers.
Yes style recipes are good. I have just been looking at stylist whose recipe is comfortable, creative and dynamic. Her wardrobe just comes together so well. She knows her absolute colour palette and she seems to delight in the freedom that gives her. My recipe is along the lines of comfortable (no blazers or structured pants/skirts) and flowery/paisley/mosaic (bit of inner hippy). I’ll keep thinking…Thanks again.
Love that outfit, Imogen. Looks fantastic.
I’d say my style recipe is structured, vintage (not always but it’s getting to be a larger portion of my wardrobe) and I have been rediscovering my creative/quirky side.
So my outfit may be my 1940’s vintage blazer with my leopard print shooties. That outfit came out even better than I expected!
Admittedly I haven’t yet read all the posts on this topic yet, so maybe this dilemma is addressed elsewhere, but some of my inner qualities aren’t valued in my professional life. At work I almost have to be an actor and put on a different persona. What I want to project, how I want others at work to see me is not who I am, at least not in many ways. So I’m thinking of trying to develop two style recipes, since my personal, private self is at odds in many ways with the person I have to be in my professional.
Also, some of my personal qualities need some work! So I’m wondering if developing a recipe for the qualities I’d like to develop or strengthen is a good idea. I suspect I wouldn’t exactly be comfortable in those clothes though, at least not at first.
Sometimes our work life and personal life are very different and you will need different style recipes. And yes, if you want to develop your style you may have to inch out of your comfort zone towards the goals and qualities you desire a little at a time. It will work!
I feel like all the words I can come up with are at odds with each other: elegant, vintage, structured, bold, comfortable, and practical. Okay maybe just the comfortable and practical are at odds with everything else. I love the look and feel elegant structured clothing, but always tend to bend to comfortable and practical clothing.
I believe everything should be comfortable and practical if that’s something that you need in your life. There is no reason why you can’t include that as part of what is in your style recipe. You just want to think about fabrics that stretch and move with you rather than wearing anything stiff.
Nice accessories.