Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines the word “iconic” as “widely recognized and well-established”. In this case, your style should be iconic to you and your personality. What I mean by this statement is that a friend or loved one should be able to see an item of clothing and say, “My friend X would totally love/wear this!” Similarly, your clothing should highlight your personality and goals.
What it means when your style is iconic is that you have a distinctive vibe and genre that works for you, and you stick with it. This shouldn’t feel like you’re pigeonholing yourself, but it should feel like you’re describing who you are.
Let me give you an example: I would describe my style as classic with a bit of edge and a slightly boho-esque vibe in the summer. I wear a lot of blazers, pencil skirts, and skinny jeans, but I have a love for everything black, an affinity for leather, and tend to gravitate towards maxi skirts/dresses when it’s warm out. In my opinion, my style gives off the notion that I’m put together, someone who is goal oriented, and someone that is just a little bit out of the box.
How did I come to this conclusion of how others perceive my style? Well truthfully, I can’t speak for everyone else’s opinion on how I dress, but generally people who wear blazers, slacks, pencil skirts, and fitted/structured clothing appear like they are put together and have their life in order. This is because we often associate these items of clothing with work, so when looking at someone wearing them, we tend to assume that they have some level of authority and give them respect (whether it is a conscious decision or not).
As you age, whether you are growing into yourself, learning something new about yourself, or simply starting a different chapter of your life, it’s important to take inventory of your wardrobe and take note of how your clothing comes off to others. Are you showing too much skin to appear respectable, or dressing in ill fitted items which drown your figure? Or are you simply wearing clothing that reflects a different time in your life? It can be hard to realize when it’s your own body and your own clothing, so step away, lay everything out, and think about how you would perceive someone else wearing the items in front of you.
Try doing some research or looking online at various fashion blogs and websites for inspiration. The great thing about bloggers are that we are all real people sharing our stories with you. This gives you an opportunity to see how people really dress for their daily lives instead of how someone was styled for a magazine shoot. Your style should be iconic, so think about what you want to represent and how you want people to see you. If you can portray that, you will have no problem at all! Good luck, and happy styling!