My family struggled financially, like many families, when I was a child. Both of my parents were in college, working full time, and raising 2 daughters. (Stressful!) Due to our circumstances, my sister and I were unable to buy clothing, not even from thrift shops. We survived on hand me downs from cousins. I wore the same thing to school each day from ages 5 to 13.
- Mom’s company t-shirt
- Blue jeans
- White tennis shoes
- A jacket to hide the t-shirt
I wasn’t upset. I understood our situation and was grateful for what we did have. Still, I yearned for clothes, not designer clothes- I had no idea what a designer was. I just wanted something other than t-shirts and jeans. So I became an avid people watcher. As my teen years oozed by I saw the girls around me grow and blossom into themselves, while I watched from the sidelines. I noticed their hairstyles, earrings, color and cut of a garment, and even their fingernail polish. I looked at the magazines and catalogs that came in the mail.
“When I grow up, I want to wear things like that.”
So I grabbed the scissors and began to cut out pictures. I glued them into a notebook and labeled them by sections: purses, shoes, clothes, hair, etc. I called it “My Style Journal” Unknowingly, I had taken the first step in developing my personal style. I was figuring out what I liked by creating a style journal.
So this is Step #1- Create a Style Journal. If you need an actual journal to hold in your hands, create it by cutting and pasting pictures in a notebook/journal. However, the fastest and most resourceful way to accomplish your task is to use an app called Pinterest. By utilizing Pinterest, you don’t have to buy magazines or wait for the snail mail catalogs. Pinterest allows you to pin (or save) photos, articles, etc of things that interest you on boards that you’ve created. The best part is that Pinterest is both free and mobile. As long as you have your mobile device, “you never leave home without it.” (Cheesy, I know, but I couldn’t help it.😂)
When you sign up for Pinterest, I recommend creating a number of boards such as:
- Spring Outfits
- Summer Outfits
- Fall Outfits
- Winter Outfits
- Accessories
This is will help you quickly find items on another occasion. Then go hog wild and “pin” ideas for fitness, home, travel, etc. I even have a private board that nobody else can see. It’s where I hide gift ideas for my husband.
So take that first step in designing your style by figuring out what you like- create a personal style journal. After all, how will you design your personal style, if you haven’t figured out what you like?
