Style is Definitely Superficial

 

There’s no doubt about it, style is definitely superficial. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t important.

 

Style is superficial because it represents our personality or the perception of our personality on the surface. However, the key here is thinking about how style actually represents something internal to you. Yes, even those folks who decide that they are going to wear black all of the time or the same outfit (Steve Jobs) all the time has a style that represents who they are internally. That is because what we wear actually is a pretty accurate expression of who we are. No, seriously. It is. Let me explain.

 

"Nightingale says that while part of our behaviour involves an awareness of what some would describe as the art of dressing, “We also have an internal influence that shapes our mood and emotions, that shapes our self-esteem and also has a cognitive function. This hasn’t been very well-known until recently.”She’s referring to the myriad studies that have appeared in the last five years connecting appearance to abilities and acceptance (i.e. what your shoes really say about you).


If you believe them, you’d be obliged to think that people who wear high-top running shoes are standoffish, while those who favour bright, colourful sneakers are more emotionally stable. These are the results from a University of Kansas study in 2012, which examined the link between footwear and personality. While some could potentially laugh off the findings as simple, buzzy clickbait, the weightier implications can help brands market to customers better. Or, more importantly, guide us into understanding why we’re being judged as books by their proverbial covers.


Of course, the other part of style that makes it more complicated than just choosing a shirt because we like the color is that there are some external influences as well." - Odessa Paloma Parker, The Globe and Mail

This article is probably one of my favorites in explaining the connection that internal and external factors have on shaping your style and why as superficial as style can be, it doesn’t downplay its importance in how we show up in our everyday lives. I think that sometimes it’s easy to dismiss style and say that you don’t care so you just wear what you want. The funny thing that I find is that the fact that you mention that you don’t care so you wear what you want can be broken down into so many factors that actually point to the idea of you not caring is actually caring. Of course, that’s another discussion for another post. 

 

 

So, what does this all mean? Well, you know that I am always here advocating for leveraging your style. The more that you actually acknowledge that style is part of your personality no matter how superficial it is, the better you will be at leveraging it to propel you forward in your everyday life. And no, you can’t use the excuse that you don’t have style or you don’t know how. There are too many resources out there to help you. The key is to acknowledge the importance that style has in your life and get at the core of what your style represents about your personality.

 

Now, this can be uncomfortable because it is going to require you to really pull back the layers and get to know your personality and the personality that you’d like to project if you don’t know that yet. If you do then you’re in good shape to determine how to represent that best in your wardrobe. The importance of being able to incorporate your true personality in your wardrobe not only allows you to be comfortable with yourself but also comfortable in how your projecting your true self, outwardly. This does wonders for your self-confidence and ultimately comfort with yourself.

 

 

Getting help with someone helping to define your style and then showing you how to leverage it is a great way to invest in developing your personal and professional brand. This is why I created BLANKWardrobe, to help you build a wardrobe that represents your personality so that you can feel confident in using it to develop your personal and professional brand. So, we help you get comfortable with knowing what basics you need to have in your wardrobe and then comfortable with adding edgy basics to further enhance and showcase your personality.

 

Get started by checking out our Essentials Shop.

XoXo,

Venus





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