dear soul,
it came to my attention that people recognise me writing everything in small letters. it’s my thing for years online now that i specifically write everything like this. not only is it more visually beautiful to me, it’s a rhetorical tool to equalise words in meaning when i talk about my topics - every word has the same importance. the content of my writing and my intelligence is expressed through the accumulation and connection of words not the look of the words. and yeah, pretty much the same with my view on personal style i just realised. your personal style is expressed through the accumulation and connection of textiles not the look of the clothes.
the unique way of connection that only you’re able to solemnise. it’s an act of celebration like the beginning of summer. and especially when new seasons approach, my job requires answering a lot of questions about trends: “what’s in this season?” “how to rely less on trends?” “is personal style possible with following trends?” yadda yadda yadda… and i get it.. like everything in life we’re looking for direction and guidelines in fashion, too. in order to evolve we want support, we want the easy route. so we learn about the trends religiously in the beginning of a season, toss magazines, watch tiktoks, read blogs and scan online shops. we commit to the pieces that really speak to us. this commitment is more or less based on quality, quantity, sustainability and financial resources. after learning and committing, we do: we wear the trends, we go on holidays worldwide to show off our process and… look the same in the urban metropolises.
why’s that? we’re globally linked and now it became visual. what started as the phenomenon of an email in the 90s as an experience is now a global visual one: we’re interconnected and the same. and yet we’re not. we are all going through different phases. and personal phases collide with global phases. which makes me laugh sometimes.. butter yellow for example: i have several pieces in that colour in my wardrobe. i’m wearing them partially for over 5 years but now they make me look trendy. which isn’t meant in judgemental or negative way. it’s just a collision of two narratives: the global one and my personal one. while that is a beautiful coincidence, being dictated by trends isn’t. i am not here for that and you as my reader aren’t either. yet, i am here to give our brain what it wants. it loves direction, comfort and control and we can use the “learn, commit, do”-dynamic to feed it some of it’s own medicine by turning ..drumroll.. inwards and lean into trends that have little to do with the fashion narratives. instead of outer guidance we create inner orientation. instead of outer control, we foster inner clarity. style becomes deeply personal and rhythmical in that image. so which trends can we follow alternatively?
the menstrual cycle*
the circadian cycle
the moon cycle
the breath cycle
karmic cycle
*if you’re not a menstruation person, bare with me - it’s good o hear for you too as you probably know someone who menstruates
let’s use the menstrual cycle as an example. it explains how much we’re involved in circles and phases that we not only take for granted but also don’t pay enough attention to. and there is no way in stopping us being influenced by the outside. yet, we decide to which degree and intensity. so, rather than only being impacted by outer seasons, we can express our inner seasons. it all starts in winter (the actual menstruation), to spring (follicular), into summer (ovulation), onto the inner autumn (luteal). and that’s not quarterly, that’s a monthly thing, that is a daily thing. while this is happening, it’s almost impossible to be in the same mood, in the same body feeling and in the same outfit all the time. it’s actually a lot to ask for and a lot of pressure. the expression of those inner seasons not only releases some of the pressure, it also makes our style more personal. your period is not the same as mine. your way of writing and connecting words is not the same as mine. your personal style is not the same as mine.
there is only so much words for this entry, yet i want to talk about the biological clock or circadian cycle. briefly for the people who aren’t menstruating. you’re experiencing emotions throughout the day like the hormones that flow in your blood. your hormones have an impact on your feelings and vice versa. that cocktail depends on the hour of the day. while you would choose a mimosa in the morning you might go for a negroni before dinner and an espresso martini instead of an dessert. on some days you’re not even thinking about cocktails at all. don’t expect your personal style to be this final concept that stays the same detached from where you’re headed or time of day. it’s okay to change outfits or small details. it’s a loving and living organism that moves, gets distracted or carried away, evolves, falls back, changes and stagnates. personal style is alive. you drink water throughout the day as a baseline (hopefully). from there you can spice it up with a fun-beverage anytime.
don’t expect one outfit to carry your entire mood. so here are three tips to work with your emotions throughout the day:
→ track your energy for a week: use a journal or notes app. notice when you feel most confident, introverted, expansive, focused, social. then, reverse-engineer outfits to support those states.
→ build an “accessory switch kit”: keep 2-3 elements in your bag (e.g., earrings, lipstick, scarf, hair clip) to adjust your look as your energy shifts during the day. this allows for alignment without a full outfit change.
→ choose signature pieces that reflect your essence, not a moment: that butter yellow dress you’ve worn for five years? it’s “in” now but it always felt right to you. that’s timeless style. trends may confirm it occasionally, but they don’t define it.
that is what makes personal style up to date and zeitgeist-y. the meaning transmutes and evolves in co-creation with outside circumstances and is not dictated by it. it’s again the accumulation and connection you personally make that change the narrative.
cheers 🍸🥃🍷
lea