Tell me about your signature style!

[SmokeAndBone]

Style isn't innate for me - I don't have any sense of what 'goes' with what, or what I really like or suits me. I've had to learn it - had colour analysis, style lesson etc.

But I'm still intrigued by how some people have a signature style - what is yours, and how did you find it?

Is it about the colours you wear, a particular cut or fit of clothes, the brands you favour, the accessories?

I want to find my style!

I think mine has just evolved from what I liked as a teenager. I was a proper grungy indie kid in the 90s In vintage Indian dresses and dms. It has developed into a more grown up style of it I guess. Even though I buy a lot from high street shops, I seem to end up just looking a certain way. My husband says I look like a 6th form drama or art teacher. And I guess that’s exactly it haha. I do favour ethnic/tribal jewellery which I collect from all over, massive smock dresses, boots or sandals, never ever ever heels. Messy hair, tattoos, nose piercings. I’m def not everyone’s cup of tea but when I worked in a very mainstream high street clothes shop everyone used to comment on my ‘style’ even though I was wearing the clothes the same as everyone else

High contrast colour pairings, as my own colouring is high contrast.

Slightly androgynous clothing style. I’m feminine looking in my build/appearance so I like the contrast.

I also go for simplicity and quality as much as I can. No fussy details.

Single most important aspect of buying clothes for me is to buy ethically (or at least not unethically, things like truly ethical large cup size bras are hard to come by). That usually means buying less and repurposing a bit.

I also remember that style comes from the person not the label. Style is about how you turn up a sleeve or add a belt, how you pair stuff. No-one can take that away from you and no-one can buy that for you.

Knee length A line dresses, straight skirts (denim, cord, etc) or tunics worn over leggings or opaque tights with boots or brogues like the Clarks Hamble ones (have them in 4 different colours!). Minimal accessories as I hate scarves, bracelets etc but always a bold red lip (two of em actually). I am mid-40's and a somewhat hefty build (16).

I feel like my style is constantly evolving. However, I am consistently drawn to high quality and good cut and have pieces that I bought 20 years ago. I really believe in "buy once, buy well". If that can also be "buy local" I'm even happier. So, as an example, my jeans are from London's only craft jeans maker Blackhorse Lane Atelier. I like feeling that I'm supporting small local businesses and getting to meet the people who actually make what I'm buying. I think this also influences my style as I do talk to a lot of local designers/creative people.

I dress for my body shape and personality so no matter how much I like something, there are times when it's just not going to happen. You'll never see me in bright pink or frills. I tend to avoid prints/patterns (unless it's a scarf or bag) and I always like something with "an edge" rather than playing it safe. I pick style over fashion but I live in a very trendy/hipster/design-led area and I think that must rub off. I often find I was wearing something 2 years ago that is now "in". Bought because I liked it rather than for any other reason. I think maybe I'm just an early adopter. I like up-and-coming designers or designers just starting out as there's a more personal touch. I like quite niche things. A lot of what I buy is samples (so prices are much cheaper and it may be a one-off piece).

I use bold accessories to update or change a look. So at work I could be dressed quite conservatively but then I'll have some very design-led earrings or shoes etc. I'm tall and athletic so can get away with some quite bold outfits (although I'm less into this as I get older). I'm very happy with the recent trend for huge earrings as this is something I've been wearing for the last few years.

I am also massively addicted to shoes. Last year I was really into South Korean shoe designer Yuul Yie (who also makes the shoes for Rejina Pyo) but I currently have a shoe crush on London shoe designers Neous.

I get a lot of positive comments (from strangers and colleagues especially) on what I wear. Someone once told me I should be a stylist but I can't imagine dressing anyone but myself as I'd be hopeless!

Good question! I was similar to kenworthington in the 90s, now I really don’t like anything “boho” or “ethnic” on me at all - funny how we change!

I have various “uniforms” depending on the time of year, which are broadly:

Midi-skirt with tucked in t-shirt
Midi-dress
Culottes/wide-leg crops with tucked in t-shirt/fitted jumper in winter
A-line mini-ish skirt with fitted jumper and opaque tights in winter
I also like jumpsuits, dungarees, and one particular style of jeans, which again, I wear with things tucked in.

