Refine Your Style in 2016

“A personal style is like handwriting. It happens as the by-product of our way of seeing things enriched by the experiences of everything around us.”  – Mossimo Vignelli

In high school, I wanted to be just like my best friend, Patti. She wore great clothes and all the guys loved her. I also wanted to write like her. I would spend hours trying to duplicate the way she wrote her name. I still write that way, even now. She was my handwriting icon and over time, I adapted my own version of her style. So I completely understand the quote above. My handwriting became me over a period of time, and, like it, my personal clothing style has grown as I emulated and refined what I saw on other women.

I know… You might call me a slow learner in my 60s. But it did take a lot of experimentation and mistakes before I knew what worked and what did not. For the most part, I do not go for really trendy, out-of-the-box styles and often my outfit posts are very similar and subdued. But I find pleasure in knowing the similarities mean I have achieved what I was looking for and communicating the messages I want to send.

Here are the ways I further refined my style in 2015:

1. SIMPLICITY WITH ACCESSORIES. I wore less last year than ever before. My beloved scarves became only gentle, sporadic breezes just blowing through my style occasionally rather than daily. I ceased wearing earrings (because I have an injured ear), so that led to more necklaces and simple bracelets. This once highly accessorized woman became more minimal with one statement piece per outfit.
2. SOLIDIFIED NEUTRAL FOUNDATION. I have been headed this way for a couple of years, but my wardrobe is now more neutrals than anything. I wore fewer prints in 2015, and more blacks, navy blues, and browns. Prints became occasional statement pieces, and I ceased mixing patterns. I am more purposeful with my selection now, since these represent my creative voice.
3. LESS COLOR EXPERIMENTATION. I stayed away from pastels last year, and chose more deep, saturated colors. It is nice to know exactly what colors work for me and which ones do not. I also wore more white, and love it now all year long!
4. ADDED SMALL HEELS. Though more often than not you will find me wearing flats, I added a few small heels to my wardrobe as I returned to the professional world. I was pleased to discover shoe lines which are comfortable even with a small heel.
5. I PROVED I HAVE LEGS. I haven’t worn so many dresses and skirts in a long time. I rarely wore them when teaching high school, so it has been nice to see my legs come out and the hemlines raise a bit. I actually like the comfort of a great pencil skirt as much as a pant.

Next week we will look ahead into 2016, but for now, fill me in. What style changes did you make last year? Did you learn anything new or try something you know will always be in your closet? I think, like my handwriting, these five refinements are here to stay.

Have a great first week in 2016… and thanks for stopping by!