Stores feature men's and women's department. Stylist recommend women to wear more dresses to look more feminine, and men to show prominent shoulders. If you feel too restricted in these definitions - read on!
Did you notice how clothing and style seem to address the front page of your passport rather than your own self? Department stores organize offerings for men and women, people shorter than 160 cm or taller people, people wearing smaller sizes or larger sizes... So how do you find the clothes selection for YOU?
Style is about aligning your inner personality to your outer image.
How to define your style
Some clients I work with have clear gender interest. Others, however, define their personality differently. I tend to use Style Anchors to define your style personality. These anchors usually combine relationship interest, personal definition of self and your core values. Here are some examples: Strong, connected to earth, femine. Or gender agnositc, adventurous, connected to air and wind, sensitive.
Your style can be expressed in a few words. But those do not need to fit to store departments' definition.
How to get there?
1. Describe yourself, at work, with friends, at home.
2. Look at outfits that you like. Describe what you like about them.
3. Pick a few outfits you like to wear. Describe what you like about them.
What next? Look at your choice of words. Do you see some trends? Some words or expressions that seem to repeat themselves? Do you tend to look at colors in a certain way? Or an expression in the outfit? Do you use words that describe how something feels, or a message it conveys? Do you seem to notice jewlry and shoes more than clothes and fabrics, or vice versa?
These trends are what will define your style anchors. Try to boil it all down to a few key words, and you'll get what matters to your style. If you get these right, you will find it really easy to stay tru to your style.
So what about these gender-specific definitions of style? Do you see them in your definitions? You may, but maybe your style is agnostic of gender. Whichever are your anchors - enjoy styling your true self, not your the front page of your passport.