You Voted! Series #001: The Troubles of Figuring Out Your Style (& A Possible Solution)
Dear fashion-reader,
Well, tonight, I would like to address an issue that has been brewing on my mind for quite some time now. Thank you JA for casting your Vote! Your opinions matter! :-)
>> If you want to get right to the Solution Part,
please scroll down to the Quiz Section!
A group of us have been sharing our fashion journey for about two to three years now, and we've been exploring and *exhausting* the different fashion systems available to us, exchanging our joys, exhilaration, as well as venting sessions, and truly tearful moments.
A lot of us have actually met through a program called Dressing Your Truth (aka DYT), and I am truly grateful for the communal spirit Carol Tuttle created and allowed in her entrepreneurial endeavors.
I think what we all had in common was to a) figure our inner selves out, and b) find a way to express that in a pleasing, satisfying way.
A lot of the fashion courses we explored have all marketed themselves and in some cases 'promised us' this elusive yet so engaging quest for a Defined Styled Image of Ourselves.
The ironic thing that is actually taking place though is that less than half of us have found The Answer or The Solution to our quest, two years later!
Of course, this Fashion Quest Thingy will be an enduring journey, one that will evolve and take turns and twists throughout the different stages of our lives. But having explored possibly somewhere between two dozen to three dozen different 'theories' and 'systems' I really wonder if I will ever really 'get there' after all... and now I must admit, this current stasis begs the question, How will one truly know when they have figured out their style? or What gives?
Of course, for some of us, we now know what DYT type we are, or what distinct color season we are, or what Kibbe type we are, or we have worked out our Personal Style Statement with our Foundation Word and a Creative Edge Word. Some of us have done collages and worked out our Chinese Elements or figured out our Fashion Feng Shui colors, shapes, and textures are. We have created Pinterest Boards, after consulting with Christine Scaman, or John Kitchener, or perhaps David Zyla. Others of us have tried the Fashion Fit Formula or the Fashion Code, or Private Stylist online also, extending our research into Tropical Astrology, Vedic Astrology, MBTI and the 4 Humours and even DISC Tests, and scarier still, we've even plunged into checking out our Iridology and ventured bravely into Physiognomy. And not to mention, spending hours shopping for, trying to simplify with other niches like Project 333, and then ending up on Polyvore trying to get inspired with trending OOTDs from around the world.
(By the way, if a lot of these sound fascinating to you,
you should definitely check out Jane Rekas's blog -->
Anyhow, to climb out of this totally fatiguing merry-go-round and quite the palm-to-forehead situation, I would like to question just WHAT IT IS that makes it so challenging for us to a) Figure Out Our Style, and b) To Stick To The Type or Palette or Style Statement or Style Solution which the Fashion and Style Gurus have touted for us and often for which we have gladly exchanged our cash, attention, resources, and energies for.
In my personal reflective moment last year, regarding this exact issue, which was right around the time I finally got typed by Carol Tuttle in DYT and I dressed as a Type 4 for a handful of successive months, then subsequently hit a major trouble zone once cooler months settled in Seoul, and realized there was no way in hell or Earth, I was going to wear Hard/Cool Colors of T4 in the dead and thick of Winter. No. I just couldn't do it. I craved warm colors, heat sources, it felt just WRONG to wear those colors that made my Summers so fun and icy-cold, now that I shivered even at the sound of clinking silver chains and shiny surfaces.
So, followed a whole slew of months since that moment, where I fell off the wagon again, trying really hard to sort this mess out. I flirted a lot more successfully in late Autumn last year, joining a group for Project 333. The editing process was tougher and easier at the same time, but after the whole phase was over, I got real busy at work and fell off that wagon also.
I feel like I'm back to point zero again. But my wardrobe for sure isn't at point zero with me; now it's full of my experiments from T2 and T4, some Autumn colors and some T1 feelin' jewelry. And with the whole new Spring weather upon us in urban Seoul, I just need a Rebirth of Some Kind.
Some of my attempts in fashion, actually, most of my fashion attempts boil down to three major problems I think:
a) I have a high 'P' in my ENTP personality trait; which means, I like to keep my options OPEN. I am sure some of us in our fashion/style group have a similar trait!
b) My laundry schedule rejects the whole notion and foundation of a Capsule or Capsule-Like Wardrobe... Seriously, if money were not an issue, I'd buy new clothes all the time like disposable wipes...!
c) When I took a quiz in one of the fashion/style books, I found out my Most Important Criteria for my Clothes were in actual fact, a) Speed and b) Versatility. Before taking the quiz, I'd have guessed without a whiff of suspicion that what I'd always wanted were a 'Fashion Forward Wardrobe' since pretty much all of my style quizzes had me at "Glamorous Style" or "Dramatic Style" or "Sexy and Alluring Style," yet, what I wore to work day in and day out are more casual/trendy-urban-yet clean-looking style, leaning much more towards a Polished-Natural-Style than anything else!
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[Solution Begins Here-->>]
Hence, I would like to now share this AWESOME quiz with you, that may or may not shed light on your personal quest in 'Figuring Out Your Style,' if you have not Fully Arrived At Your Absolute Iconic Fashion Statement That You Live and Dress By!
Taken from my Kindle Book... "It's So You! A Light-Hearted And Easy Way of Finding Your Personal Style" By Sheehan Warren.
Location 3194 of 6745, 47% through the pages:
Style Profile #10: My Needs Assessment
Read each statement below and choose the appropriate rating. You must decide how important each issue is for selecting clothing and accessories and plan according to your priorities.
1. I must purchase clothing and accessories as economically as possible (an affordable wardrobe). Not important at all / Not very important / Important / Very important
2. I must wear the most fashionable clothing possible for my budget and my circumstances (a fashion-forward wardrobe). Not important at all / Not very important / Important / Very important
3. I must wear the most comfortable clothing possible for my budget and my circumstances (a comfortable wardrobe). Not important at all / Not very important / Important / Very important
4. I maintain a high profile within the community and must be ready for impromptu appearances before an audience (a reliable wardrobe). Not important at all / Not very important / Important / Very important
5. I must have flexible wardrobes which work with my constantly changing size (a flexible wardrobe). Not important at all / Not very important / Important / Very important
6. I must have a great number of different types of clothes for the great number of tasks I do in any given week (a versatile wardrobe). Not important at all / Not very important / Important / Very important
7. I must have a wardrobe which is conducive to quick and thoughtless mixing and matching for effective time management (a time-efficient wardrobe). Not important at all / Not very important / Important / Very important
Next, rank them in the order of importance.
1. _______________________
2. _______________________
3. _______________________
4. _______________________
5. _______________________
6. _______________________
7. _______________________
How you prioritize these issues and, in turn, apply them to your fashion choices will add to the overall flavor of your style.
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(OK, I tried to create a poll for this but it won't sort the answers the way it can help you get answers in one click! I'll try and learn how to format ranking questions and code it onto a blog post some day!)
Love,
xoxox
Princess Valerie-Cherry-Pie
(This is my new nickname ^_^)
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