finding your 'aesthetic' and what that means for personal style ౨ৎ

#o3okit from lily

hi! it's me again, bambi! how have you been? #🌈 from fawndollie

#o3okit from lily

i hope you've had a relaxing start to the new year- it's finally 2024... isn't that so weird? 2020 was 4 years ago. that just sounds so unserious... but either way, i hope you had an enjoyable december, and january is treating you well! 

did you do anything fun for new years? i always want to, but it's just too cold for anything like that for me... like you know what i mean?? how can i have fun if i'm just CHILLY........ 

anyway, today i wanted to discuss and maybe even advise something which seems to follow me around, which is "what's your aesthetic called?" and "how do you find your aesthetic?", so let's get into it! 

#glitter graphics from that's webcore, babey!

i feel like since tiktok really blew up in like... 2019? 2020? the over-categorisation and labelling of fashion identities has really become the norm, to the extent where it almost became the standard to have a specific label for the way that you looked. whether it was y2k, or downtown girl, or cottagecore or whatever; there was a label which you searched up in pinterest in order to create a board and accurately assign it to yourself. overall, there isn't actually a problem in this- as it can really help people who are getting into fashion or just want to find more inspiration for what it is they like to wear- and i love that! 

but the problem begins where the personalisation in fashion halts, and we end up becoming copy-pastes of moodboards which have no real meaning to our personal identities. this is where i found myself at one point, and as someone who adores and works in fashion, i really aimed and continue to aim to change this (for me, personally!). 


1. look at your existing wardrobe #kaomojis from ƸӜƷ

open up your notes app, and write these things down so that you remember them! what are your favourite colours? what colours do you like to wear and make you feel your best? what colours are mainly in your wardrobe? how do you feel when you see these colours? the internet, especially in the 2010s, would love to say that everyone needs a white tee, blue jeans, a black leather jacket etc., but if these aren't your colours, these pieces will mean nothing to you. 

for me: my favourite colour is pink, and i love to wear it! my neutrals are beige, dark brown and greys. the base colours i go for are usually navy, and black. for an accent colour, i usually go for any of the aforementioned, but also white. for denim, i don't wear a lot of it, but when i do, i prefer a darker wash. for patterns, i like pinstripe, leopard and polka dots. 

think about this for you- and be really honest with yourself. just because you like sanrio and pink, doesn't necessarily mean you enjoy wearing it. 

#welcome from Sigsturbate。

you can also do the same with silhouettes! when i was around 15, i bought a lot of oversized stuff, so before i cleared out my wardrobe there were so many ill-fitting pieces which didn't really look good on me.

for me: i enjoy fitted trousers, usually flare or bootcut; sometimes looser fit but not often- so i may only own one or two pieces like this. the same goes for jeans. i don't like high rise, especially as i have a belly button piercing, so i prefer lower rises, and mid-rise. for skirts, i like maxi and micro-mini, i don't really like how midi looks on me. i prefer a-line and pleated over bodycon too!

keep doing this for things like materials/fabrics etc., and really get to know your existing wardrobe, so that you can slowly begin to replace the pieces you dislike/barely wear with items you know that you love!

it's good to know these things in relation to you personally, as you can notice when things are trending if you like it, or if you're just being influenced to like it. high-rise light-wash baggy jeans may look good on bella hadid, but that doesn't mean i like it for myself, so i'm less likely to be influenced to buy it. 


                                                 2. pinterest............. #dෆllicacy⠀ೀ from ୨ 人形 ୧

the part we were all waiting for! now, go on pinterest and look at your outfits board, or clothing board, whatever it may be. what are the repeating patterns you see? does everyone wear a black blazer? are there a lot of pink corsets? statement coats? this is the fun time! notice the things that keep popping up. but also, look at the smaller, less fun details too. do you save a lot of outfits of mini skirts paired with white ankle socks? white ankle socks may be the missing link which you need to add to your outfits- do you see what i mean? write these things down too! 

for me, i know that i like: ballet flats, faux fur, tabi/split toe shoes, pointed toe shoes/boots, kitten/small heels, leg warmers, long coats/cardigans, all-over prints, embellished jeans, mohair and knit, lace, shirts, large florals, longline tops, rhinestone details, black accents, layered dainty jewellery... etc. 

