Hello and welcome back to The Extravagant! Today we're returning to my roots and talking about the difference between fashion and style. Let's get started!
First, let's define both. Fashion is about trends (the collective). Style is the way of wearing the clothes you buy (the individual). If you still don't get it, I'll link a couple videos at the end.
If you look at my content about a year and a half ago, every single post I wrote was about trends. I'd like to say that the change was from talking about fashion to talking about style. I had only been writing for the sake of posting something, and not making it meaningful. I like my content a lot better now.
So what caused this change? Firstly, I was just tired of keeping up with the trends. It was mentally exhausting. Also, I stopped going to websites like WhoWhatWear. Style ruts became less frequent because I was focusing on me and not the world.
It's the reason I love content like dressing like characters, outfits inspired by albums, etc. Centering on things I like that don't relate to the fashion world is fun. As I'm typing out this sentence, I'm listening to Do I Wanna Know? by Artic Monkeys and I feel like throwing on my leather jacket. Too bad it's way to hot. It exercises my creativity and takes my mind off trends.
Internet aesthetics and subcultures are a weird amalgamation of both topics. By definition, it's a style because it's a way of presenting yourself. However, when the aesthetic is so mainstream, it crosses over to the fashion territory. It's no longer about yourself, but about your community.
Trends aren't necessarily a bad thing. If you really like it and want to join in the fun, then go ahead. But you don't have to wear every trend that shows up on a list.
Once you have a trained eye like moi, you can sort of tell if someone's stylish or not. Whether they dress fashionably doesn't really matter. So if you can tell, a little piece of advice from me; don't say anything. Even if other people are complimenting them and their sense of style, you don't need to talk trash. A lot of them are young and could be insecure. Don't make them feel bad. Be tolerant and maybe toss them a few compliments from time to time.
So what are some ways to become more stylish? I'm glad you asked. Here are a few simple exercises and tips you can try.
Make outfits inspired by characters in books, shows, and movies you love.
Make outfits that remind you of songs you like.
Stop looking at trend-centered content.
Follow people that have different styles than your own.
Pair items together that you think look ugly together.
Combine two aesthetics into one outfit.
Try on everything in your closet once in a while.
Be open to wearing different things.
And that's it for now! I may make a more in-depth tutorial to style, but that's for later. These were just my thoughts on fashion and style, and not a deep dive in the topic which is why it's a bit scattered. But let me know if you would like more content like this. Love you and see you next time!
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