Developing a signature style is a way of expressing your personality and creativity through fashion. You probably know a few people who have done this well. They might wear things that make others say, ‘oh, I could just never pull that off the way ___ does’. Most times, it’s not body shape or beauty that allows the person to achieve the look successfully–it’s confidence. People who have signature styles do something unique with their wardrobes. In some way, they make what they’re wearing so them.


We see this with celebrities, too. Anna Wintour definitely has a signature style with her bob and oversized glasses. She’s a pinnacle in the fashion world, but never sacrifices her style for fleeting trends. Nicole Richie’s look is a bit more trendy, but she definitely has a signature style that could best be described as bohemian glam. And, of course, there’s Mary Kate Olsen who pretty much epitomized bobo-chic. Though some have criticized Mary Kate’s style, saying she ‘pays to look poor’, her personalized style has inspired many style-seekers because of its daring and creativity.

A new year is a great time to consider and work toward achieving a signature style. This doesn’t mean you should change your style overnight or that you should go out and buy a bunch of new stuff. You probably already have some sort of personal style that you may not even realize. Here are some tips for realizing and achieving a signature style.

How to Develop a Signature Style

Assess Your Current Style

Look at your current wardrobe with a critical eye. What themes do you notice? Is there a certain color that prevails? A certain style or fabric?
If you feel brave enough, talk to your friends and/or relatives. What do they perceive to be your style? What do they tell you is so you? What do they think you look best in?

Determine Style

What style do you gravitate toward the most? Determine if your desired style is classic, sporty, preppy, feminine, bohemian or sophisticated. If you have a basic style in mind that you feel most confident with and have the most fun wearing, you can begin to rethink your wardrobe. Consider how you can create new combinations with what you already own to achieve your desired style. When you shop for new pieces, purchase items that will accentuate that style.

Consider Comfort and Confidence

Once you have a style determined, you can begin to think about which specific pieces you might wear to achieve that style. Consider what you feel most comfortable and confident in. This is where you might consider body type and which styles look best on your figure. I constantly have to remind myself that my height has a lot to do with what does and does not look good on me.

Review What’s In Your Closet

Now that you’ve determined the style you lean towards, the style you desire and what you’re most confident wearing, revisit your closet. Reconsider each item. Is there a new way you can wear it to make it fit more with your style? You don’t have to wear an item a certain way. Adding a belt or pairing with a new item can completely change the look. If you still don’t think the garment will work with your style, begin a Goodwill pile and clean those unwanted items out of your closet to make room for those that do.

Ways to Create Signature Style

Signature style does not have to come from your clothes alone. In fact, a great way to experiment with different styles is by concentrating on your hair, makeup or accessories. Just remember to keep things simple and sophisticated. You don’t want to look like Mimi from the Drew Carey show…

Don’ts

No Uniforms

If you’ve found a style that works well for you, it’s easy to just buy the same thing in lots of different colors. The problem with this is that instead of creating a signature style, you’ve created a uniform. Instead of buying the exact same thing, consider what it is about the outfit that makes it so desirable. Then, find other pieces that share those characteristics. Choose new accessories to make the outfits unique.

Avoid Trends

It’s important to consider trends and what’s fashionable. But, it’s necessary to avoid trends when creating your signature style. Just think what would have happened if you’d made legwarmers your signature piece…

Don’t Mimic

Reading fashion magazines, noticing celebrity fashion and admiring your friends’ fashion are all great for developing your own personal style. You should not, however, just copy someone else’s style. What looks good on one person probably does not look good on another. Different body types, personalities and levels of confidence make styles look very different from person to person. What you can, and should, do is take bits and pieces of what you like and know will work with your style to further create your own unique style.

Research

Here are a few great books for helping you realize what works best for you.

Last Words

Remember to consider what works best for you, what matches your personality the best and makes you feel the most confident. Your signature style should not put you in the running for participation at the freak show. It should make you feel comfortable, fashionable and confident.


What do you think about these tips? Share your quest for personal style with other ssasychic readers in the comments.

Shoes are the ultimate accessory. The right pair of heels can completely change an outfit, making it more elegant, playful or conservative. When choosing heels to wear with your outfit, it’s important to consider a few factors.