#welcome from Sigsturbate。

now, think about your style inspirations! who do you go to for inspo on what to wear, or you just like how they dress and you wanna be like that. write it down! it can be anyone from your sister or best friend or your dad or a tiktoker or instagram person or a celeb, or even a fictional character!

for me, a few of my style inspirations include: @susiegarvie, @90monka, bella hadid, @baby2metal.c0m, hachi from nana, regina george from mean girls, gabriella from high school musical... etc. 

it's also 100% okay if these things are completely not cohesive. it's your style! it doesn't need to fit a hashtag perfectly, it just needs to feel like you. if you like the look of 'office siren' but you don't like wearing black, you prefer yellows and reds, take those silhouettes that make up the 'office siren' style- e.g. pencil skirts, glasses, fitted shirts, low rise trousers, and replace the colours with the colours you like! now it's not ~ office siren ~ but instead, your style! does this make sense? it's so normal to take inspiration from different places, so don't feel like you need to force yourself into a tiktok aesthetic just because it's trending. personal style is a lot more rewarding, and it's fun to discover. 


3. having multiple styles #emoticon from animatedglittergraphics-n-more

having multiple ways of dressing is not a problem in the slightest. you might not want to wear a pink miniskirt everyday, and you shouldn't have to! accommodate your style to the weather, your mood, and what makes you feel most confident and comfortable. if you want to broaden your wardrobe, go back to step 1 and think about what type of pieces you'd want to introduce.


4. don't fall for it! #emoticon from animatedglittergraphics-n-more

one of the last things i want to say is: grow to love things from afar! when i was younger, i would buy a top i thought was cute and literally never wear it. looking back, these tops wouldn't be in a material i liked, in none of the colours i enjoy wearing and thus it didn't match any of my other clothes either. does anyone remember the house of sunny hockney dress? it looked like this: 

House of Sunny green Hockney Dress | eBay

i didn't buy this at the time, but i wanted it so bad!!! omfg, i wanted it so bad. but why did i want this? sure it's knit, i like knit, but i don't like to wear green. it's a colour i'm so indifferent towards. also, that pattern... i don't really go for abstract patterns like this. i like the maxi length, but this dress really isn't me. miss girl in the pic looks cute, but that doesn't mean i should buy it! this is a good way to think about a lot of trends in fashion. another trend is cowboy boots, which can be styled super cutely! i've been tempted a few times, but why would i buy something all of a sudden, when i've never had an urge to buy it, or anything similar, in the past? 

think about a popular item or trend you want to buy into but haven't yet, and think about if it aligns with how you like to dress/how you want your wardrobe to be.

i don't know what online space you guys are in, but i'm in a space of feminine people who love pink. like really love it!!! kinda perfect for me, but sometimes it's easy to be sidetracked into thinking i want to buy something when in reality, i do not. for example, i love my melody, but i don't really like having sanrio motifs on my clothing. this is just an element of my personal style as i don't really enjoy logos or graphics, but i can really admire how cute it might look on my friend, without needing it in my wardrobe as the likelihood of me wearing it is extremely low. this is a good way to not fall into any new trends you may come across fr!

#🎀 from fawndollie

5. DIY! #🌈 from fawndollie

i'm not saying construct your dream items, (unless you can do that- then absolutely do that!!!!!!!!) but add personalised touches which represent your personal/aspirational style to items you already have! if you own a lot of black but want to start wearing whites, creams, pinks etc., maybe tie a pink ribbon around your black handbag, or if make your own charms to attach onto your jeans. personal touches are really fun; and can make something your own! for me, i've taken a lot of inspiration from the corporate/officewear trend, as the silhouettes, patterns and colours all match my personal style- however, to wear an entire 'office siren' outfit is very much not me. it's a bit too 'hard' feeling, i prefer softer materials like pointelle and knit; so i might swap out a black bodycon midi skirt for a grey knit maxi skirt. on my bag, i'll add a bunch of keychains too in order to bring in some pink; so it feels even more like me!

#🌈 from fawndollie

i hope this helps, and gives you a bit of reassurance! i love fashion so much, and dressing for yourself is so much fun! at the end of the day, wear what you love but be intentional with your purchases; even if that means saving up for months for a dream item. if u have any questions or anything pls do let me know!!!!!!!!!!! all my love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-

Bambi #🌈 from fawndollie


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strowberrybri

strowberrybri's profile picture

hey I love your blog decoration, how did u add those little gifs?


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ooohhh I see, ysm!!!ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ

by strowberrybri; ; Report

Noah!!!

