The day I realized I could be a copycat was the day I realized I had style.
Defining My Style…
There have been three big days in my style journey.
One came while I was talking with a friend and she remarked that she bought the majority of her clothes at one store. Thus, she reasoned, her style was synonymous with that one store. I shrugged and smiled and let slip a question that I hadn’t thought through. “What do you think my style is?”
She thought for a moment (a moment in which I started to inwardly panic and feel intense regret that I haven’t yet tamed my tongue to the point where I always think about what I’m about to say before I say it). Then she named a store that made a sigh fall from my mouth. Oh, phew. Crisis averted. One, she was actually able to think of a store. Two, it was a big-name department store that I didn’t mind having my name affiliated with.
In a word, it was a classic store. And I was okay with that. I’ve never been the trendy girl who went to church in a Audrey Hepburn look or the college girl who came to class with the designer bag. But I do like to think of my style as classic.
The problem is I’ve always defined my style as classic…something. I would leave the word hanging because I couldn’t find the word that fit after it. And that was because no word does. But a great word does belong behind classic.
I found it at last.
It’s eclectic. Or rather, I am.
ec·lec·tic n. A person who derives ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.
Eclectic Classic
Because I wear the big strand of poly-shape beads with the tan pencil skirt. Because I wear the peach shoes with the black and white tee and capris. Because I wear the fancy bun with the tried-and-true pair of jeans.
The second big day came when I admitted to myself that I wished to dress like Ana. She always seemed so…cute. And stylish. And trendy without being immodest. (It was probably the day she wore peach, actually, that I at last confessed that I wanted her wardrobe.)
Then there was the day Trina gave me permission. Become a copycat.
Oh, what… really? You mean that’s allowed?!
(Trina also told me to start a style board. I immediately obeyed. And it clicked that eclectic classic really does fit. Want to see the proof in the pins?)
Now nothing stops me. I dress eclectic when I want to by pairing the zebra-stripe scarf with the red three-quarter-length sleeve top. I dress like Ana when I want to by being brave enough to wear the belt over my brown skirt. And I dress classic when I want to by pulling on the button-down sweater over my little black dress. Then there are the days when I combine all three (those are fun).
Of course there are still days when I wear hoodies. But those are thankfully few and far between and most often resemble as close to snow days as my corner of the South can ever hope to get. And that is eclectic, too, I suppose.
How would you define your style?
About Rachelle Rea
Rachelle is an author and editor who would much rather shop for books than for clothes (this must be why malls were invented). Her favorite accessories are a smile and a scarf. Her debut novel releases next year.
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