THE CITIZEN INDEX

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Tog is in the Details: 3 TIPS FOR BOLD PERSONAL STYLE

Clashing patterns, stacking bangles, quirky rings, fun color add up to charming flourishes of personal style.
"Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live."  -Gianni Versace

If fashion is king, then style is god. And as they say, god is in the details. And it's easier than you think. Some of my favorite outfits look bold, but they were easy to style. Three ideas boiled down into 3 words will give you infinite ways to add the personal touch to your outfit that make it you. 

Here are my 3 Tips in creating a bold personal style: 
  • Work the PRIMARY. 
  • Engage the RULE of THREE. 
  • And ECHO (echo-echo-echo.)

TIP #1: WORK THE PRIMARY. Here's a color secret: primary colors (and nearly all variations) go together. Did you know that? By mixing any variation of the primary colors of red, blue and yellow, your outfit will automatically seem to match? Somehow, red/blue/yellow mixes go with everything. 



In the above photos, you'll see my mix of of this variation make the pattern clashing "work."  Image number one, I'm wearing bright and bold colors- in pinks, baby blue and yellow, and somehow it works, even thought the blues are different from each other, and the red/pink aren't even close to a coordinating hue. Can't figure out pattern mixing- add a few patterns with red, blue and yellow in it- any variation of those colors. Clever creature, you. 
Think of it as COLOR MAGIC- it just works. Trust me. 

TIP #2: ENGAGE THE RULE OF THREE. Think of it, as a visual poem, and the rule of three is the rhyme element of your ensemble. The rule of 3 can apply to color mixing, as well as pattern mixing. For example, in the second image you see a bold mix of a madras plaid, mixed with a brown mohair sweater, funky jewelry and painted nails. While it's possible the idea of apple green, bug brown and a drab yellow might not sound like a lively fun mix, in reality, the look worked. WHY? The rule of three- the dress is a plaid mix of an olive brown, brownish yellow and cream, the mohair sweater is a unique yarn that has a brownish green, reddish brown and yellow in it- so the colors of it is a blend of the colors in the dress. To drive the trio of colors home, green/brass Russian novelty ring and bright green nails add some punch while still staying in the "rhyme scheme." 

TIP #3: ECHO. And almost fool-proof way to play with prints, mixing textures, colors and patterns, is to echo the element you're playing with. Add a stripe to a stripe, a floral to a floral, and a dot pattern, to more dots. In all of the above images you'll see the ease of the the echo- florals/florals/dots/dots, color echo (primary color mix, brown/yellow/green mix) and a clever shape echo- a studded cuff mixing it up with the circular pattern of polka dots, and small glass round beads in a bracelet. 

The vertical black and white striped socks from We Love Colors,  echo the horizontal stripes of the shorts in the bottom picture, while the bold abstract pattern on the bright yellow barkcloth jacket somehow convey the same feel of the stripes, and the dots/circles that appear on other items of the outfit.



Do you have any personal style tips and secrets that work for you? Care to share? Please do in the comments!

22 comments:

Pam @ over50feeling40 said...

Good post, Bella...your points are spot on!!

Anupriya DG said...

Awesome accessories! Loving the ring!! :)

Shon said...

Lovely..thanks for the tips and inspiration!

I love the nails and bangles.

Suzanne said...

Interesting take.

bisous
Suzanne

Zickimicki said...

i love your style:):):)
xxxx birgit

mispapelicos said...

So beautifully and clerly put, dear bella. You are a MASTER.
LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Anonymous said...

Interesting! I've wondered why clashing works sometimes and doesn't work other times. I'll have to give color magic a try!

Rosalind said...

This demonstrates so clearly why I love your personal style and the outfits you put together.

Patti said...

Great post, Bella. I gotta work the rule of three more diligently, I am a lazy dresser some days. Love that nail polish. xo

Content Director - Strong Female Leaders said...

I LOVE this post, because so little fashion bloggers give sound and practical advice. I've never heard of the rule of 3 or echo, so these are so helpful. Have a nice weekend!

Mrs. D said...

this is a great post. It's great when you can so simply organize ideas like this. :)

Forest City Fashionista said...

God is in the details, and it's usually how you tell a stylish person from a fashionable one - the attention paid to shape, accessories, mixing colours and patterns, etc. Some very good suggestions here for people looking to up their style quotient but not sure how to begin.

No Fear of Fashion said...

This is so brilliant. This is the stuff I cannot seem to master. Your tutorial helps, but my goodness, could I use you for some private teaching. As this is too little. I still don't understand the rule of three. And although I am seeing a glimpse of how it works, that does not mean I can do it. And I should have bought that white bracelet too with the black dots. Whould have gone nicely with my black and white striped one. Couldn't it?
Greetje
PS I am going to put this post on my reading list.

SeƱora Allnut said...

fabulous post! as a huge fan of primary colors and rhythmic repeat, I'm glad to read it so wisely exposed!, You're Inspiring and Delightful! and Gorgeous, of course!
besos

alexis said...

I've never hear the primary rule--- thanks so much for the suggestion-- you definitely make fashion work for you and not the other way around!

~Alexis Grace of North On Harper

Ulla-Marie said...

Very "bloom madly"!

No Fear of Fashion said...

I have reread your post. Twice. I know it is the solution to my lack of combining skills. But I still don't get it. It is there somewhere but I cannot reach it. Do you have links to sites with further explanation (for dummies)? Especially the rule of three.

Pull Your Socks Up! said...

Reading your post with its practical tips reminds me of where I learned a few handy styling ideas - interior design. The rule of three is spot on and works beautifully in nearly every instance of design. I love this!! xoxoxo

Jean at www.drossintogold.com said...

Wow, I never thought about it, like rationally. I usually think about what I want to highlight, and try to draw attention there. Since I've very top heavy, I try to achieve a sense of balance by giving visual weight to the bottom half. Stuff like that. Otherwise I go by intuition. I like these suggestions though, very much. I'll have to study these a bit and see if I can add them to my "instinctive" repetoire!!

Anne M Bray said...

You are the best! xxox

Unknown said...

Hi Bella!

What works for me every time and seems to always make sense, is the echo - I oknow about primary colors, maybe I do it without thinking about it!

Arianex

FASHION TALES said...

I am all for the printed, patterned and bold medleys. Go bold and bright, that's my motto! I love your unique style-- funky and beautiful! Happy New Year dear! //Madison