Noah!!!'s profile picture

Ive got the midwest emo wardrobe with like 10 different gray/brown jumpers and then some like 90s colorful ones


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love that 4 u!!!

by bambina ★; ; Report

sariah ;p

sariah ;p's profile picture

love this! i change my style like evry month lol..will start using your advice ^_^


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yay!!!!! this makes me so happy, i hope you find some items you really love!!! 💗🎀💗

by bambina ★; ; Report

силикунтз

силикунтз's profile picture

I have that shitty aesthetic meaning I only have 2 fits that work but this gave me some ideas! Maybe I can work with it to expand on my "clothing knowledge". Still theres a problem clothes are expensive here so I am limited :(. Still great blog!


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wishing you the best luck on your fashion journey :)

by bambina ★; ; Report

Rainie.Dae

Rainie.Dae's profile picture

This advice is really good! I know for me it was about what was comfortable, practical, and visually appealing to me. There's also the issue of making sure you have a variety of clothes. I have clothes for when I'm just hanging out with friends at the skate park, and then clothes when I'm at work and having to be mor professional. It helps to have clothes you like and fit your personality in both situations.

There's also accessories and layering. Both can do a lot for a outfit and can make any plain and basic outfit into one with more personality. Having a nice scarf or necklace can do a lot to balance an outfit and bring out more color or interesting design.


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yep! <3

by bambina ★; ; Report

Dora :3

Dora :3's profile picture

Honestly, i think all these emerging aesthetics (like cottage core, coquette, etc) are making people feel pressured into fitting into one label\aesthetic and overall end up consuming even more so they can have all the trendy pinterest clothing and that is kind of bad, becaus i see a lot of people that are always trying so hard to fit these aesthetics instead of just being themselves and wearing what maakes them happy (sorry for bad grammar, english is just not my first language)


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i 100% agree!!! people are finding it harder to recognise things they actually like and enjoy due to the oversaturation of trends and influencing that happens mainly on social media...

by bambina ★; ; Report

May.iou

May.iou's profile picture

hello! I really loved this post, but there is one small detail I wanted to comment on.
You mentioned that you work in fashion, I wanted to know if you are referring to Internet posts or if it is a career in this field, and if so, how did you study? Do you follow a specific profession?
I've always dreamed of working with this, but I don't have much knowledge about it, nor a basis to start with, so I wanted some tips or opinions, if it's not a hassle

(I'm writing this through the translator so sorry if there are a lot of mistakes)


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hello! i work as a personal and editorial womenswear stylist! i've been at london fashion week a few times, and have clients who i style! i unfortunately did not study fashion, i studied film production at uni, but i definitely suggest doing a course in fashion since it may be easier! what i did was create a portfolio and send them around in order to gain opportunities, so i would definitely suggest that! fashion is a really broad landscape of work, so definitely do some research to figure out what you want to do (designer? fashion writer? ecommerce manager? etc.) and go from there!

by bambina ★; ; Report

Star_Sailor

Star_Sailor's profile picture

This is so adorabke and i abosuety love it!


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yay thank u!!!🥹💝

by bambina ★; ; Report

z3mmiph0bi4

z3mmiph0bi4's profile picture

I'm quite young. (About 13-14) I don't know exactly what I want my style to be, but I think I do seem to like/lean down more emo (I'm not sure the exact style, srry!!!), but I don't exactly know how to do that kind of thing. I have some black/darker clothes but I don't know what to do!!!


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if you want inspiration on outfit ideas/how to style your pieces, i would definitely say you have the fun option of going on pinterest and searching up 'emo outfit ideas!!' using the pics you find, see how people layer and accessorise, and try it out with the items in your wardrobe! maybe start off with base pieces, like black jeans. now team it with a black top- this is a decent base! now the rest is up to what you like; whether it's a bunch of necklaces and belts, or layering hoodies, etc. etc. i don't know much about this substyle anymore since i was emo a good few years ago, but definitely find some style inspirations you like online and see how they utilise their items!

by bambina ★; ; Report

you dont really have to fit perfectly into any aesthetic or feel pressured to "find your aesthetic", just wear what makes you happy

by Dora :3; ; Report

very true!!! labels are useful though if you've found a style that resonates with you, but don't feel any pressure to adhere to the label in it's entirety, as your personal style will stay with you for much longer than a specific label or aesthetic!

