Clothing is not simply something that we put on to cover our bodies. Clothing is an outward expression of who we are and how we view ourselves. It is an outward manifestation of how we want to present ourselves to the world. The world also forms an opinion of us, whether good or bad, by how we dress.
The first step to creating your own style is to assess the wardrobe that you have now. What does your wardrobe say about you? What type of clothing does your wardrobe consist of? You need to ask yourself these questions in order to take stock of where you are at the present time
Once you have taken stock of what clothing you have you need to ask yourself what kind of person you are on the inside and how do you want to present yourself to the world? How do you want the world to see you in comparison to how the world sees you right now? You can remain true to yourself while presenting yourself to the world and make a good impression.
There are several styles or archetypes of fashion that you may want to consider when you are trying to define your personal style. Archetypes are not set in stone but are repeated patterns found in a particular style archetype. Archetypes are simply a template of an iconic look, how they dress and how they live. In fashion, it is what types of clothing a person wears and how they wear it. You can stick to one archetype and its look or you can blend a couple of style archetypes to create your own unique look. There are twelve different styles or archetypes. I will list them below with a short description of each.
Many people do not dress one way but choose clothes particular to several styles or archetypes. There are many types of people along the fashion spectrum. Some are traditionalists who stick to the rules and there are those like the leather-clad rocker who choose to make their own rules.
No one particular style is better than the other. We have simply given you a map to find your own sense of style. You can create your own look using one or several of the styles to create your own style identity. These following archetypes I find prevalent throughout the Midwest and across the country:
1. Norm core
People in this category choose to be comfortable rather than be worried about the latest fashion trends. Norm core has no fancy label designers. The color palette and materials are safe as well as not coming across as edgy. The style is casual or semi-formal. The key to the norm core is comfort.
Because norm core clothing is mass-produced it is more accessible to the average person. Putting together an outfit is easier and less expensive to do. There are several stores and designers that you can choose from.
The norm core style is for those who normally wear casual clothing on a daily basis. This style is becoming more and more prevalent and you can find a great many stores that will meet your needs.
Here are a few brands to look at :
1. H&M
2. COS
3. PUBLIC REC
4. GAP
TRADITIONALIST
The traditionalist adheres to rules on how a gentleman show dress that has been put together over the course of time. These rules began with the aristocrats and upper-class gentlemen of Europe to the present day rules set by the duopoly of British and Italian tailoring. Traditionalists generally follow the rules set by one or both of these traditions
He is easy to spot in a crowd. Depending upon the occasion he may be wearing a blazer or a tuxedo or if it is less formal a three-piece suit. A traditionalist may wear a pattern on his suits such as hounds tooth or pinstripes while maintaining his masculinity.
If you find yourself often in formal settings and find rules liberating this may be the style for you. There are rules if you are willing to learn them. Tailoring may be an expense that stretches your budget, but once you find a good tailor you will realize the return on your investment will be worth it when you realize that everything fits you perfectly.
Here are some brands to look at:
2. Hugo Boss
3. Calvin Klein
The Preppy Look
The preppy look had its beginnings in the preparatory schools and Ivy League colleges of the northeastern United States and grew into a popular style from the 1920s and 1905s. It regained popularity in the 1970s as designers made it a presence on the runways. The look has become more popular due to TV shows like The Big Bang Theory and such movie stars such as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zachary Quinto, and Kim Soo Hyun. To be brainy equals sexy.
The preppy look echos the upper-class activities and sports in the New England area such as tennis, lacrosse, sailing, polo, and rugby. A typical outfit may be a lightly constructed blazer with a pair of bright pants and penny loafers.
It is quite easy to put together an ensemble and layers can be added as it gets colder outside. You can start with a light-colored oxford shirt, a pair of khakis and loafers. Check out these brands for inspiration:
1. Ralph Lauren
3. Lacoste
HYPEBEAST
This refers to the man who wears the latest trends. It is one form of streetwear that is heavily influenced by the urban "hood" culture. A large influence comes from the hip hop scene and its music artists such as Jay-Z and Kanye West,
Clothing is loose-fitting and relaxed and is often time layered. Jeans, sweatpants and basketball shorts are often baggy and skinny or tighter fitting jeans or sweatpants are becoming trendy among the younger crowd. They often hang on the hips and show a little of the waist of the underwear. Choose shoes to match whether its Nike or more old school like Converse. Accessories are usually square or round diamond earring and long necklaces. Predominant colors are gray, black and white.
Here are a few brands to explore:
1. Supreme
2. Obey
3. HBA
Athletic
Athletes are a rising influence in the fashion world. They have created a demand for luxury sporting wear that reflects their status. Further, driving this trend is the collaboration between top designers and Olympic teams. Giorgio Armani and Stella McCartney have created on and off game outfits the Italian and British representatives respectively. With no end in sight for this look, the choice in luxury sporting wear is only getting bigger and is inspired by baseball uniforms, soccer jersey, and tennis shorts to name a few.
The average person wearing luxury sporting wear not even play sports or even active, but they want to appear active.
The look has two main attributes: it resembles sportswear and it is fashionable. It may borrow items from sportswear and reinvents them. Grey is the dominant color in this style, but vibrant colors are also used to accentuate the wearer's masculinity. It also uses synthetic material such as Lycra and spandex and Gore-Tex to meet the attributes of permeability and weightlessness required in athletic wear.
Another item that makes a part of the look is shoes. Whether it is the latest basketball shoes by Nike or Lacoste tennis shoes or old school Converse. The shoes are an absolute necessity to complete the look.
The athletic look is not just about looking like an athlete. It has a luxury component to it. Choose items that make you look like you are ready to sprint off, even if you look like you spent a lot of money on the outfit.
Here are some brands that you may want to look at:
1. Adidas
2. Nike
3. Givenchy
4. Bjorn Borg
I hope that I was able to help someone out to create a style all their own that creates a great impression on the world while remaining true to themselves. Come back for the next segment of this where I will be explaining the color wheel and how to find colors that work well for you and how to coordinate colors on your clothing so that you can create an outfit that works well for your skin tone and the colors on your clothing work well together.
* All photographs used in this blog posts are not mine and I have no copyright for them. The sole use was to show you what the styles of clothing look like for each archetype.
Comments