Style vs Fashion
Coco Chanel said it best when she said fashion changes but style endures.
Style is personal. It’s what you like, what you’re comfortable wearing and what shows your personality. It’s slow and can take a long time to develop or figure out.
By slow I mean it doesn’t really change much. For example you prefer colour to monochrome, prefer to make a bold statement with prints, patterns and block colours or prefer no colour at all. It can tweak over time though. My style changed a little after I had my kids. I wear more pants, jeans and shorts than dresses and skirts - more out of practicality - but overall, I still prefer black and white, like clean lines, classic combinations with a bit of an edge and smart casual outfits. It has taken me time to realise what I felt most like ‘me’ in.
Fashion however, is fast moving, constantly changing, here one season and gone the next. It’s what we see down the runway and then in stores.
It includes on trend pieces we’ve been seeing recently like crops and cutouts and bike shorts worn under blazers instead of on an actual bike. It’s seasonal colours too.
Fashion pieces definitely have a place though as it's always nice to have something new and give your wardrobe a seasonal refresh.
But, because they’re in the fast moving category you might not want to spend a lot of money on them. When they’re out of fashion or no longer on trend, you might not want to wear them again.
Style and fashion definitely co-exist though. You wear the on trend top with the favourite pair of jeans you've had for years or under your classic blazer.
As a personal stylist, what I recommend (and what I do myself), is spend a little more on wardrobe essentials or staples. These are the pieces you keep for a while and wear over and over again.
Wardrobe essentials include a white shirt, black blazer, a pair of jeans, a black dress, white t-shirt and denim jacket.
You might pay a little more for these items because they’re investment pieces and won’t go out of style. It’s often also referred to as a capsule wardrobe. You start with the basics which are the essentials and build your perfect wardrobe over time. It’s a long term project but the idea is that you open your wardrobe, love what you see and can find outfits to wear that make you feel amazing.
More is not always more when it comes to your wardrobe. You don’t want to have to spend excess time or energy thinking about your outfit. If you open your wardrobe and think you have nothing to wear it’s probably because you’re missing some key pieces that will allow you to mix and match and create heaps of amazing outfits that make you feel good.
And we all know that if you feel good in what you wear, you feel more confident.
I have written a wardrobe checklist - a list of essential items - and if you want a free copy, please send me an email at debby@debbyharrington.com.au.
