Growing up, there was a solid period of time (10 years) when I would wear Hanes sweats and sneakers because it was simple and I didn't have to think about it or worry about "fitting in". I wore that knowing that as soon as I got to college I would wear everything I always wanted. The fun part was that once I got to college I realized how much of a challenge it was to find outfits in my size. Luckily I accepted the challenge and began to dress like me!
TBH I don't have a name for my style aside for "I wear what I want" because I wear what I want. As I've gone though compiling my current wardrobe I've gained some methods on how to keep stepping outside of my own box to wear whatever I want in the moment.
So today we're diving into 5 ways to define and expand your style so you're not just shopping at the same 3 stores that you have been since high school. (Even if you love those 3 stores don't be afraid to window shop!)
Create Mood Boards
A mood board is essentially a "sheet" where you have inspiration that all ties to a common theme. For example let's say you want to wear "bright summery" clothes for a va(or stay)cation. You can pull images of influencers, clothes, food, places, that emulate that mood of "bright summery" and place them together to create a mood board. Personally, my mood board can be a poster of images, a doc with inspo, or a new window on my computer with inspiration only. I've also found that ASOS' app has a mood board function so you can create your own mood boards in app!
(Yes, that's one of my mood boards in the photo!)
Browse Stores that "Don't" Carry Your Size
Instead of searching for stores that carry your size right away browse any store that comes your way with a style you vibe with. Before you let your head go "But that's not in my size. Will it look good on me?" just save it to your mood board (mood browser). A vibe has no size so browse what you wish, keep saving what you like, and you might begin to find your unique style come out. Additionally, since a lot of brands are expanding their size range you might find that a piece you're vibing with DOES come in your size!
Buy A Tape Measure
Repeat after me FIT OVER SIZE. Get the tape measure, record your measurements, and watch yourself fall back in love with fashion. Personally after I detached myself from a size I felt so much more confident in my outfit choices because they fit my body and I felt more comfortable! Not every store will have clothes in your size and it takes practice to detach yourself from being linked to a specific size.
Pro-tip: Start to shift your thinking towards, if a store doesn't have my size in what I want, I saved some $$$ for a store that does 🙌🏾
Browse Outside of Your Budget
As someone that is in love with luxury fashion but doesn't have a luxury fashion budget, this hits home. So many fashion houses have styles that I LOVE but I can not afford. What I like to do is look to them for inspo and try to recreate their styles for a much lower cost. Once again add the inspo to your mood board and look to it when your comparing pieces that don't cost thousands of dollars. If you already have internet access it costs nothing extra to browse those luxury sites!
Diversify Who You Follow Online
Lastly, don't only follow people that look like you! This also ties into the idea of detachment. People that don't look like you can have styles that can inspire you. That could mean looking across size & gender. Especially when it comes to video platforms like YouTube and TikTok you'll be able to see how garments move on a variety of body types which can help if you're looking to try a new type of fabric or actually shopping for that garment they are wearing!
Phew! We did it! 5 tips to help you get started so that you can tap into your own style or even create a new one 🙌🏾
If you've learned any tips on how to expand your wardrobe feel free to leave it in the comments 💜