1. Comfort

A pair of shoes might look great, but they’re not the right shoe for you if you can’t walk in them. If the heel is too high for you to walk in or the straps leave you wobbly, forget it! Shoes should help you make an entrance–gracefully. Consider long-term comfort as well. If you’ll be wearing the shoes for a long period of time and will be standing or dancing a lot, make sure your shoes will still be bearable by the end of the night. A good way to do this is to break your shoes in first. Wear them around the house a few times before wearing them out. If you can cook and clean in them for long periods of time, you can wear them out for a night on the town.

2. Heel Height

This goes along with comfort… If you are not used to wearing a high heel, start with a mid-heel. You want to be able to walk gracefully. Your shoes should be an extension of yourself, not a hindrance to your health. Heels, if worn correctly, will make your gait more elegant.

3. Style

Your heels should add to your outfit. Depending on the style you’re going for, choose a shoe that adds something to your look. For example, add a playful, yet sophisticated touch to a little black dress by wearing a zebra print shoe. Or, for a more elegant look, wear a satin black heel with rosettes or bows.

Buying Shoes Online

Buying shoes online can be pretty tricky. If you’re going to chance it, buy a pair of quality shoes that you know will last and fit well. Nordstrom, Zappo’s and Piperlime offer huge selections online and often have free shipping or discounts.
It’s sometimes hard to tell the quality just by looking at a shoe online. If you’re shopping in person, however, definitely check out discount stores like Charlotte Russe, Forever 21 or Payless. They often have very cute shoes for a fraction of the price. If the trend you’re looking for seems like it might last only a season or two, definitely opt for the discount variety.

Heel Trends

Floral

Shoes with a floral print have been appearing more and more because of the Winter Floral trend this season. Pair them as an accent to a neutrally colored outfit, an addition to a like colored outfit or, if the florals match, an addition to a floral print outfit.

Shown: Kate Spade Heels ($298), Bettye Muller Heels ($114.90), BCBGirls Heels ($98)

Safari

Animal print continues to be in, but is most fashionable in the form of a pump. Animal print heels are a great addition to a solid colored outfit, neutrals and LBDs.

Shown: Zebra Print Heels ($22.99), Animal Print Pumps ($22.99), Odetta Pumps ($69.99)

T-Strap

T-strap heels are one of the most popular trends of the season. The connection between the toes and the ankle strap is sometimes just a simple strap, or is often embellished with ruffles, studs or beads.

Shown: Chinese Laundry ($70), Rampage ($34.99), Circa Joan & David ($49.99)

Embellished

Heels embellished with bows, ruffles, feathers, studs, etc. are a great way to add an interesting detail to your outfit. Wear with a classic outfit to avoid overdoing the look.

Shown: Martinez Valero ($149), Nina ($89), Bow Tie Heels ($24.99)

Metallics

Metallic shoes are a great way to make your outfit sparkle! Wear silver or gold heels with you LBD for instant glam.

Shown: Corso Como ($175), BCBGMAXAZRIA ($198), Max Studio ($160)

Your Comments?

What do you think of these heel trends? Which are your favorites?

Deciding what to wear as you ring in the New Year can be a bit tricky. There are many factors to consider when planning your outfit.

Things to Consider:

Venue
The most important thing to consider is the venue. You’ll want to dress very differently depending on where the party/event is being held.
If your venue is less formal, dress just slightly more dressy than you would normally. For instance, if you’re heading out to your favorite bar or a friend’s house for New Year’s Eve, dress up your usual look by wearing a dressier top or even a dress. If you’re headed out to a nightclub, you should definitely wear a sexy cocktail dress. And, if you’re doing dinner and drinks somewhere more swanky, dress a bit more conservatively with a long or full skirt, a classy dress or a dressy top with trendy pants.
Temperature
You should also consider the temperature when planning your outfit. If it’s cold outside and you’ll only be going from the car to the venue, you can get away with wearing a cocktail dress or sleeveless top if you layer with a cape or shawl. If you’ll be spending a fair amount of time outside, dress warmer.
Other Guests
Lastly, consider what most of the other guests might be wearing. This is not so easy to predict, but definitely deserves some thought. You don’t want to be underdressed or too overdressed. The trick is to dress slightly over the norm. So, consider what you think others might be wearing. Think about your host or friends who will also be attending. What will they probably wear? Once you’ve determined that, don’t copy–dress up just slightly more. Be careful though, if you go too far, you’ll feel uncomfortable. If you are just a tad bit overdressed compared to other attendees, you’ll be the recipient of compliments all night.

