Understanding who you are is a life-long task for almost all of us. Accepting who you are right now is harder. We are constantly evolving, changing and shedding old skin and our identity reforms as we do. Personal style is an art of self-expression. It is more than appearing fashionable or donning the latest trend. Personal style is a display of our thoughts, values, and everything that has to do with us. Think of it as a mood board you’ve created for yourself and putting it on where ever you go, so people know who you are.
I, however, am not an expert in the matter but Sumaiya, the face behind the popular fashion blog Style Decisions is. For her, fashion is a medium of communication. Speaking fashion with Sumaiya is therapeutic as she deep dives into the art of style and how it has affected her life.
“Style Decisions is where I connect with the world with my thoughts revolving around self-expression, mainly with fashion. Nothing ever really interested me as self-expression. I was not a popular kid who thought she’d end up in this industry. I wasn’t considered a creative kid even though I always enjoyed watching others creativity. Eventually, how I identified myself was a lot clearer and had a happier mood with fashion in the background so I dived in the way I can. It was almost like manifesting in the beginning and now it’s combined with hard work, staying updated and communicating to others about it and creating a community around it.” Says Sumaiya about the inception of her blog.
Finding out our personal style may seem a tad bit superficial for those of us who are not as invested. I have thought ‘who cares?’ a countless number of times as I carelessly throw on whatever I find first as I rush to work; a stylist’s nightmare. Sumaiya offers great insight on why finding out your personal style is more than just looking good.
“We can all feel a bit lost at times so having a personal style reminds you who you are even when you can’t remember. It keeps you grounded even during a wave of trends that don’t have your name written on them. Also, it affects how you carry yourself in other parts of your life too, not just with how you dress. Try doing something with something you hate on versus the outfit you like the most, you will feel a different level of confidence.”
Style Decisions recommends four tips on curating your personal style:
1.Shop thrift
“Thrifting helps! You just need to ask the right questions from the seller.”
Check out: @thrift.sl, @thriftedlk, @thrift.n.thrive, @thriftsrilanka, @thrift_with_maya on Instagram
2.Identity is everything.
“Your clothes don’t have to be bold and loud; it can be basic and minimal; emphasis is on identity.”
3.Invest wisely
“Always have a good balance of statement pieces and basics”
4.Follow the right people
“Know your role models. Hint: They don’t’ have to be famous”
Changing your style to something that you feel more like yourself can be intimidating. The good news is, you’re never alone; it is a normal part of discovering who you are.
“Yes, everyone including I hated the way I dressed. Also, my family background wasn’t very supportive so I didn’t have a lot of freedom until I moved out. However, I didn’t wait till that time came to start.
I started small by making little additions, watching how people like Alexa Chung or Kate Moss wore, constantly educating myself and now fashion is a big part of my life. Everyone has a way of doing it, you just got to start somewhere with authenticity as nothing can beat that.”
Visit Style Decisions on Instagram and YouTube for more interesting conversations on fashion and expression on https://www.instagram.com/styledecisions/ and. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdjznfA_DAkH63aJS-BLU_Q
I thank Sumaiya for collaborating with Hi! In creating this article on fashion and identity J
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