You’re a standout. Dress like it.
It would be boring if we all looked the same, so why dress the same? Celebrate the essence of who you are with your signature style, and leave the fear of standing out behind.
Social pressures and toxic body culture have surrounded us our entire lives, encouraging us to fit in, to look like someone else, to “flatter” and “hide” and “tuck” and “minimize.”
Whether you’ve been sold the lie of impossible beauty standards by Facetune (the app) and Instagram or saw supermodels first hit the catwalk, you’ve experienced it.
Hopefully, you’ve been paying attention to the headlines lately as society fights back. Stand out. Be bold. Celebrate you.
When you develop and fine tune your signature style, you’re appreciating not only your own shape, your color, and your size, but also your fashion icons and inspirations, your personality, and your confidence.
Feeling ready to finally make the leap? You’re not alone. The journey is simple, and a lot of fun. All you need to do is get started.
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Know yourself.
Who are you, really? Mull it over. Your interests, joys, hobbies, influences. It all makes up part of who you are, and by extension, how you want to dress.
You might love classic, Parisian, chic, minimalistic looks. Maybe bright pops of fun color and chunky jewelry make your heart sing. You might even feel drawn to grungy, tastefully rough-around-the-edges black and silver. Whatever it is, explore your fashion impulses wholeheartedly!
Don’t hold back. This is the time to let yourself just like what you like. The world is too big, too diverse, too interesting to worry about if someone else would like what you already know you do. You’re the only judge and jury here.
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Get to know your way around a color palette.
There are no rules in fashion, but there might be guidelines. A sweet color palette can help you marry vastly different styles and eras while still looking intentional.
It’s full of great tips, like thinking about seasons - you might build two wardrobes around the fall and winter, and then spring and summer. You don’t have to force your palettes, either - just go for the colors you already gravitate towards.
You’ll want base colors, and accent colors. Base colors are your “basics,” in either fun solids like lavender, blue and green or more basic, like black, caramel or ivory, you can even use some classic patterns like plaid or herringbone as your color base.
Focus on fewer than 10 at first, then add your favorite sparks to act as “accents.” We’ve got you covered in that category - our sustainable silks are the life of the party in pops of color and fun prints.
Shop our Dipsea Trail Mushrooms twilly skinny Scarf & Strawberry Hair Barrettes
If building a sustainable capsule wardrobe is something you’re drawn to, we explained the ins and outs of sustainable materials and loungewear for long-lasting style in our capsule wardrobe blog post.
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Think about how you want to convey your message.
Your signature style says a lot about you. Think back on step one - who are you? What do you want to say? Then, working with your favorite color palette, start exploring your passions more deeply.
Pinterest boards can be really helpful in this step. You can find fashion inspirations who look similar to you, or who have curated a style you’re drawn to.
Fashion doesn’t define you, but it can still say something about your interests. Ever meet someone who wears hiking boots on the daily? You can probably guess what they’re into.
Fashion and our social lives are irreversibly intertwined. Punk shows, indie bands, and underground raves have their own powerful style influences, and they permeate fans’ lives outside of the events. Sustainable lifestyle bloggers tend to wear trends right, coveting mustard yellows and camel tones, and so on and so forth.
You don’t need permission to take inspiration from other people who’ve already “figured it out” - just wear what you like.
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Build your wardrobe.
This is the action step. Time to collect all that inspiration you found while getting to know yourself and add to cart.
The best part of building your wardrobe is getting to finally express yourself to the outside world. Try not to go overboard, though - Marie Kondo would say before your purchase is in your hands and you should wonder, “does this spark joy?”
You may be thinking, “I’ve got new wardrobe ideas, but not new wardrobe money. How does everyone do this?”
We’ve been there, so we already wrote about how to look chic on a budget. If that’s no issue for you, we would like to offer our congratulations - and a gentle reminder to try to go easy on the planet. Buy sustainable materials, long-lasting statement pieces, and items that could go for gold and become vintage someday.
Shop our Sprinkly Cactus Loungewear
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Try new things.
Your signature style is all about you. So explore that style that has always scared you. Be your own person, and feel the confidence that comes with it.
We’ve all looked at someone wearing a daring outfit or accessory and thought to ourselves, “I wish I could pull that off.” Here’s the secret: you can. The only difference between you and your style icon is that someone told them “go for it,” and they listened.
Rock bold accessories. Step out in a monochrome, pastel outfit. Wear that belt loop chain or choker. Get a nose ring. Do what you wish you would, and get back to us in a few months when you’ve become someone else’s icon.
Shop our Strawberries hair claw.
Make the most of your new signature style, and have fun with life.
Life is short, wear fun outfits.
We only get one life, but we get hundreds of chances for self-expression. Rock the body you have, and adorn it like it should be adorned - with pride.
Don’t let self-doubt hold you back. For every inspiration you see, there are countless people out there looking for another example of someone unafraid to be themselves. It’s time to be that inspiration for others, and help make a difference in how we as a society see ourselves.
Your unique perspective deserves to be heard. The world would be a little more dull without your contribution to the wide, ever-changing expanse that is fashion.
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