by bambina ★; ; Report

Cam

Cam's profile picture

omgg this helped me sm! thankss i loveee ur acc 💗🫶🏼


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yay i'm so glad!!! thank u sm!!! 🎀♡

by bambina ★; ; Report

☆.。.:*ᥲᥣᥱ.。.:*☆

☆.。.:*ᥲᥣᥱ.。.:*☆'s profile picture

Dioooooos, esto me abrió los ojos!!
Gracias por esto linda, realmente me ayudo mucho :'c


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thank you for your lovely words!!! i'm so glad this helped you!!! 🥹💗💗

by bambina ★; ; Report

Rue

Rue's profile picture

anyone else too poor to have a proper style? lol


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i completely understand, and definitely suggest DIYing. when i was younger and couldn't buy things i wanted, i learnt how to sew and made a couple pieces which i was able to add to any outfit to make it look a bit more me. learning how to sew is a good skill, but if not i definitely recommend thrift shops, and also hand-me-downs from people in your life whose style you like! i still take my sister's old clothes, it's good for the environment too! right now it might not feel like your clothes represent you well, but give it some time and try to find loopholes.

for example, if you want a 'coquette', cute & pink sense of style:
- adding ribbons and lace to things,
- layering camisole tops under cardigans
- using fabric paint/fabric glue to add rhinestones/ribbons/artwork to items or bags

if you prefer a more grungy style:
- opting for baggier clothing in darker colours (maybe ask older brothers/older men in your life?)
- iron-on patches
- distressing your own jeans/ripping your own tights

etc, etc.

things like this i always recommend :) <3

by bambina ★; ; Report

𝓚𝓮𝓷𝓷𝔂 🎀𓂃 ࣪˖

𝓚𝓮𝓷𝓷𝔂 🎀𓂃 ࣪˖'s profile picture

This blog is super cute and it also helped me a lot ^_^🩷


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thank you so much!! i'm glad it helped you!! 💗☆

by bambina ★; ; Report

Pupa

Pupa's profile picture

Is there a certain aesthetic for people who like the aspect of 2017 fashion? Like galaxy leggings and wearing marshmello hoodies


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hihi! i'm unsure if there is an aesthetic for it, but if you like these items maybe search them up on pinterest and curate a board of pieces/outfits you like. this way, you can slowly look for these items on resale sites or at stores without necessarily feeling pressured to follow an established aesthetic; and moreso have items that resonate with how you like to dress! maybe searching "galaxy leggings", "2012 outfit ideas" (galaxy leggings were big around 2012!) for inspiration, then gather ideas for items to integrate into your personal wardrobe from there

i hope this helps !! :D🎀

by bambina ★; ; Report

TY ^^

by Pupa; ; Report

TY ^^

by Pupa; ; Report

TY ^^

by Pupa; ; Report

Ravyzino

Ravyzino's profile picture

This is really beautiful, and it helped me a lot, thank you :3


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thank you so much!! i'm glad it helped you!! <3 🎀

by bambina ★; ; Report

SoyaaVD

SoyaaVD's profile picture

Gracias, realmente haz aclarado mi mente sobre esto! Tu guía es genial y muy linda por cierto. 🎀✨


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thank you for your kind words!!!! :D 🎀🍨💗

by bambina ★; ; Report

DulceWilkie! 🎀

DulceWilkie! 🎀's profile picture

Es hermoso!
Muy útil ૮₍˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ₎ა


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Gracias!💗︎💗︎💗

by bambina ★; ; Report

Dolliestbimbo

Dolliestbimbo's profile picture

Lovee this so helpful!


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yay i'm so glad you enjoyed!! 🎀♡

by bambina ★; ; Report

andlea

andlea's profile picture

Que lindo blog!!!
Amoooo


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💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

by bambina ★; ; Report

☆ᵍ𝑒м丂𝐓𝐚я☆

☆ᵍ𝑒м丂𝐓𝐚я☆'s profile picture

I honestly feel like this brought back alot of confidence in my outfits i was really big in fashion and than it started o die down i felt like i always needed somthing new (i have a mix of streetwear baggy emo y2k ik alot style) ive thought about added keychains like a bucky to my belt loops and the DIY part gave me alot of ideas that i cant wait to try out im going thrifting tommorow so ill get to try it out thank you for bringing back confidence in my style and fashion taste!!!<3


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OMG!!!!! this makes me so happy!!!! i'm so glad to have helped!!!! DIYs are my faves, i'm wishing you the best in curating your ideal style!!! 💗💗

by bambina ★; ; Report