Some outfit ideas

I’ve chosen pieces that are currently on sale to keep these outfits affordable.

Dressy Casual

If you are headed to a friend’s house, your neighborhood bar or a pub crawl, this is the category to choose from. Pairing a nice pair of jeans with a cute top and fun accessories is the perfect formula for this level of dressiness.

Shown: Sequin Top ($15.99), Beaded Top ($8.99), Belted Coat ($39.99), Cardigan ($69.99), Sequin Tank ($89.00)
Pair any of these tops with your favorite jeans, stiletto heels, a chunky necklace and a fitted coat.

Sexy & Fun

For a nightclub party, a cocktail party at a friend’s house or a fun night of club hopping, opt for a sexy little black dress or a fun cocktail dress.

Shown: Cocktail Dress ($94.80), Contrast Bow Dress ($99.99), Drape Neck Dress ($88.80), Asymmetrical Dress ($109.99), Sequin Dress ($129.99)
Pair with a cute pair of stilettos, a clutch, a warm shawl and statement jewelry.

Dressy & Sophisticated

For a dressier event such as a gala or a catered dinner and dance, opt for something a bit classier.

Shown: Halter Gown ($99.99), Lace Cocktail Dress ($59.99), Silk Dress ($106.80), Cashmere Asymmetrical Gown ($169.99)

Your Thoughts?

What will you be wearing this New Year’s Eve? What is your favorite New Year’s outfit you’ve worn in the past? Share in the comments…

My husband and I are on a long road trip, headed west to visit my family for the holidays. We’ve stopped in Santa Fe, NM for a few days. It’s so much colder here than it is in Austin! And, the weather definitely affects fashion. I’ve seen tons of snow boots, parkas, scarves and hats. It’s fun to see how the fashion forward make their bundled up looks trendy. I’ve seen a lot more fur than I did in Austin. I actually doubted that fur was a noteworthy trend until I got here. So, I decided now’s a great time to post on this Winter fashion trend.
Fur is back and better than ever! Yeah, I know…I feel weird about wearing fur too. The thing is, most of what’s popular and in the stores is faux. Even many designers used faux fur in their runway shows.
Of course, Rachel Zoe and Anna Wintour are wearing the real thing. But, that doesn’t mean you have to.
Fur styles for this winter are over the top. Luxurious shrugs, coats and wraps are the most prevalent. And, they come in all styles and patterns. Fur is also used as an accent around the neck, the cuffs or the hem.
Read more for runway and celebrity inspiration as well as some amazing finds.

Runway Inspiration

Here are just a few photos from the Fall 2008 Runway shows. There are literally over 500 images of fur focused outfits from the shows. As you can tell from these images, fur was used in a variety of ways; around the neck, at the hem, for the whole coat, etc. Louis Vuitton even showed a fur handbag. Fur was everywhere!
(All images from Style.com)

Celebrity Inspiration

Fur is everywhere. It’s pretty amazing how many celebrities are wearing fur considering the possible backlash they could experience. Mary Kate has been wearing fur for years even though PETA has protested her projects and has pleaded with her to stop. On doing just a bit of research, it’s amazing how much there is in favor of wearing fur. There’s almost as much as not. Interesting…

Faux Finds

Shown: Fur Cropped Jacket ($32.99), Fur Swing Coat ($32.99), Puffer Jacket ($38.99), Melodie Cropped Jacket ($69.50), Fur Trimmed Jacket ($30.00), Fur Trimmed Parka ($99.00), Laundry Faux Mink Coat ($278.00)

Fur Finds

Shown: Peter Mark Chevron Fur Coat ($450.00), Peter Mark Chevron Mink Coat ($1995.00)

Some Fantastic White House Black Market Dresses

Some amazing deals at Nordstrom.

Great Gift Ideas from Sephora

New York & Company Finds

Some Charlotte Russe Finds