I always wear flat shoes, either trainers, brogues or Chelsea boots. I like quite bold jewellery, and wear a lot from Tatty Devine. I don’t like anything floral or frilly, and the only prints I really wear are stripes, leopard, and polka dots. I have quite a sharp bob with a blunt fringe, and always wear red lipstick - flowers and frills look daft on me!

I shop in Cos (trousers), Whistles (I love their barrel-leg jeans, and knitwear, but always buy in sales or with a discount code), Topshop, ASOS, Zara, Warehouse, Monki, and odd bits from H&M, Arket, and Stories.

I’m mid-40s, size 10, but quite hippy. I try to spend more on bottoms than tops (eg, a great leather skirt, nicely cut trousers), and never buy anything unless I feel amazing in it.

Mine is simple, plain but well fitted in good fabrics. Leather, denim, cotton etc. Minimal jewelry.
I don't have anything patterned, no lace, no embellishments whatsoever, no rips, no logos, bling or dodgy material.
I have t-shirts in lots of colours they go with everything. I wear them mostly with jeans and mini skirts. I also have more than my fair share of dresses, jackets, boots.
I have lots of thin jumpers which I layer up when it's cold and I never wear cardigans.

These are so interesting - I can 'see' you in my mind's eye!

Most of my style crushes have a signature look but I'm too fickle and flighty to adopt one myself. But for the last couple of years I've preferred a more mannish style although I soften it a bit: typically cropped wide leg trousers with a silk shirt in summer, and in winter more tapered trousers (cos rain), v neck sweater and tweed jacket or overcoat. Always flat shoes. I watch a lot of classic movies and I get inspiration from the likes of Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant but I have a soft spot for Grace Kelly too so I'm not consistent. I don't wear much pattern but I do like colour - I slipped out of the habit last winter but I'm trying to get back into it again. it's easier in the summer.

I also get ideas from watching people - all ages, men and women. I think old men in tailored suits look really cool. The most creative dressers I see at the moment are Muslim teenage girls who follow the rules but push the boundaries all the way.

I mostly buy second hand (dress agency, charity shop, vintage) but when I do buy new it's often something spendy e.g. the last new item was a pair of Margaret Howell trousers in the January sales. I think Cos is about the only high street store with anything interesting to say at the moment.

I'm mindful of what suits me but I don't stick to it religiously - if I really like something I'll wear it even if it's not my best look. I've lived through enough 360 degree fashion cycles to realise that what we regard as flattering is heavily influenced by trends.

My basic style has been the same since my mid-20s - a print skater type dress, with opaque tights and flat Topshop ankle boots in winter, and with Supergas or flat sandals in summer.

When I was young and a size 6, it was mini skater dresses in bright and bold prints, and now I’m a tired, fat size 18 in my late 30s, it tends to be more jersey midi dresses, in less bold patterns.

My signature style evolved over time but is based at least in part on a happy coincidence. I grew up watching 1940s/50s films (Bette Davis, Lana Turner etc) and loved the glamour - happily, I also grew up with a (size 8) hourglass figure which looks best in 1940s/50s looks (slim-skirted, not full). Long legs, arms and neck. Nondescript ankles and wrists (with a tendency to cankles in hot weather!). Substantial thighs.

So I wear a lot of midcentury vintage: slim long pencil skirts, silk blouses, jackets with nipped in waists, draped cocktail dresses, peplums, capes, dramatically high necklines. The silhouette is usually strong shapes and angles. Very few prints. I love yellow, red, orange and teal. I temper with navy, cream, khaki, rust.

My typical outfits:

Winter: slim, ribbed wool or cashmere or silk polonecks, tucked into a midi tweed or wool pencil skirt. Worn with slim boots or brogues. High neck silk blouses underneath a 50s nipped waist jacket. Hourglass 50s eyelash wool skirt suits. Accessorised with small gold hoops or pearl drops, or else I a big statement brass or gold necklace. Casual wear not that dissimilar to work wear, only the pencil skirt will be denim and the boots will be flat. Belted tweed cape or 50s princess coat, also nipped in at the waist with a belt.

