When I think about style, I think of the way a daisy or a daffodil blows easily in the wind or the way water looks clear when coming from a natural spring.
They don’t appear to struggle or turn muddy against the forces of life.
Similarly, when we are true to our style the way we look just flows. The dictionary explains style to be a manner or a method of doing something. I can’t help but think that means that our style or the way that we decorate, dress, or interact with things we care about, begin to be a part of us.
Our way of being with those things is our natural style of relating, and that connects us to the unique design that we are. However, there are days when it’s easy to find yourself lost, distracted, or blocked. Then, we begin to lose touch with our style and our essence.
This might scare me more than most, but it feels as if my compass is broken.
Sometimes it’s hard for me to make decisions or to come up with ideas for styling. I undo and redo projects, repost and take down photos. Before long, I’m more in the woods than I even suspected.
So, how do you begin to reconnect to your unique design?
It’s hard.
Really hard.
It doesn’t come back easy, especially when I’m lost. One thing that I do is feel, not only with my heart, but with my fingers (literally). I run my hands over my clothes, I try things on, I go to a new boutique, I look through a magazine, I breathe, I listen….I move.
Then something starts to fit again.
Not a dress, but an idea. It’s strangely like splashing cold water on my face. Being connected to your style and vibe is the ultimate refresher. You might be thinking, “I don’t have a style,” or “my style is not that unique or worth finding.”
I sincerely believe everyone has a style, just like everyone has a scent. It’s like when someone walks into the room and you smell Chanel no.5 and you think, “my friend is in the building.” It’s the same with style.
When I go somewhere, I see things that look like someone I love and immediately I feel close to them – even if they are miles away. What might you want someone to say about you if someone walked through your home or into your closet? Maybe, “she always has the prettiest flowers,” “her shoes are color-coordinated,” “her home smells of basil & lemongrass,” or “novels are subtly draped by her bed.”
No matter what your “style” is, it’s yours.
It’s beauty that’s spilled over into originality. The saddest loss would be believing your style doesn’t matter or that it isn’t that impressive.
Even if you are off trend, or beat to your own drum, there is a stylish part of you that moves to a rhythm of its own. Sometimes we even struggle to catch up to it…and sometimes that’s the best part.
Bill Blass said it best, “Style is a matter of instinct.” When you have that, then you have style. It’s just a matter of using your internal compass to find the way.
Christen has an equal love for heart & style while bringing in a freeness of self. Turquoise, bohemian patterns, and top knots are her weakness while shopping at her favorite Nashville spots. She loves sunlight on her face, good conversation over red wine, and personality quizzes. You might find Christen playing with her puppy Clover, when she’s in need of relaxing. Christen and her husband live in Sylvan Park while continuing to dream up new adventures together. Follow her journey on Instagram @ourcolorfulifestyle
