dress with intention and do everything for your inner child. my 15-year-old self would fucking love my style today.
everything is so algorithmic these days and everyone dresses the same. define your own style identity outside of online influence. look through film, music, old magazines, fashion books, and find people/runway collections/characters whose styles resonate with you.
study how people throughout history have communicated with their style. (start with lil' kim!)
journal about your style journey throughout your life and think about why you dressed the way you did and how it made you feel. ask yourself how you want to dress moving forward for where you wanna go in your life.
study runway collections and learn about the designers' intentions with the stories they're telling through their creative work. when you finally purchase a piece you've appreciated for years instead of impulse-buying a bunch of fast fashion clothes, it's so fulfilling.
styling is a skill and you'll continue to develop it throughout your life. it's a journey, not a destination.
Sep 14, 2024
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nostalgia is a huge factor in how i dress. my child self - love her!! - really is my main inspiration. i want to look in the mirror & know that my 8 year old self would be obsessed with my outfit. i was a kid in the 2000s and was obsessed with britney, paris & nicole, destiny's child, lizzie mcguire, mary-kate & ashley; i was also huge on dolls, mostly bratz (my #1 inspo), barbie and pullips. in the mid-late 2000s, i got into emo/scene culture then transitioned to the tumblr/indie sleaze vibe. naturally, as a kid, i couldn't dress like the adults i was admiring in these styles or a bratz doll, and i was also very insecure, looking through my little j-14 magazines or browsing myspace & wishing i looked like those girls. now that i'm an adult, those styles have remained ingrained in my brain, and i can finally wear them & feel good about it.
i also wore a school uniform growing up and while i did not enjoy doing that, i think wearing that every day wound up similarly ingrained in me - pleated skirts, cardigans, high socks etc. have all ended up sticking in my wardrobe rotation (and that combo is also kind of tumblr so idk if that has something to do with it). in short, my style has definitely become a modern amalgamation of everything i knew or loved growing up.
May 5, 2024
In the years of 2020-2023, I was in my early 20s and very much in between aesthetics. I hated the clothes I wore, and was looking for new ways to express myself through my fashion. With the seemingly never slowing down trend cycle that was going at the speed of light at that time, and my tiny paychecks, I basically solely relied on Shein to allow me some freedom and creativity with my style. For a few years, I was stuck in the repeated cycle of ordering 50+ cheap items, and then donating 10-20 of them within the same year, and repeating that again when I would get bored of what I had. I would go thrifting too to try and "balance out" my fast fashion endeavors, but would end up buying more things that I hated by the time I got home. I could not figure out how to make any of these items work with my wardrobe, regardless if they were new or used. This reckless consumerism taught me absolutely nothing about my sense of style. I had to figure out the hard way that style is not something you acquire overnight, and that you cannot always rely on trends to find items you will like for a lifetime. Fast fashion has done nothing but taught us to cycle through clothing at a rate where no one can keep up, and has left many of us in a place where we are only satisfied with how we dress for no longer than a few months at a time.
Discovering your personal style is one of the things that should take time.
I'm 25 now, and I find it very important to source good quality items that I know will be a staple in my wardrobe for a long long time. I've decided that if I want to buy new clothing, I will get most of my new clothes from thrift/vintage shops and boutiques (online or in person). I haven't completely shuttered out fast fashion, though. I only buy items that I am able to try on in person to make sure it is made with good material (aka: the plain $10 Walmart zip-up hoodies that feel like butter). By embracing a slower approach to finding my personal style, I've found quite a few key items that I really love to wear over the past two years, and in turn I have greatly reduced the amount of clothing that gets donated. I am still learning how to accessorize, and am trying my best to utilize as much of my existing closet as possible. It is a journey! I can't wait to see where my more sustainable approach to a style journey brings me!
QUALITY > QUANTITY
Feb 12, 2025
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Look at the six items you actually wear and note what you like about them: is it the color, the fit, the style (casual, formal, eclectic, etc.), brand, season, and fabric.
As an example, I feel most confident in structured, classic modern outfits— I look for all organic materials (linen, cotton, silk), I tend to stick to a few favorite brands for basics, and I keep a list of what I need to replace/what’s missing in my closet so I don’t impulse purchase vintage t-shirts when I need a fitted blazer.
Thrift stores are really great for exploring your style— so are mood boards. When you see an outfit you love online, take a picture of it or note what about it was interesting.
One thing that I think goes overlooked is underwear— a well fitted bra really changes how clothes, especially shirts, hang and feel. You’ll only wear an outfit if the underwear you wear it with is comfortable. So if you have a dress you love, but aren’t wearing it because it either requires shapewear that makes you uncomfortable, or a nude/backless underwear or bra that you don’t keep in your closet, you’ll get less wear out of the item.
Additionally, know your measurements. Your body size is neutral, but language around sizing isn’t, and it can be discouraging to shop when you have a vague idea of your sizes and end up needing to size up or down. Get a soft tape measure, and get your true waist, hips, bust, shoulders, inseam, and rise. I have a very high rise to my natural waist, and knowing that helps me shop for pants and skirts with less frustration over fit.
Lastly, it’s okay for it to take time— curating your style and wardrobe should be ongoing and thoughtful; a fast fashion haul won’t help figure out what you like outside of trends, and those clothes tend to break down quickly. If you can, try to buy well made versions of your staple items— resale and thrift stores are a great place to find real leather jackets, upscale basics, and one of a kind pieces that you can’t find elsewhere.
Jun 23, 2024
Top Recs from @rizkillla
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wish me luck!!!!!!!!(i'm so nervous)!!!!!!!!
Mar 5, 2025
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if you grew up being a people pleaser like me, it can be so damn hard to set boundaries. but it was so great when I finally realized I simply didn’t have to say yes to everything/everyone.
it was wild. blew my mind. I highly recommend.
Aug 8, 2024
why would you doubt yourself when you know you’re that bitch (or whatever empowering term you prefer)
you know how many genuinely mediocre people went really far in life bc they had delusional self-belief? and you’re as dope as you are doubting yourself??? stop it!
Jun 26, 2024