Ten Ways to Rethink Style Right Now

Photo Credit: Adam Foster

1. Find a way to wear your least favorite color, even if it’s just a small accessory. Are you sure you wouldn’t be able to tolerate a belt? A shoelace?

2. Ask yourself: If you could never shop at a mall again, what would you do?

3. Take a piece of clothing that’s been in your wardrobe for several years, and ask yourself how your relationship to it has changed. What’s compelled you to keep it for so long?

4. Ban yourself from wearing jeans for a whole week. See what happens.

5.Take the first “fashion rule” that comes to mind. Anything that starts with “You should” and “Never” are a good bet. Got one? Break it the next time you get dressed!

6. Go someplace with a liberal return policy and buy the article of clothing/accessory that you’ve been craving but “aren’t sure if you can pull off” and wear it around your house for a week. If it still feels wrong, return it. No biggie.

7. The next time you see someone dressed in a way that puts you off, ask yourself why. Is it what they’re wearing, or the way they’re wearing it? One way of doing this (if they’re around your age & the same gender) is trying to envision them wearing what YOU’RE wearing.

8. Commit to wearing something you haven’t worn in at least a year, tomorrow. (If you can’t bring yourself to do it, it’s probably time to head to Ebay/a thrift store/the local clothing shelter.)

9. Next time you go wardrobe shopping, ask the most interesting person you know to come along.

10. Try to define your personal style without using any adjectives. My answer is in the comments!

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Posted by on Aug 2, 2010 in Articles | 19 comments
  • http://rethinkingstyle.com Tessa

    (Description of my personal style w/out adjectives. Just writing this makes me want to live up to my description as much as possible.)

    Picasso meets the 1800′s, gets drunk with some ballerinas & sobers up in Wonderland!

  • http://glamandunfab.blogspot.com/ Ipsita

    I love number 4 on the list! Jeans are a total spoiler for variety in outfits. I remember following that tip ones, except the time limit was fifteen days. What wonderful, -jean-free days. :D

  • http://rethinkingstyle.com Tessa

    I know, even I’m guilty of automatically reaching for my favorite (and only, really!) pair of jeans on certain cold & lazy days! Did you really try it out before? How did it go? Did you find yourself going back to jeans as soon as the ban was lifted?

  • Anna

    Hey Tessa!

    I am going to try all 10 things by the end of this week. Hehe. Maybe it can be for cat homework! “smiles”. My favorite one was #10. I think that would be pretty hard to describe myself with out any adjectives. Here is my try: Leo rises in morning. Has a lot of energy. Jumps around
    and wants to play. Yay! I hope that describes me sister. Keep up the blogging!

  • Anila

    Hey Tessa! I’m so glad you directed me towards your website because I find it absolutely inspiring! I’m definitely one of those people who will buy something out of the ordinary and then completely wimp out and never wear it. I’m going to be following this blog in the hopes that it’ll make me more courageous and inventive with my own personal style. (I’m going to be working on numbers 4, 5 and 6 that you’ve listed here :P ) Keep up the good work!

    -Anila

  • http://captainmagnets.blogspot.com Leah

    I don’t think I could do 10 with adjectives, let alone without! I think I’m going to have to try 4 because staying in the house so much makes me lazy. And 5 because it’s just fun to mess about with so-called ‘rules’. This is a really great little list, especially if you happen to be stuck in a style rut.

  • http://glamandunfab.blogspot.com/ Ipsita

    It went really well actually, and it was even more fun because me and a friend were doing it together. :) As a consequence, a lot more of those skirts and patterned tights that were being ignored in my closet came out. Also, I didn’t go running back to jeans, I had discovered that other fabrics are actually much easier on the skin. :)

  • http://glamandunfab.blogspot.com/ Ipsita

    Also, I’m totally trying out the rest of the tips. :D Awesome stuff.

  • http://rethinkingstyle.com Tessa

    Love the description! Your style IS very playful and energetic, and you did some great thinking there to phrase it without adjectives!

  • http://rethinkingstyle.com Tessa

    Believe me, I know how that is! I’m actually planning to write a more in-depth article soon about what I call “style anxiety” :) It’s very exciting to hear that the site is motivating you so far, thanks for stopping by!

  • http://rethinkingstyle.com Tessa

    It’s interesting that most of us aren’t in the habit of describing our style- I know that I hadn’t really even sat down and thought about it until I wrote this post! I wonder whether it means general style sense is unclear or just intuitive! Maybe a mix of both?

  • http://rethinkingstyle.com Tessa

    Good point! The “comfort” of jeans may stem more from a casual mindset than the actual hand (design-speak for touchability) of the fabric. Thanks for sharing your first-hand experience- sounds like it was quite eye-opening!

  • http://coroflot.com/ciarakosior Ciara

    Love this! I have to say, being one of those strange people who rarely wears jeans, I find them quite uncomfortable and usually end up going home to change back into a dress or skirt. To add to your list of challenges, I find that I come up with interesting new outfits only when my laundry pile forces me to. When all my favorite things are dirty, I’ll end up combining pieces I’m normally not brave enough to wear, or it will make me think about my clothing being used for something other than it’s original purpose, like a bandeau top as a color accent to a muted cowlneck dress (also helpful if the temperature rises dramatically). Anyway, great site and good luck with your studies!

  • http://rethinkingstyle.com Tessa

    I’m the exact same way- I wear skirts/dresses nearly every single day, which I suppose makes me writing #4 rather a cop out, haha. You bring up an awesome point- limitations make us more creative! (Ooh, post inspiration?) The bandeau top & muted cowlneck dress sounds fabulous. Thanks for taking the time to comment, Ciara!

  • http://mylittlestories.tumblr.com Alexa

    I think your advice is really great! I’m going to try out some of your tips, especially 4 and 5. :)

  • http://stylishthought.com Fajr | Stylish Thought

    I adore you and your blog! I love these rules particularyly #5. I need to practice #4 more, which is funny because I hate jeans and only wear them when I’m in a style rut.

    If I had to discuss my style w/out adjectives :
    “Woman on the Loose”

  • http://rethinkingstyle.com Tessa

    Seems like 4&5 are quite popular! I’m definitely the same way with jeans.
    Thanks so much for dropping by. Love your adj-less style!

  • http://thefashionplanner.blogspot.com Midnight Cowgirl

    Brilliant ideas! I love #6 and think that it is time I go shopping.

  • http://yasmeenbuttons.blogspot.com Yasmeen Buttons

    Your posts are so entertaining. I love reading them. This challenge should be interesting:

    I guess my style is like a wealthy but rebellious princess running away to pose as a man in NY in the 1920s.

    I used some adjectives, didn’t I? Dang it!

    Yasmeen

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