Finding your own *personal* style

Style, to me, means seeking inspiration, paying attention to what looks/feels good, and leaning into what feels most me. The closet builds itself from there.

How I Perceive Style

I will always always respect someone who has their own sense of personal style. Whether it matches what I like to wear does not matter. If an outfit makes a person feel like the best version of themselves, who am I to judge? Whether it’s MaryKate & Ashley (my personal style Gods) wearing everything The Row in tailored, timeless, and classic wear with pops of jewel tones, or Alex Cooper from Call Her Daddy in her signature sweat sets with Uggs, I respect it. You can tell they feel good in their clothing, and that makes it cool.

My favorite thing is that you can look at a photo of the Olsens or Alex Cooper and have no idea when it was taken because their looks are timeless and consistent. It’s like decorating a home and standing behind your design choices but also being able to accessorize with small updates and additions over time. That is how I imagine MaryKate and Ashley feel when they design clothing for The Row. ‘Will we stand by this decision in 10 years? Can we design this bag, put it on sale 5 years from now, and sell it?” (I’ll dive deeper into The Row when I write about splurge-worthy items).

It is easy to get wrapped up in trends or lose ourselves in labels (guilty on both counts!) - just because the skirt is Prada does not mean the outfit will look better than a cohesive, well-accessorized look in head-to-toe Zara. To me, style is about finding the balance between buying a great piece and styling your clothing properly to create a cohesive outfit that makes you feel good! So, how do we get to that point?

Drawing inspiration from a favorite influencer or celebrity is a great way to understand what looks we are initially drawn to. It’s also fun to look at archives of fashion icons, such as Audrey Hepburn or Princess Diana, find someone whose style speaks to you, and build your closet with pieces that emulate your faves.

However, if you are super creative and visual all on your own, great! Don’t veer away from a piece you love just because you don’t think Hailey Bieber would wear it to Pilates. In the digital age, it’s easy to feel pressure to conform to what we see on our favorites on TikTok or Hailey Bieber’s street style; whether we have the resources to copy all these looks or not, style should be about you. Why fit in when you can stand out ; ) There is nothing wrong with either approach. That’s what makes fashion fun!

*it took me years and years to be this person - if you don’t feel like this is how you shop right now, it’s never too late. Start now, and your closet will build itself.

My Style

Since you’ll be reading articles about fashion and style from my vantage, I need to give you an idea of who’s talkin’! If I were to define my style, I would call it ‘feminine tomboy,’ an oxymoron, but to me it makes sense. A feminine tomboy is a girl who creates an outfit from a mini skirt & heels and pairs it with her husband’s oversized top.

I present to you, my style:

I have a creative bug and genuinely enjoy creating outfits out of instinct, however, I also have my eyes and ears open to what all the girlies are wearing! Drawing inspiration from influencers, celebrities, runway, email campaigns, and throwback archives and making them my own is a way to have fun while feeling validated in my style choices. Here I am ‘imitating’ styling choices from women who inspire me. I have hundreds of inspirational photos in an album on my phone (including photos of myself in outfits that I’ve loved), but here are a few interpolations of mine.

Inspo on the left, Dana’s Version on the right:

Who I follow, where I find inspiration, & practices you can takeaway

Where I find inspiration:

• Celebrities:

  • MaryKate & Ashley Olsen (if you couldn’t tell) - they are timeless, forever, they appreciate jewel tones, and create quality basics that will last a lifetime

  • Dakota Johnson - her outfits are clean, elegant, simple, and sexy…and I love a Gucci girl (I wore Gucci to my wedding!)

  • Hailey Bieber - queen of street style and trendsetting (dangerous to follow because sometimes I forget I am not Hailey Bieber)

  • Jennifer Lawrence - she’s big on The Row and always looks clean and put together

  • Zoe Kravitz - the baddest there is, I wish myself luck anytime I try to look as cool as her

  • 90’s Jennifer Aniston - her street style was the OG (not to mention the hair)

  • Dua Lipa - designer vintage is a conversation for another time, but she crushes this (I go to a lot of concerts, so I go for a more Dua-inspired look when attending shows)

  • Sarah Jessica Parker - listen, Sex and the City knew what they were doing - on the show and in real life, SJP is the ultimate style icon and no one can convince me otherwise

  • Rihanna - also impossible to be as cool as her, but we can try

  • Nicole Richie - I enjoy her boho-style and all her looks on The Simple Life reunion were 100/10

• Influencers (I wish I was better at finding and following more influencers. I will have an updated list in the future!)

  • Oli Susskind - my gorgeous best friend with the best style tips, tricks, and links (follow her on Instagram)

  • Morgan Stewart (celebrity or influencer or both?!) - very aspirational style

  • Arielle Charnas

  • Courtney Grow

  • Elsa Hosk

  • @90sanxiety, @vintagefashion, @olsen.love, @retrodrug

• Brands I love to shop:

  • Acne Studios

  • AGOLDE

  • Alo

  • Apiece Apart

  • Bottega

  • Dôen

  • DONNI

  • Fleur Du Mal

  • Frankie’s Bikinis

  • The Frankie Shop

  • Gucci

  • Helsa

  • House of Harlow

  • Hunza G

  • Jaques Marie Mage

  • Jimmy Choo

  • Khaite

  • Loewe

  • LSPACE

  • New Balance

  • Norma Kamali

  • perfectwhitetee

  • Ralph Lauren

  • The Real Real

  • The Row

  • Skims

  • Vince

  • Zara

  • *local, vintage, and thrift

  • + way, way, way more! I’ll be kicking myself for forgetting brands later

Takeaways:

Dress for YOU - no one else. Find your inspiration. Discover what works for you and invest in that. And, most importantly, have fun!

‘til next time!

XX, DG