When I taught in Seoul, South Korea, I had several students interested in studying fashion in university. One day during my break, I was sketching outfits from the clothes in my closet - something I do routinely to keep myself from buying unneeded items - and one student came into the room. She noticed my drawing, and before I knew it, I had three teenage girls looking over my very amateur work.
“You know, Ms. Welch,” said Jinhee, “you’re the most stylish teacher at our school.”
I still question this assessment; in my mind, the art teacher was far more put together and fashionable than I am. In fact, if you were to look back at pictures of me circa 2003 - 2007, you would see a scrawny young adult with braces, frizzy hair, and a plethora of T-shirt and jeans combos. Truly an Anne Hathaway in Princess Diaries before her princess training. Or, perhaps a Hermione Granger. There is even one photo I took while studying in South Korea in 2009 that truly embodies this. In those days, I was interested in academics, writing, and anime. Not style.
Then came my semester of study abroad in France. Suddenly, I was surrounded by young women who didn’t wear a seemingly endless supply of graphic tees and distressed jeans. The college students in my classes at Universite de Rennes 2 wore heels to class and carried purses rather than backpacks. It was quite different from the casual atmosphere of an American classroom, and I rather liked it. I started thinking more about what I was wearing, replacing my T-shirts for blouses and my tennis shoes with fashionable flats. I also fell in love with scarves and found that skirts could be just as comfortable as jeans. From there, my style continued to evolve.
In all honesty, finding your “personal style” is a journey. There are many sites and magazines out there that give lists and directions to finding your personal style. They suggest everything from Marie Kondo-ing your closet, focusing on basics, finding your style muse, etc. In reality, though, the first step is knowing who you are and what you like and then finding pieces and shapes that fit your body and your identity. You can love a certain blogger’s or celebrity’s style, but if what they wear doesn’t fit your own identity, lifestyle, and body, it’s not really going to be all that helpful in finding your own style, in my opinion. As a college student, I was really just starting to figure these things out and getting comfortable enough in my own skin to want to wear clothes that wouldn't keep me more “in the background.”
After experimenting with different silhouettes, colors, styles, and brands, I eventually found the niche that describes my personal style. First and foremost, I am borderline petite - 5’4” - with an hourglass frame. Finding the brands that carried petite sizes that I liked and actually fit well was a challenge for a long time. Second, there are particular silhouettes or styles that I tend to gravitate toward. One thing that I really liked about living in France was the classic and simple look. I wouldn’t say that the pieces in my closet necessarily fit that classic aesthetic, but I tend to lean toward simple outfits without too many accessories. In Korea, I found that I really liked that women’s clothes tended to be more feminine than women’s clothes in the United States with details like tie-neck blouses, form-fitting pencil skirts, and other details. I also became interested in historical dramas set in the 1940s and 50s because I loved what the women characters, like Peggy Carter, Mrs. Maisel, or Beth Harmon, wore. Although I don’t have much in my closet that is truly vintage-inspired, I often pull from 1950s silhouettes. Put all together, my personal style is a nice balance of simple, feminine, and vintage-inspired styles.
If you’re looking to figure out your own personal style, I would start with thinking about your likes and dislikes. It takes some experimentation, but eventually, you can hone in on creating a wardrobe that reflects who you are and that makes you feel your best.
Teach en Vogue Style Diary: Outfit of the Week
More daily style photos can be found on my Instagram.