Style Series: Navigating Identity
How a Stylist navigates identity.
Reflecting on Personal Style
DETAILS
Author: Teagan Lattey
Topic: Style Series
Date: 14th January 2024
A Deep Dive.
You probably read the above question and thought, “if she can’t dress herself, how can I expect her to dress me?”, it’s a valid question. I believe one of the core skills any stylist can have is being engaged and understanding of their client. To have a connection that is deep and trusting, after all we are trained to build on those relationships and when you find a stylist that connects well, you both create magic. This takes time to build, of course, but sometimes a stylist can lose focus on themselves. Things change. People change. Wardrobes change. There are endless shifts we encounter in our lives that adjust the paths of our careers, relationships with others and also, with ourselves.
A lot of us use our wardrobes and personal style as a way to show our surroundings and really, the world, who we are, as we should. Our wardrobe is a form of our identity and I know for certain, a lot of us cherish that. After all, it’s a way we share how unique each of us truly are.
So, you may be wondering, how does a stylist lose touch with their own style? “Can’t you go shopping and know what looks good?”, you will ask. Well, yes and no. As a stylist, we’re looking everywhere for inspiration and this goes beyond clothes. It can involve looking at our lifestyle, careers, our finances and so on. Sure, we may dream to have a wardrobe we can walk through with all our clothes beautifully in order but in reality, that’s not always the case and if you’ve ever had a styling experience, you will recognise the above factors are always considered with our clients as well.
You could say I’m in a personal style slump or block, I’ve had more mornings lately where I just can’t seem to pull together an outfit and over this time, I’ve thought to myself, am I really connected with my wardrobe? Sounds silly right. Some days, I blame the weather, other days, I’ll admit, I’m dressing for comfort (hello, gym clothes!). But on those days where I leave the house and be social, I’m left wondering if what I’m wearing truly represents who I am. If I left the house in something I wasn’t used to wearing or I know doesn’t feel or fit right, I believe everyone else around notices as well. To unpack this style block, I am taking a step back and approaching this with how I would a client. Diving in deep, from the start.