Month: November 2020

10 Nov

Being You 101: How To Develop Your Personal Style

by Carmen Zajicek

I am sitting here at my computer ready to write my first fashion blog, and a thousand topics are swirling through my brain. I mean, what do I write about that has not been written about before? This begs the question, what is fashion really, and who defines it?

On a personal level, fashion is just an artistic expression of oneself, and such expression is often influenced by our culture and environment. As a high school student growing up in Jamaica in the 80s, I remember having to be very creative with the way I dressed, which was limited by the resources I had at my disposal.

You see, entertainment for us was mainly Barbecue Suppers and Fetes. The barbeques were a big annual school event that we all looked forward to; therefore the outfit had to be well thought out. The fetes were more frequent at least once per month and required keeping up with the fashion trends. It was an era of Disco belts and Charlie Chaplin pleated pants, Bermuda shorts and Hawaiian printed shirts; yes, the ones with the parrots and lest I forget, shoulder pads!

My sisters and I would use our creativity to recreate the fashion trends we got mainly from New York. We bought fabric and had the dressmaker recreate these styles. We dressed up to go to these day parties, and it felt so good. So, when it comes to personal style, one should think about the following:

1. What is the occasion? Should I dress formal, casually chic, or sexy?
2. How do the clothes make you feel when you wear it? Do you feel confident, powerful, or happy? Certain colors definitely give me a happy vibe. Bright warm colors like chartreuse, orange, or yellow sure, makes me feel like I am in control.
3. What about your Fashion Icon? Are you trying to emulate someone? If you are, make sure to adapt it to your own taste. One of my style Icons is Halle Berry; I think she does it right every time.
4. What about the fit? Does a specific style suit your body type? My recommendation is that if you find a brand that works well with your body-type, and stick to that. A Calvin Klein jumpsuit works magic for me every time! When it comes to slacks for work, Express always gives me a perfect fit.
5. Establish a signature look for yourself; this will depend on your lifestyle. One person’s lifestyle might lend itself to Denim, flats and a Blazer for a semi-casual look, while someone else might prefer a suit or something more chic and formal.

One’s personal style should always be evolving. Style trends do change as well as our tastes. Establish a “go-to” look for yourself with certain wardrobe staples. Keep experimenting with fashion and have some fun in the process!