Describing My Style

The other day a good friend of mine was telling me about something she read about style. She read a blog post about being able to name one’s style in five words. This really got me thinking. Can I name my style in five words? There are a ton of adjectives to describe my style, so I needed to figure out how to narrow my description down. This pondering left me with three questions that I asked myself when it comes to my personal style and then answered them:

1. Is there one word that comes to my mind when I think about my style?
First off, the one word that comes to my mind is “HIP.” I always want to be hip–meaning to date or even ahead of the times. By no means does this equate to hipster for me–that I am not. I’m too nerdy, too over-the-top to be that sort of hip. I mean the kind of hip that likes to try new things and be the first to wear culottes for example. (I’ve had this black pair of culottes since around 2005! Yes, it might be time to get a new pair, but they work. Re-dying clothing makes black clothes last even longer!) I don’t mind experimenting. I love being the person to try out a new trend and in turn encourage others to do so. I can recall getting together a petition together in high school so all the girls could wear their winter shorts with tights. The trend took off, and before we all knew it we were all wearing winter shorts breaking the school dress code!

2. Is there a common thread to my style–something that can always be spotted?
This past week’s style story really led me to a common thread that always happens when I go to get dressed. Perhaps the best word is funky–I’m not sure. But you can bet to every outfit something bold will be happening. Whether it’s a pattern or a bright colour, I have to add a little funk to my outfit. Without something to draw attention to the outfit, I feel bored. I love subtle dressers too. Like both of my sisters are so classy and chic; I attempt to dress like them, but then I add a bold red lip or something leopard to the look. There’s no subtlety to either of those sartorial choices. I just can’t help it though. I love plaid and paisley. I crave the little quirky item that makes my outfit look different. Heck, I’m a librarian after all–we’re notorious for our funkiness!

3. Is there an explanation to my style?
It’s pretty obvious from this blog and many of the things I write about that the story behind my clothing is just as important as anything else. For this reason, I’d say I’m very eclectic. In my life I also love to travel, so it’s pretty typical of me to pick up special items along the way. I love that on each trip I come home with a collection of intricate, artistic bags or clutches specific to the destination (stay tuned for a giveaway next week!). I love having one of my items be from my time long ago in Saudi Arabia when I used to shop in these amazing discount stores with last season’s looks. I love that my culottes mentioned above are from a budget store called Shopko, that I’ve had them before culottes were even cool, and I’ve re-dyed them to make them last all the longer. I value the history behind any item way more than the actual brand. This storytelling type of dressing is very eclectic just like me!

My Style

So, I guess I’d like to believe I’m a HIP and FUNKY, ECLECTIC dresser. Hmmm, my style kind of sounds like a bag lady–but that’s me!

Do these three questions help you narrow down your style? How do you describe it?

*This post has been linked up to Brilliant Blog Posts, Let It Shine, Throw Back Thursday, Monday Mingle, Fab Favorites, and Passion 4 Fashion.