Fashion is one of the most common ways of expressing yourself. It’s something that shows your personality, even if you don’t know it or don’t focus on it much. Just that can be a part of your personality in itself.

There are so many different styles of clothes, especially making the rounds on social media. Nothing stays ‘trendy’ forever and those trends fade in and out, so if you are interested in your fashion, then it could be beneficial to detach yourself from trends, and truly question what your style is.

So now, you want to focus on your style, and you want to make a possible change (or just narrow down what you already have and make different outfits out of the same clothes).

Here are some steps:

Section 1: Finding Your Style

• Find inspiration
  • High fashion
  • peers/friends
  • Online (Pinterest, social media, etc.)

There are so many ways to find inspiration, but a favorite way is to search for a word you find interesting or something that could be a good outfit on Pinterest and just put ‘outfit’ after it. You could also look at your friends, fashion magazines, high fashion shows, and ‘influencers’ on various social media platforms and take inspiration from them.

• Be realistic

Even though it can be super fun online shopping or fantasizing on what piece of clothing you’re going to buy next, it is very very helpful to budget, and take into account what you are actually going to wear (AKA: Are you a casual or comfy wearer, and which one is better for your self-esteem?).

• Try and fail

Trial and error is the biggest part of finding your style (and yourself). You can theorize and look at other people for as long as you want, but if you don’t practice, you’re not going to get better. Just like with playing a sport, if you don’t spend time trying and making mistakes, you won’t end up with what you want. If you want a specific style, then you have to find it, don’t let fear of embarrassment stop you from doing what you want.

• Mix & match (hair, makeup, accessories, base styles) & be creative

You don’t have to rely solely on clothes to create the style that you want. Very often, certain ‘aesthetics’ or such on social media are directly related to a makeup look and styles often incorporate accessories. However, don’t be afraid to mix and match your stuff. If you have a top that you love and you want to wear it with your favorite pants, then wear it! Don’t feel constricted to a certain look.

Section 2: The Actual Clothes

• Use what you have

Shifting your fashion doesn’t have to be expensive. Actually, it doesn’t have to cost anything. Using what you have or borrowing from friends and family can be ways to spice up the creativity and excitement of outfits that you already have.

• Learn a craft

Creativity is useful in a lot of different ways, but it can be a fun craft to make or alter your own clothes. If you are interested in sewing or embroidery, there are so many opportunities to learn how to get started and save money.

• Thrift

If you do want to shop, a sustainable and cheaper option than buying new is buying secondhand. Thrift stores are a great option to buy more affordable clothing, and usually also support a local nonprofit or business.

• You can buy new… but don’t use it as a first resort.

It can be so much fun to go shopping for new clothes that have only been your own. But, it can get expensive and wasteful really quickly. So before buying new, think about how you can reduce and reuse.

• Be creative

This is more about creativity in what you have/what you buy. If you really want to recreate an outfit that you’ve seen on someone else, but you just don’t have the clothes for it, then get creative with it. Put your OWN twist on it.

Why can finding your fashion style be important? Well, teenagers’ brains are still being developed, and according to the National Library of Medicine, part of what is getting developed is a sense of self and identity. Identity is integral in human nature, it shapes who we spend time around, how we act, and even what we wear. Especially in something like outer appearance, which especially nowadays is so heavily criticized online as well as in person. While teenagers both have an incredible amount of information at their fingertips with the internet, social media also gives access to a well of body image issues and insecurities, according to Yale Medicine. Constant comparison of beauty/style/looks (especially to those older/in different walks of life to you) has detrimental effects. 

Your fashion does not have to be important to you, but if it is, it can be worth paying attention to and looking into it. Making identity an important part of your focus in the realm of fashion can be fun and interesting, so be creative, get stylish, and have fun.