Hey lovely people….Happy New Month!
I hope the first half of the year has been good to you and is starting to yield some fruit. However if this is not your tale, God keeps giving us grace and chances to do better. He always causes us to triumph so hang in there and keep doing your best, consistently.
I have been wanting to write an article about personal style for such a long time now. My personal style journey has come a really long way. I remember being a little girl and loving certain pieces of my clothing more than others but at that age really, what I wore was mostly picked out by either my grandmother or mum. I fully started picking out my own clothes in high school. But that was still limited because I had to follow the school requirements for example the colors of clothing, the length, at some point we could not wear pants at school and so there was a mini era of pencil and gypsy skirts. It was not fun at all, I can tell you that much.
Then University came around and I had a say in what I could wear. It was so exciting for me to be able to discover what looked good on me and what didn’t. Now that I know better, I am very certain that I can wear anything and look good in it. Why you might ask? Well, just like I once believed that when you discover what looks good, you just have to keep buying that type of clothing with variations of course. And this of course took center stage for a while, I remember three quarters of my time at University, I wore the heaven out of jeans (denim).
My go to outfit was usually a cute top/blouse, a pair of jeans and pumps or pretty sandals. I still feel like nothing beats this combination because it is just so damn comfortable. I have never seen anyone in this combo that didn’t look comfortable even for guys without the pumps of course. Any way, back to why I disagree with sticking to a certain type or small cluster of clothing style- I believe that a person who is confident can wear anything and look amazing. Long dress, short dress, straight legged pants, bell bottoms, wrap dress, sun dress, shorts, name it. I have come to the realization that if I put my mind to wearing something, I can pull it off. And that is usually the beginning of a fantastic style journey.
Why is it important to have personal style? There is always something to be said about first impressions. This might sound so cliché because I now write a lot of content that is related to the Bible but the dopest book on the planet talks about seed and harvest. And the harvest for first impression is perception. Whether you like it or not, most physical interactions tend to give off a “vibe” of someone. How they carry themselves, how they take care of their personal space and belongings, their hygiene, their level of organization and so on. Unfortunately, we cannot talk about personal style and leave hygiene out of it. They are two peas in a pod.
It does not matter how well dressed you are, if the scent coming off or out of any of your body parts for example your mouth, armpits etc. is appalling, you automatically discredit yourself from giving those around you a wholesome and pleasant experience of you. In short, people do not enjoy being around you however great your personality might be.
The main point here is that how you present yourself speaks first to who you are. Let me illustrate. If Leona is an Administrative Executive and would like to be promoted to the CEO’s Executive Assistant. She has to present a certain way first physically before the Hiring Manager can look past her physical self to the content that really matters that is her skills and competence.
If Leona showed up for a physical interview in wrinkled clothes, muddy shoes and unkempt hair, I can assure you she will not get that job. Therefore, no matter how excellent she is in organization, planning and communication, her physical image does not in this case match with the kind of impression that the CEO of that particular firm wants to have with either staff or clients or the partners that she will be directly interacting with.
Let’s bring it closer to home, you are a young man or woman who is looking to date and you’ve been invited to this Singles’ Soiree at a lovely restaurant on a Friday evening and you are certain that there is a possibility that you might meet some good “candidates/options”. How you present is very important because like I said someone might not know your entire inspiring life story and the super important job you have but they are definitely going to interact with you physically first . How you present will invite people into your space or keep them away. Granted this might be affected by other aspects like your level of interaction and pleasantness but the first impression will take precedence. How you look, how you smell, how you present.
People’s opinions of you will start there. Now you might say, “I don’t give a damn about other people’s opinions.” But that’s a lie and you know it. We all care how we are perceived by our elders, our parents, our business partners, our clients, our spouses, girlfriends/boyfriends, colleagues everyone. The extent of how much we care is what varies and this might appreciate or depreciate depending on how important we value each of these relationships or interactions. Enough digressing, back to style
What are the basics? I will start with Female style because that is what I am most acquainted with. I would say start with the simple things. Jeans, t-shirts, dresses. Now someone might ask; how do I know that these particular jeans look best on me? Well, try them. When you go out shopping and I hope that if this is your first time you have tagged along with a friend whose sense of style you at least like or whose opinion you trust. Try on different styles of denim and see which one you love most. This might depend on the fit (how well it hugs your curves) or the cut (how long it is), how comfortable you are (are you able to sit and take long strides without the pants ripping?).
All this is important. And let me tell you this, the moment you find that one pair that you feel great in, everyone else will see what you see. Have you heard the saying that goes; “Look good, feel good!”? Well it all starts in the mind. The first person that needs convincing is you. If you have decided you look good, no one can tell you otherwise. The key is confidence. You can even ask the attendant and your friend for their opinions before you make the final decision.
Jeans are a basic because they can go anywhere. There are different jeans for all occasions. You can wear them to Church (as long as they are not too ripped, you don’t want to stumble the brothers!), you can wear them to work (Casual Thursdays and Fridays) some workplaces don’t really care what you wear as long as you’re delivering. Please do not mistake this for permission to look any type of way, always show up looking your best. You can wear jeans to dates, you can wear them to brunch. Basically, anywhere and if you are a guy, you could even wear them to a wedding as long you style them properly with a shirt or turtleneck and a blazer. Don’t forget to wear that unforgettable pair of boots!😎 It’s always a statement! I would not advise ladies to wear jeans to weddings. We have way too many options.
Tee shirts. Basic white tees, black tees, and graphic tees are always in-style. For some of these pieces, you might want to pick something that transcends through time. What do I mean by this? Pick something that you will still feel comfortable wearing 3 years from now. Would you repurchase that piece many years down the road? If the answer is yes, then you have found yourself a classic clothing item. It does not matter when you wear it, someone will always compliment you. Especially if it’s a white tee. This is as classy as they come. They are comfortable, always add a clean look to an individual and bring together any outfit beautifully whether it’s a skirt, formal pants, skinny jeans, leather pants, leggings, flared jeans name it. All you have to do is play around with the right jewellery, blazers, sneakers or heels and you’ll be set.
to be continued...