Each day it seems there’s a new trending aesthetic, prompting yet another fashion identity crisis. Is it balletcore (think tulle dresses and wrap cardigans) versus indiesleaze? (neon tights with dark eye make-up, oversized jackets, dark eye shadow, and oversized hoodies). Is my look more minimal and clean or more grungy? And what is clown-core? One might find themselves screaming “Who am I?”In a wardrobe of boring basics and impulse buys
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Amy Smilovic (left) and Allison Bornstein are advocates for the ‘three word’Method is a strategy to define your personal style.Credit:TikTok
There are style experts that are standing up to this trend. They offer tips and tricks on TikTok for how to find your style. Allison Bornstein, a New York-based stylist, is one example. With her, she became a viral sensation on TikTok “three word method”A simple and elegant strategy to help you define your style. The process involves analyzing what clothes you wear the most and finding words that describe them. You can also use aspirational adjectives, such a “aspire to be” adjective. “North star”To describe your dream look. The words needn’t be coherent either. They actually complement each other. ShouldShe says they should be different because “that’s what makes an interesting style.”
This concept can be seen at work in celebrity examples. Fashion influencer Alexa ChungIt is “preppy, whimsical, edgy,”Bornstein. The below image shows her in a white ruffled dress. Her sock and heel combination is preppy, and her chunky chain choker gives it an edge. Actor Tracee Ellis RossIt is “bold, colourful, and exaggerated.” Princess DianaWas “sporty, demure, and opulent.”
You can also find your style by analyzing the style adjectives of celebrities. says Bornstein. If you like the sporty element of Princess Diana’s style, the boldness of Tracee’s and the edginess of Alexa’s, put those all together.
Alexa Chung’s style is “preppy, whimsical, and edgy”According to Allison BornsteinCredit:Getty Images
Defining your personal style will help you shop with more purpose and reduce wasteful purchases and buyer’s regret – plus save you money in the process.
Amy Smilovic, founder and CEO of Tibi in New York, began using TikTok just five weeks ago. Drawing from more than two decades’ worth of design and styling expertise, her TikToks give tips on layering and ask questions like “what is good style?”
Smilovic loves the three-word method (hers is chill, modern, and classic), but the choice of adjectives can lead to one-dimensional descriptions of clothes rather than the person.
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“People use words like ‘oversized’, but what does that actually mean? If you interrogate that a little more you might find it means someone has a relaxed outlook.”