Summer: short sleeved silk blouses, cotton or linen midi pencil skirts. Slightly oversized single breasted navy lightweight wool blazer. Pale blue pencil skirt with linen shirt tucked in. 50s and 60s vintage maxi dresses in cotton or linen. Lots of tan, white, khaki. Halterneck summer cotton dresses. Big shades. Dramatically gigantic (I mean, huge!) hat. Metallic sandals.

I usually dress up if I can: gold lamé, vintage silk cocktail dresses in aqua or navy.

I love clothes. Wearing something beautiful every day adds a great deal of joy to my life.

Also: HoC is amazing. I didn't change how I dressed once I realised I was an Autumn but I did start doing so in different colours.

In terms of finding your style, have you considered doing a pinterest board of looks that you love, identifying any themes and then going from there?

Such an interesting thread.

I'm not sure I have a signature style, and if I do it's evolved over time. But I'm certainly clearer now, in my mid 40s, than I ever have been before about how I like to look.

I like clothes that are fairly simple, but with a strong shape or an interesting twist. I mainly wear wider shapes on the bottom (wide leg trousers, A line skirts) and more fitted tops, but occasionally like to reverse that. I'm increasingly enjoying more structured or tailored clothes, but I like a bit of contrast - so I'd wear smart trousers with a silk shirt or drapey top, rather than something in a stiffer fabric.

I like quite androgynous looks, but have very short hair so could easily tip over into too masculine (for me). Hence the softer tops with tailored trousers, and a liking for a little bit of lace every now and then. And always jewellery - again usually quite simple - often pearl studs and a gold cuff, sometimes a striking necklace.

I'm a HoC autumn. I don't stick to it religiously (I still wear a fair amount of charcoal, and some black), but tend to lean towards cream, khaki, olive, rust, burnt orange. Nearly always plain rather than patterned, but with an occasional bit of silliness (am loving a pair of newish leopard print platform trainers at the moment!).

To look my best, I need plain rather than patterned, coolish very clear colours, including neutrals. High contrast usually, often navy or black with one bright thing. Or one quirky thing, like a bracelet. Natural textures and fabrics, but not 'heathered' or blended, so no houndstooth or (sadly because it's beautiful) tweed on me. I look appalling in tartan.

cuts I go for are often draped or (I think arty-ly) asymmetrical.
I'm tallish with strong, but not angular bone-structure combined with a small head and a quite feminine face, so nothing tiny, twiddly or fiddly, but nothing too chunky or jagged shape-wise either. I look for rounded, slightly off centre shapes where possible. Square necklines look shite on me, as does anything with tidy, classic proportions, such as a Chanel suit (i imagine!). Stripes are too regular. Denim doesn't really suit me, but if I ever wear jeans they will be the clearest darkest blue, with something floppy on top. I guess a longline waterfall front cardigan would really work for me, but I can't do it to myself yet!

I love batwings, cut-about skirts and most things with sashes, if they are large enough in scale. I can wear most shapes of trousers, I think. I like things that look or are handmade, but again, no twiddly details or blurry colours.

I wear quite a lot of things I've made or adapted myself. I over-dye stuff when it looks faded. Always wear lipstick in a clear pink or berry colour, sheer and thinly applied. Black mascara. Black opaque tights in winter.

Wow, I didn't realise I had a personal style, but I've written all this down!

Shit that fits

@LaurieFairyCake 😂😂😂🙏

Sigh81 Pinterest is a great idea, I'm going to do that over the weekend.

What a great thread! Some great posts.

Like a few pps I don’t think I have a particular style but I must do I suppose. It’s fluid tho. I find it difficult to describe my style. I borrow bits of lots of styles. Prefer plain to pattern. Can do stripes and spots. I find florals difficult to get right, so have v few of those. Nothing too fussy. I like to look ‘pulled together’ but not overly so. Not too much jewelry. I’m a curvy, hippy size 10 and tend to wear wide-leg or straight leg trousers. More fitted top half usually. Skirts with careful choosing. I find I need to alter my clothes to fit well. But if a nuisance but totally worth it.

I mostly came here to say I want to be some of you,. HundredMilesAnHour I want to stalk you and those Neous shoes! I need to start saving.

*bit of a nuisance