does it bring out your inner child?
staying true to your style POV in a world of trend noise.
Today’s free newsletter is sponsored by Madewell.
In the 5 years I’ve been writing this newsletter, there have been periods where I’ve felt disconnected from my own taste and style.
I’m sure this is not a unique experience, but I think it’s compounded by how much time I spend on the Fashion Internet. For the most part, I love staying on the pulse of trends and cultural shifts. It’s innately interesting to me (and sometimes it can turn into a writing opportunity for a magazine). So for personal and work reasons, I have no intention of silencing trend noise by throwing my phone into the ocean.
But…sometimes I read so many fashion newsletters and trend prediction articles that I can’t hear my own thoughts when I’m getting dressed. This is a common conundrum of the modern fashion enthusiast: trying to glean new style inspiration without diluting your own style identity in the process.
I don’t claim to have all the answers!! But like most things in life, I do think it’s all about balance.
In the rest of this newsletter, I’ll share some tactical ways I stay grounded in my personal style POV when the trend noise gets too loud.
Revisit a comfort color combo.
I have always loved wearing dark brown and baby blue. It’s a comfort color combo, something that feels familiar and true.
Suede topcoat / French blue shirt / Perfect vintage crop jean / Brioche bag / G.H. Bass penny loafers / Clyde leather bonnet (old)
As long as I have this color combo as a base, I can play with other elements of the outfit and still feel tethered to my core self-expression.
I consider the coat to be the brown base and the jeans to be the baby blue base, and then everything else feels more experimental—like this French blue button-down, a new color I’ve introduced into my wardrobe.
A Flash of Arm Tattoo.
This is probably why I’ll always gravitate towards summer/warm weather fashion. I loveeeeee a tank top + tattoo moment on myself (and on others)!
Lace trim v-neck tank (layered the white under the black) / Alexa Chung x Madewell leather skirt / Brioche mini bag / Clyde wool hat (old) / Prada heels (vintage) / Prada sunglasses (vintage)
Tattoos are a part of my body that I added by choice, for aesthetic reasons—that’s really the essence of personal style.
Channel your forever style icon.
Mine is Faye Wong, Queen of Cantopop and Wong Kar Wai arthouse muse. I’ve studied her 90s street style in great detail, and adopted her signature accessories.
Cropped leather jacket / Lace trim v-neck tank / Studded leather belt / Flare jeans / Bonnie Clyde sunglasses / Armwarmers from Tomorrowland Tokyo
So whenever I’m trying out a new style or silhouette, a pair of tiny glasses and armwarmers a la Faye makes the outfit feel true to me.
Does it bring out your inner child?
Finally, true style is 10% about the clothes and 90% how you carry yourself. I’ve noticed that the outfits I feel best in make me want to dance and prance and spin around. They bring out my playful inner child, and that is such a gift.
Cherry red shirt / Lace trim v-neck tank / Flare jeans / Suede shopper tote / Clyde kerchief (old) / Frye mules (vintage)
This is how I decided that flare jeans (arguably a trend, as pant legs swing away from wide/baggy) deserved a top spot in my closet. My legs take on a sassier personality. I walk a bit differently, more animated—bordering on a strut.
The body keeps the score, as they say, applies to clothes too.
I’d love to know how you stay true to your style POV while navigating the world of trend/fashion discourse. Leave a comment, and I’ll comp annual subscriptions for 10 people at random by next week.
xo viv
Thanks for being here. You can find me on IG and TT. My wardrobe pieces and recs are saved here—unless it’s vintage, of course ;) I may earn a small commission from purchases made through affiliate links.
Looking at art — it reminds me of the colors, the shapes, the details that actually entice me, vs the noise of social media. Brings me back to my core visuals !!!!
The older I get, the more I think about my location as a grounding source of inspiration. Both in practical ways (fisherman sweaters make sense in Maine) and aesthetic ways (certain hues remind me of the colors that surround me seasonally). I like dressing towards nature to a certain extent.