When it comes to clothes, there are many factors that come into play when building your closet. Some of these factors include material, price, and timeless versus trendy, but one of the most important— color– and how you style outfits through different color schemes. When picking out an outfit, you may not even notice it but there are some combinations that many people enjoy. This could be a monochromatic look, pastel, bright colors, or a neutral outfit. The colors that you choose to wear can portray different moods and set a tone for how you want the day to go.

What colors you choose to wear can also heavily be influenced by the setting that you will be in while wearing the outfit. For example, there is a time and place for bright colors and a differing time and place for neutral tones. In my personal opinion, I feel like people have been reverting back to more muted colors in their wardrobes in hopes of creating a long-lasting wardrobe instead of having to cycle through new clothes every couple of years. Having a healthy mix of different colors in your wardrobe and finding what you feel the most confident and flattered in is important. For myself, I tend to gravitate towards navy blues, whites, grays, and light pink. The fun thing about picking out clothes is finding out what caters best to your personal style and getting to explore various areas of color and material.

The colors you tend to wear can also change within a season. Winter is mostly deep reds, black, and beige. Spring is a lot of pastels, light blues, and pinks. Summer is white, navy, and brighter colors. Fall is oranges, neutrals, and grays. These different colors are connected to certain areas that relate to the season. This is what starts to build on to the importance of color and make it less of a two-dimensional topic. Many fashion designers and brands use color to cater to their consumers. For example, when you think of Ralph Lauren, you think of muted colors that are sophisticated. This could include deep blues, baby pinks, and hues of brown. But, on the other side of the spectrum, Gucci is known for more of an eccentric play on designs and colors.

In fashion, color is more than a hue or shade that we see; it’s a story of many characteristics that create depth within an outfit. So, next time you pick out an outfit be more mindful of what the color of your clothes means to you. Maybe you will even purse-shoe your dreams of an ideal color scheme!

Sustainable fashion is an aspect of clothes and style that I adore. It means so much to make eco-conscious decisions and reflect it onto what you wear. With so much overproduction of clothes, there are so many second-hand shops and thrift store to our access that fights the mass production and waste of clothes that can ultimately affect our planet. There’s no better feeling than adding a unique piece to your closet and when someone asks where you got it, saying it’s thrifted; It’s one of a kind.

We might not even know it, but clothes tell a story and have so much background when you buy second-hand. Getting to own a piece that possesses so much character is a rewarding experience. Shopping secondhand also means supporting local stores that are around you instead of feeding more money to big corporations that are causing overproduction of clothes, air pollution, and so many other harsh effects on our earth. It might not feel like it at the moment, but where you choose to shop and what you choose to buy does play a role in the state of our earth. This is why it’s crucial to be conscious of where you shop. A good tip to do before you go shopping and are unsure if a store is eco-conscious and sustainable is simply to look up the stores and see if they have sustainable goals or how and where they produce their clothes. Within only a couple of minutes, you have taken a responsible step into saving the earth and were environmentally friendly!

Another pro of shopping secondhand is that your money goes further. So many stores, including some popular ones (Zara, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie, etc.), have such expensive prices for their clothes; All while still being unsustainable and bad for the environment. So many thrift stores and vintage shops have affordable prices that allow you to get more bang for your buck. It’s so frustrating when you find those cute jeans you were looking for at Zara, check the price tag, and then have to rethink your purchase. On the other hand, it’s so rewarding when you find the cutest sweater at a thrift store and expect it to be more expensive than it actually is.

With this being said, there are endless reasons why you should shop secondhand and start to think more sustainably about where you shop and what you wear. Build character in your closet with clothes that tell a story.

Some of live us in rural areas, and some roam the city. Some of us care about what we wear, and some of us don’t think twice about what we put on. All of us display different styles. Is this because of where we live? Is it because of the friends we have? So many different factors play into someone’s personal style. Personally, living on a lake and in a small town, my style has stayed simple and not too out of the box. However, I still created my style through many ways including inspiration online, through my friends, and my travels. Everywhere you go and every new experience plays into who you become. Yes, that statement comes off as very deep, but I truly believe that evokes people to create individuality in their style and what they choose to wear.

From an outside perspective, style might seem like an irrelevant and stagnant topic, but once you dive deep into all the different factors and situations that have affected someone’s personal style you see it in a new light. I hope to get at least one person who reads this blog to change their perspective on what fashion and style consist of, and how much individuality comes into play. Whether you think about it or not, you decide what combination of clothes you wear each day, so this means everyone has a personal style. Some people optimize the effort put into it, and some do not, and that’s okay! This is what shows your true uniqueness.

The people around you impact your personal style too. Who we surround ourselves with reflects who we are as people. This also incorporates our style. When we see what others around us wear, we tend to get inspired and want to add that piece to our closet. This ties into “what’s trending” and how trends rise and fall. We get inspired through people’s passions and this can mesh into personal style.

Another crucial influence on what we wear is location. People in cities may bring a different perspective on style than someone who lives in suburban or rural areas. Growing up around these areas and seeing what you are surrounded by can sway what you tend to wear. Take New York City for example, this city is so diverse in many ways and everyone is constantly changing up their style and ideas. NYC versus a small town in rural Pennsylvania will each have their own character of clothes and their own ways of displaying personal style. These two towns might also feel two different ways about clothes. New York might be seen as more materialistic than a small rural area.

With all being said, so many types of ideas come into play when talking about personal style. There isn’t just one answer to why people wear what they do. This is what makes fashion and style so unique to each person.