When it comes to personal style, how does one have “drip”? If you read fashion magazines or log on to social media, there will be a million experts telling you what to wear to be “on trend”, to flat - ter your body type, to not look dated, and to dress according to a certain aesthetic. Although it is great to turn to others for inspiration, I’m a firm believer that your “drip” comes from wear - ing whatever makes you feel what I call the three C’s of personal style: confident, comfortable, and creative. Fashion is one of my favorite creative outlets; I look at clothes as a form of self-expression and there is nothing I love more than putting togeth- er an outfit that makes me feel great inside and out. Now, some may assume that I was born with this interest, but the truth is, I was not the quintessential “girlie girl” growing up. I wore my older brother’s clothes until fourth grade and couldn’t care less about what I wore as long as it was comfortable. As I came into my own start- ing in middle school, I learned to have fun ex- perimenting with fashion and found clothing to be a way to express myself and increase my self confidence. So several questions remain: do you have to be a fashionista with an endless bank account to have personal drip? NO. Is there a “right” way to dress and style yourself? NO. Lastly, am I here to tell you what to wear? NO. However, I am here to provide you with tips on how to discover your personal style and even provide some examples of outfits I love and why I chose the outfits I did at the time. My goal is to inspire you to have fun with fashion no matter who you are, and to flaunt your drip whether you’re in a personal or professional setting! Identify styles, silhouettes, and colors that peak your interest and make you feel confi - dent when they are physically ON you. I can’t tell you how many times I have absolutely loved an outfit on someone else and thought I just had to have it…only to discover that I felt completely different about the outfit once I tried it on. In order to discover your personal style, you won’t
know what works for you by looking at others. Yes, you can gather inspiration, but by trying on different styles, silhouettes, and colors, you can identify what makes YOU feel good, which makes shopping so much easier moving forward! Do NOT associate fashion with age. Too of- ten do I hear people say, “I’m too old to wear that”, and don’t even get me started on all of the Millennial fashion slander I see online (leave us, our skinny jeans, and our front tuck alone!). Yes, each generation has a signature style, but never box yourself in! Forget those that say you’re too young or too old to wear something, and tune out anyone who says your favorite style makes you look dated. Do not treat your closet as a revolving door. The easiest way to struggle with having a person- al style is to hop from trend to trend to the point where you’re always onto the next purchase. I’m not saying avoid trends, but only indulge in trends that you see yourself wearing even when the clothing is no longer trending. Additionally, it is important to purchase clothing that will actu- ally last over time, so it is better to invest in a few quality pieces rather than purchase a handful of trendy low-quality pieces that will fall apart after a few washes. In all seriousness, the fast-fashion industry is a massive contributor to waste and pollution, and you should think about the long- term impact of your purchases to avoid tossing so much into the landfills. ...THE THREE C’S OF PERSONAL STYLE: CONFIDENT, COMFORTABLE, AND CREATIVE. “
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