Style Resolutions 2015

     

STYLE RESOLUTIONS 2015

Over the years, from the early noughties right through to adolescence, I think it's safe to say I've undergone something of a style transformation. To put it simply, my style used to be absolutely horrendous, to the point where looking at photos (why does photographic evidence have to exist?!?!) is so unbearable I find myself hunting for a shovel with which I can dig a hole in the ground and hide in for all eternity. Back in ye old days, I just didn't know what I was doing when it came to style and fashion. I didn't have a lot of self confidence or body confidence, I was still trying to figure out just who I was, what I liked, what I didn't like and I didn't understand how fashion related to me, how it applied to me and what it meant. 

It took me until the age of 16 to really figure it all out, and since then although I have still been known to get things rather wrong, I know what works for me and what I should avoid like the plague. I know what colours suit me, I know what styles, patterns and clothing cuts flatter my figure. I know what I want to enhance and what I want to cover up. I'm confident enough both in self and body, to wear whatever I want and not care about what other people think. I see style as a form of expression, of showing who I am or how I'm feeling, and to make me feel good about myself. Deciding what I'm going to wear each morning (or night) is a wonderful time for my inner creativity to be unleashed, now that I've established my personal style and fashion parameters. It's all so wonderful and for me it just took some time, and some rather horrendous photographic evidence, to get there.

So with the arrival of a 2015, I've been thinking about what style resolutions I want to make, and now that I've established all these things mentioned above, I feel like the possibilities and avenues to explore are truly endless. However I do have a few in mind to set me off in my pursuit, and I'd love to share them with you and hopefully give you some inspiration too..

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1) WEAR MORE PASTEL SHADES

For many years I seem to have been avoiding the pastel shades that have been so popular over the last couple of years. I don't even know why because I adore pastel tones. However upon purchasing my new pastel lilac coat over Christmas, I've completely changed my mind and have fallen in love with the way pastel shades lighten an outfit, and complement such a rich, diverse array of other colours from monochromes to vibrant primary tones.

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2) KEEP MY HAIR MID-LENGTH

Throughout my adolescence I've struggled to find just what hairstyle suits me. One of my best friends hit the nail bang on the head a couple of years ago, saying that a style like Alexa Chung's would suit me, but me being all headstrong was like 'uh nah'. But she's right, because with my having an oval face it turns out that mid-length (ie. collar bone length) hair, with a middle or side parting and long fringe really does complement my face shape best. Having had some absolutely awful hairstyles during secondary school, followed by growing my hair super long twice, and cutting it short and adding a fringe (which don't suit me at all), it was in October that I decided I was going mid-length. A few months on, and I can honestly say I've never had a hairstyle that suits me so well. It's perfecto, so I'm going to plead with my family and friends that if I ever go off on one about wanting to change it somehow, they lock me in a confined space and show me photos of my awful hairstyles throughout the years to stop me. 
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3) EXPLORE DIFFERENT SHADES OF LIPSTICK 

2014 was the year where I finally understood the merits of lipstick. I just didn't understand why people were so obsessed with it, and for me the sight of lipstick always conjured up bad memories of childhood dance shows where my mum would absolutely cake it on me. Whenever I'd try lipstick, all I'd see in the mirror was seven year old me, and I hated it. However at age 18, I thought it was best to put those bad memories to rest, and experiment with lipstick to see what shades and intensities looked best. I'm still a tad afraid of the bold tones, but I've begun to figure out what I like and what suits me and in 2015 I'm hoping to experiment with some new shades and slowly add some new tones to my collection (of two lipsticks).

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4) WEAR MORE STRAPPY DRESSES

My figure is essentially an hourglass with very broad shoulders. Therefore for many, many years I've struggled to find the perfect style dress to suit my figure, as a lot of cuts don't simultaneously flatter both my shoulders and figure. It's one or the other. However last year I had to buy a dress for my friend's 18th, and I happened to come across a long black dress from H&M that had spaghetti straps. I thought I'd give it a chance and see what it looked like, and found that the straps were perfect for my shoulders, whilst the tighter fitting design complemented my figure perfectly too. It was a match made in heaven, as I got to enhance my hourglass figure and the straps somehow seemed to make my shoulders look less broad and more feminine. Yay! So 2015 is the year in which I finally acquire more dresses that actually suit my figure...

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5) EMBRACE MY SPANISH HERITAGE

You may or may not know that I'm lucky enough to be a quarter Spanish, thanks to my beloved Nana hailing from Galicia. My Spanish heritage is something that I am immensely proud of, but didn't fully appreciate until a couple of years ago. I adore the Spanish culture and everything about it, and have never felt more in touch with it than I do now. In particular I'm really inspired by Spanish fashion, and how Spanish women approach fashion, style and beauty. One of the main reasons I began to dress a whole lot better was because I started channelling their approach and embracing my inner Spanish heritage. I've come across quite a few Spanish women in my life, whether it be family, teachers, friends, and always loved their creativity when it comes to fashion, and how they use it. They know their figures and how to dress them perfectly, they know how to combine colours, pieces and patterns, they aren't afraid to experiment and push the boat out. To me Spanish women just seem to know how to use use fashion, style and beauty to dress, enhance and decorate the female figure perfectly, without giving too much away. I just adore their vision and artistry, and in 2015 I can't wait to embrace and incorporate my Spanish roots further.

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So those are my style resolutions for 2015, but now I'd love to hear about yours, and I'd also like to wish you all a really HAPPY NEW YEAR (: