Style from within

When I think of Maya Angelou, (especially as a teacher-librarian), I absolutely LOVE the power she had with words. But, did you know she exuded that same eloquence in her philosophy of fashion and style?

You will always be in fashion if you are true to yourself, and only if you are true to yourself.

- Maya Angelou

Over the past few months, I've offered a variety of style prompts to help spark creativity in how we put outfits together. The goal is to help make getting dressed easier and to make the most with what we already have. But style is so much more - and Maya's words are a perfect illustration. True style begins with us. The goal is to uncover our style from within.

In the spirit of Maya's words, I feel the best place to start is to think about what truly makes us happy. Wearing what makes us feel good.

An example of this is in the photo above. I am wearing one of my favourite dresses that I purchased while on holiday in Mexico a few years ago. I adore the colour, the fun style element of the shoulder detail and the comfort offered through its fabrication (it's basically a big sweatshirt!). Yes...you CAN be comfortable and stylish at the same time! Plus, I tend to gravitate towards dresses and skirts. I feel great when I wear this piece, and it connects to so many aspects of my tastes and personality.

I encourage you to take a little time and start to recognize those pieces that you absolutely LOVE in your closet, that make you feel your best. Maybe it's the colour, print, silhouette, texture or fabrication that you are drawn to. Take note - there is likely a connection to your personal style there. Have a couple of pieces that frequently garner compliments? They can be a good starting place as there is a reason people take notice (most likely because you wear them with confidence and enthusiasm).

Conversely, also recognize those pieces that do not make you feel your best. They are probably telling you a lot about your style preferences as well...

If you start to identify those pieces that bring out that joy/happiness, snap a few photos of them (better yet - selfies of you wearing them!). The hope is you'll start to see some patterns which will become the foundation of discovering your true style.

Keen to figure out your personal style, but need a little help? My closet style services (Ultimate Edit or Shop Your Closet) are the perfect opportunity to work through this together!