In high school, I was dead set on winning "best-dressed" my senior year. As I expressed this goal to one of my friends and she promptly told me "You will need way better clothes". It felt harsh at the time, but it created motivation in me. With wisdom, I learned that I didn't have to have the "best" or most expensive clothes to be the best-dressed person in a room.
I have always had people come up to me and ask where I got my clothes and my friends and family reached out to me for advice on what to wear. I made (online) friends with an Instagram fashion blogger and she encouraged me to just start posting. With work and motherhood being the majority of my thoughts and all of my day, I needed a creative outlet more than I even knew. I remember just posting something and my friend, who by this time was fairly Instagram-famous, re-shared my post that day and for the next few weeks. In a matter of months, I grew by thousands of followers.
At first, this attention can be hard to get used to, and I became overwhelmed with it all and stopped my Instagram account for over a year. When I came back to my creative outlet, it was for me, the original reason I started. I love clothes and fashion and sharing with other people ways they can put together different outfits. For a while, I felt like 'fashion' was petty and unimportant to people, but honestly, it can be something that changes someone's day and helps make them feel confident.
When I started posting my daily outfits I started seeing repeating patterns in my style. I love a masculine look with feminine touches; I wear colors more when it's warm and neutrals during fall and winter; I lean more towards classics than trendy. The documentation helped me create, and be proud of, the personal style I have. Start with elevating your favorite basics, use Pinterest to find looks that inspire you, and create a wishlist of items and how you would wear them. My most important piece of advice is to give compliments. When you think an outfit is great, go tell that person. Personal style is mostly about feeling good in what you are wearing and making choices that help build your overall wardrobe.
I never won that best-dressed superlative, but I do get to help people who ask me "How should I wear this" on a daily basis, and to me, that is just as good.
Fall style tips from Amie Kok Blog
1. Wear white! Who cares that your grandma told you that you have to wait until Easter. Rules like this just don't have any hold of style today. Wearing white in the fall and winter is a great way to stand out.
2. Add texture to any outfit. The chunky knit paired with the suede of the OTK boots gives depth to an outfit that could come off plain or drab. Try different patterns, textures and colors, play with it, and find what works for you.
3. Take a cue from the men's playbook. I probably have over 30 thrifted blazers, all from the men's department. A blazer is a staple in my closet all year round, linen in the summer and wool in the winter.
4. Mix-n-match classics for a different look every time. Argyle is a timeless print, I thrifted this sweater and then paired it with leather pants and Nike high tops. Mixing this classic print with a more edgy bottom makes the argyle feel less preppy.
