The Space Between My Peers: From Style Personality to Unique Idiom

The Space Between My Peers

From the bottom of the fashion food chain ...

Name:
Location: The Great Northwest

I'm a home-schooling, bible-believing SAHM with an annual clothing budget of about $500 American. The Space Between My Peers reveals my secret passion: analysis of the art and science of what to wear.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

From Style Personality to Unique Idiom

To complete this recent semi-random series on Personal Style, I want to make a couple of points about making it your own. Sure, everyone can be categorized into 6 style types, but then there are so many questions: "Well then, why don't I like this?" and "What about that?"

Truthfully, it's so much more personal than all that. My kids said, when I was blogging about the Hillary face, that it's more important to know what you're not, in terms of style personality, than what you are. There's truth in that.

idiom: A style of artistic expression characteristic of a given individual ...

I often think about the idiom in terms of what a person will wear under specific circumstances. For example, while a glamorous person might wear sequins to get a pedicure, in my particular idiom a sparkly t-shirt is evening wear. Or what do you wear to a field trip with your kids? A timeless classic mom might choose a button-up shirt; but if it's plaid or denim, in my idiom, it's more suited to raking leaves or cleaning out the garage.

Back here, in Refining the Idiom, I described steps for moving from style personality to idiom and in Contemplating Understanding Each Other I mention another example of translating a certain style into my own idiom, using sweaters instead of sweatshirts.

What are some examples of your idiom? Do you always wear a ponytail to athletic events? Lipstick when you see your mother-in-law? Navy blazer when you're in charge?

Okay, I'll be quiet now and let you answer.

6 Comments:

Blogger Rebecca said...

FUN!

Isn't it a great feeling of freedom knowing what works for YOU?

9:20 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Rebecca,

My lifestyle is casual, so for the most part in fall and winter you'll find me in jeans and a sweater. It's my objective to have enough denim to do denim wash every two weeks!

In the summer I'm much more about skirts.

I'm definitely a blazer person. Right now, preferably fitted.

Also a sweater person. And tees in the summer.

My idiom is contemporary (yes, I have skinny (narrow) jeans!), my personal style through classic fitted pieces and accessories. It's rare for me to wear a blazer without a brooch.

I believe in classics -- for the most part I want clothes I buy to last.

Bags have to be a little bit fun, a little bit classic (no $1000 bags, either) and functional.

My dressy clothes are for the most part, also able to be dressed up or down.

1:09 PM  
Blogger Rebecca said...

What fun. I love how each person is unique.

Within your idiom, I wonder if you wear the brooch because of your personal jewelry connection or because of a style thing. It is rare for me to wear a brooch, but that may be because I am not interested in buying one that really suits my personality.

I would be willing to wear some semi-dorky brooch substitutes: little kid message button, volleyball manager pin from high school, but I'm pretty cautious about embarrassing my family. Watch for more of that type of stuff in a few years.

2:03 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Rebecca,

The question of why I wear brooches is an interesting one. Not one I had really thought about much.

When I was quite young (6) I wore a Canadian flag brooch on my overcoat when I lived in England. I still have it. So it started young!

Now, the fact that I love sparkly things plays in. I wear blazers, even with jeans, and they are well suited to brooches. (Ho, ho!)

I have one brooch that is much larger than the rest I own. It is a lizard. Again ... plays to my interests.

I don't wear much fashion jewellery, as my skin is quite acidic and takes plating off. My ears do cauliflower imitations with costume earrings in them. So I guess brooches are part of the fun of accessorizing.

5:22 PM  
Blogger Rebecca said...

"I wear blazers, even with jeans, and they are well suited to brooches. (Ho, ho!)"

You are punny! Consider yourself invited to dinner -- anytime!

9:36 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Rebecca, how nice!!! If I am in the neighbourhood, I'll take you up on it!

12:18 PM  

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