5 Reasons You're Out of Style

By definition style is the following:

Source: Merriam-Webster Dictionary

There are lots of ways that we view style and the great styles of today, in the fashion-related sense. It's often easy to get lost in the many opinions of how people define style. When simply put, style is basically the way in which something is done.

As a designer, I am asked about who are my styles designed are for, meaning what type of person or customer in which the designs were created. There is a particular guy in mind that I design for, but is it limited to a certain age group, ethnicity, or body type? In complete honesty, no. The guy that inspires my designs is mostly a persona made up of confidence, sex appeal, and having great taste. That's a mere short description. 

When I design each of our styles I'm inspired by a variety of things such as a fabric, a trim, a certain detail I found interesting somewhere out there in the world. So when I am asked by a client, or prospective client, can I rock this style? The simple answer is yes.

Here is why. I see great style as having confidence in yourself, what you do, and what you choose to adore yourself in each day. Who is tell you that you cannot wear something you completely love? If you honestly feel you can rock it, do it and do it with confidence. 

A lot of people believe that style is having the perfect pieces put together that are carefully directed by a designer or some stylist or blogger in the correct ways to wear each piece. Whoever it may be, no single person defines style. In fact, great style is defined and admired by different types of people and therefore great style can take on various forms, shapes, and sizes. Style is an extension of our inner self displayed to the world on the outside, and having great style is having confidence in yourself. 

With that in mind, here are 5 reasons you may be out of style:

1. You're not experimenting with your style enough.

Let's face it, staying the same is boring. If your closet was filled with nothing but blue jeans and white t-shirts, you (and everyone else you know) would feel that your style was pretty much one note. Having great style is basically experimenting with new fashion pieces, taking new ways to approaching situations, or trying something new. How are trends created? Some one had to come up with enough courage and confidence to try something new, right?

Think of a time when you weren't sure something would look great on you. You wear it out just to test out if it causes some reaction from your friends or people around you. Obviously, if you're receiving genuine compliments on how great you look, it's apparent you're on to something new that you should try out more with your style. And if not, then it's time to get back to experimenting with a few more styles until something sticks.

Start small with introducing a new fashion piece to your standard outfits and gradually introduce more new pieces into your wardrobe as you become more comfortable with the new style your cultivating.

 “Style is the answer to everything. A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous thing. To do a dull thing with style is preferable to doing a dangerous thing without it. To do a dangerous thing with style is what I call art.”
– Charles Bukowsk

2. You're not expressing yourself properly through your outfits.

We are all born with a unique voice no matter what industry we are in. There is not one way that everyone must follow in order to be in style or in fashion. Style is merely an extension of how you choose to express yourself to the world. I think we can all agree that wearing a tailored suit expresses a different persona of ourselves compared to wearing a leather jacket and fitted biker jeans. Style is essentially how you express your inner self outwardly to the world. Next time you get dressed, take a minute to think about what you're communicating to the world about yourself. 

“To attain style in dress, you must look perfectly happy and relaxed in your clothes which must appear part of you rather than a wardrobe you have just donned.”
– Hardy Amies 

3. Your outfits are lacking creativity or inspiration.

The fun part about getting dressed every day is choosing what pieces to wear for the days events. If you're shopping and wearing pieces like everyone else, you're likely to not stand out from the crowd. It's perfectly fine to assess the way that other people are wearing their fashion pieces for your own outfit inspirations. But what makes your style truly unique and special is how you put your special twist to it. 

“A man should look as if he had bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care, and then forgotten all about them.”
– Hardy Amies 

4.Your outfits are not reflecting your personality.

Remember how I mentioned that style is an outwardly expression of our inner self? Your outfits should speak true to what your personality is and who you truly are. Avoid wearing things just because it's what everyone else it wearing. That's just merely imitation. Your clothes should stand true to your personality. 

 “One pretends to do something, or copy someone or some teacher, until it can be done confidently and easily in what becomes one’s own style”.
– Cary Grant

5. You're lacking confidence.

But most of all, style is the confidence to adore yourself with your favorite fashion pieces and wearing them with confidence regardless of whether you're on trend.

To quote one of my favorite fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent, who said it perfectly that "fashions fade, style is eternal."

When trying out new styles, or sticking to your already amazing style, you should wear your fashion pieces with confidence against all odds. Anyone can spot when you are not comfortable in your own skin from a mile away. Choose the pieces that inspire that confidence within you to feel, look, and act your best. Also, take a moment to look inside yourself to find who you really are and how you can better express that to the world through your attitude, style, and personality. Only then will you have true style.

“Style is the perfection of a point of view.”
– Richard Eberhart 

Your friend at Wickliffe Los Angeles,

Designer: Dwyne K. Wickliffe, Jr.