It took me a long time to really nail down my personal style. I’ve been experimenting with different trends and different ways to mix and match things and I’ve come to the realization that I just love everything. If it looks good, I’ll buy it, I’ll wear it and I’ll own it, but one thing I’ve noticed on this personal style journey is that color and vintage or thrifted pieces are always incorporated into my wardrobe. I haven’t really put a label on what my personal style actually is, but if I had too, I’d say it’s Quirky Colorful Chic with a hint of 90’s nostalgia. Every now and then, I show off a few boho pieces but for the most part I’m bright and full of light. One thing I’ll say about personal style is that you can’t really put it in a box or label it. It’s very limiting to only buy one particular style. Hence why thrift and vintage pieces are a thing for me. It’s challenging to try to make these pieces work with more modern items and I love a challenge. More importantly it’s challenging to finds ways in which these items make sense with your personal style. Shopping and putting outfits together should be fun, challenging and exciting so with that here are few tips to nail down your personal style.

STOP WITH THE TRENDS

Trends have nothing to do with personal style. In fact, it’s the surest way to be put yourself into a box. Trends target consumers in a very special way. They tell you how you should dress for the season and dictate style for you. If you’re trying to nail down your personal style, avoid trends and shop the things you just love, even if its dated or out of season. Trends are about following the masses, personal style is about following yourself so do you!

CLOSET CHECK

Before you hit that online store or head to your nearest shopping mall, check your closet. You more than likely already have everything you need to nail down your personal style. I’ve been on this pink thing for a few weeks and something told me to check my closet, and there it was, the cutest pink rain coat and a pink blazer. Understand this, we are creatures of habit, if you’re wanting a pink coat or jacket, chances are you probably already have one in your possession. Just check your closet and start there with getting your personal style down.

DENIM FOR THE WIN

When in doubt, always start with denim. Whether it be a denim dress, jeans or even a denim skirt, most people at least own one denim piece. The thing about denim is that it’s all-inclusive. It goes with everything and how we mix and match it really helps determine our personal style. I always rock my mom jeans with a colorful top, blazer, oxfords and oversized trend glasses. How you rock your denim will definitely help you square away your personal style. It’s a great place to start when you have no clue.

SHOE STYLE AND ACCESSORIES

Sometimes your shoes and accessories are the starting point to nailing down your personal style. Let’s be honest, no outfit is complete without a cute pair of shoes or a darling scarf or earrings. My outfits would be lackluster without some funky shoes or earrings. Most of my outfits consist of some type of funky shoe, hat or colorful earrings. They really help round out the statement your trying to get across and say a lot about your personal style. Put together a simple outfit and determine your go-to accessories. This is almost always the way I nail down my look and it also speaks to my personal style. Perhaps all you need is a statement necklace to really drive the point home.

CONFIDENCE 

Confidence is key. This unfortunately can’t be purchased. I have some wacky looks and get the most stares when I’m in public wearing green pants and a yellow top, but I wear the things I love with confidence because I know before I even speak, people know I’m all about smiles, energy, fun and spontaneity. Almost all the time, how I dress and express myself is a reflection of who I am. Think of your clothing pieces as art and everyday you get to wear a new painting to show off to the world. I never wear the same painting twice and that my friends is personal style. Change it up, style it your way and rock it with confidence because no one will ever wear it like you do!

Till next time friends.

Deidra Marie

I’m a curvy girl, there’s no doubt about that, so finding looks that compliment my pear shape can sometimes be a challenge. The thing I find the most difficult is finding the perfect pant fit as my lower body is fuller in comparison to my upper body. Over the years, I’ve gone through various brands just experimenting with what works for me and it’s no secret that American sizing is inconsistent across the board. That being said, I’ve developed a few hacks that help make getting a good bottom fit just a bit easier.

Hack #1:NO Jeans? Choose a Jumpsuit

Now this is definitely not a cure-all, but has worked for me. I find a pear shape can really look quite flattering in a jumpsuit. Especially if that jumpsuit is form-fitting in all the right places and is able to give you that smooth hour-glass look. There was a time I got so frustrated with finding a perfect pant fit that I opted to try jumpsuits as a temporary fix until I could really find a clothing brand that would compliment my bodies needs. I several jumpsuits in different colors, styles and fabrics and it’s great when I just don’t have anything that’ll fit on the bottom at the time.

Hack #2: Skirts

Okay, so they are not dress pants, but they are an alternative for when you can’t find a good pair of dress pants or jeans that fit right. Most of the time, with skirts, you really only have to worry about a good waist and hip fit. I’ve come to love skirts, particularly when I was gaining weight and none of my pants would fit around my waist. You can do so much with a skirt, add funky tights, layer with a cute statement belt, dress them up and dress them down. The options are endless. And all you really need is a cute mini skirt, a denim skirt and a nice flowy maxi skirt to alternative looks. It’s simple, it’s easy and a great go-to when things at the bottom just aren’t working your way.

Hack # 3 On the go measurement

Sometimes, I don’t have time to try on bottoms and am in a rush. When that happens and you’re not sure you’ll be able to fit the bottoms you’re about to purchase, wrap the waist part of the bottoms around your neck, if you have a bit of room and fabric left after it’s wrapped around the circumference of your neck, the pants will more than likely fit. If it’s  wrapped around your neck, but both ends of the waist don’t reach, it’ll more than likely not fit. Now, keep in mind, this hack isn’t fool-proof, because you must take into consideration your thigh and hip measurements, but most of the time, this trick works for me.

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Hack #4 Read your labels

Fabric makes a huge difference in your pant fit. Read the labels of your clothes before you buy them. If it contains a large percentage of nylon or spandex fabric, that means it’s pretty stretchy and can potentially give you all the room you need to fit appropriately. Fabrics like silk and linen will not move and so you have to be very careful as your fit should be perfect with these types of fabrics, especially if the garment you’re purchasing contains 100% of this.

Hack #5: Length

Sometimes it’s not really a fit issue, it’s a length issue. If you have short legs like me, you’ll want to find  pants that really elongate your body and give you the appearance of longer legs. For me, that means buying pants that are full length. A full length, high-waisted pant really makes me look taller and longer, whereas a crop pant, skimmer pant, and even some ankle pants really show how short my legs actually are. There are times where this rule can be broken if styled appropriately. For example, in these post pics, I’m wearing more of an ankle length jumpsuit, but with a tall heel or a pointy toed shoe, this length is just fine as it the tall heel or pointy toe shoe will help balance your look and your body out so things look proportional.

I hope you found these bottom fit hacks helpful. I’m still navigating this myself, but I swear by these hacks as they’ve gotten me through some really frustrating times with bottom fit.

So, before you go, the Oui Fresh lippy I’m rocking in this post is As If. I love this color and how moisturizing all the lippies are. Oui Fresh, you’ve done it again!

Till next time.

Deidra Marie