🕵️‍♀️Fashionable, Stylish, Safe or Struggling?

…Let’s talk about it!

Somewhere between “stop the runway, it’s giving everything” and “are you okay, or did your closet attack you this morning?” lies a range of personal fashion identities I like to tag: Fashionable, Stylish, Safe, or Struggling.

Now before you clutch your pearls, this is a safe space (even if your outfit isn’t). This post is not about judgment. This is about learning... okay and maybe light teasing! The truth is, we’ve all been there. We’ve all had a struggle era. I once wore a cardigan over a jacket. Not under my jacket, over my jacket. I mean looking back, it was definitely giving “fashion forward" and less struggle, so did I ever really struggle? But also, this isn’t about me. Why are we talking about me again?

But yes, here’s how the style food chain works:

• At the top? Stylish. These are the chosen ones. They walk into a room and make you rethink your whole wardrobe.

• Next? Fashionable. They know what's trending and how to wear it before it hits your feed. They know how to shop pretty pieces that get compliments.

• Then there’s Safe. Nothing wrong here - classic jeans, neutral tones, no sudden movements.

• And finally, Struggling. These are the brave ones still finding their style footing in public. Whether aware or unaware of your bravery, we salute you.

Safe and Struggling are pretty easy to spot, but when you stumble upon that fashion girl’s instagram page, how can you tell if she’s stylish or fashionable?

Let’s break it down. Stylish and fashionable are not twins. They’re probably employee and manager.

Stylish

To have style is to have what I like to call “the eyes.” You can pair a curtain panel with cowboy boots and somehow... somehow, it just works. You see pairings and combos like a mad scientist in your heard. Colors, textures, mixing patterns, creating cool shapes with the body and clothes, silhouettes, accessorizing, etc., you can pair and create looks that most people would not even think to come up with. You can turn a random old sweater and a $5 skirt into an “excuse me, who’s your stylist?” moment. It’s not about the labels or a lack thereof. If it’s a piece of clothing, you can transform it into a look. It could be a regular white tee and some shorts, but you can throw a cool spin on it and it becomes couture. You see potential in the so-called “ugly” pieces and the boring ones. You can make even a trash bag into a look. To be stylish means you do the work. You add the sauce. You zhuzh it up. It’s about your individuality and unique expression, your creativity and ability to visualize. No rules, limits, ‘ugly clothes” or “don’ts” for you. You can make everything work.

But even within this category, there are tiers. Just like singers, yes, you can all sing, but there's Beyoncé… and then there’s Beyoncé. Some people have a deeper instinct for style. It flows through their pores like glitter in a drag queen’s dressing room. And here’s the kicker; just because something is different doesn’t always mean it’s stylish. We don’t hand out participation trophies in this house. Let’s be honest, there are indeed bad outfits, even when they are creative. Just like you can be bad at singing or dancing or painting, you can be bad at styling. It is a visual art, after all. But! (and it’s a big but), you can’t get better at style unless you take risks, unless you wear the weird outfit, pair the things that don’t “go” and figure out how to make them work. That’s how you refine your eye and how you build your style muscle. You re-wear, try again, experiment differently each time.

In the end, style is an art, and like any other art form, it is innate to some, while some others have to learn. Style can be studied like algebra, except with more sequins and less crying (well… maybe equal crying). You can learn it. Build it. Grow into it. The glow-up is real, and it’s available to anyone with the interest and a mirror.

Throwback Thelma used to go on long-winded rants (with the comedic timing of a Nigerian auntie) about how consumerism is slowly murdering the sacred art of re-wearing. Today, my pulpit is being vacuumed, so I’ll say it succinctly; you do not need new clothes to be stylish. Style is the magical ability to make old stuff feel brand new and re-wearing is just your closet giving you a second chance to re-imagine.

Fashionable

Being fashionable is like showing up to the party with store-bought cookies. They’re good. Everyone will eat them, but the recipe did not come from your kitchen. Fashionable people wear the pretty things that someone else (the designer who conceptualized the design) already made pretty. It’s more of a shopping skill than a creative one. They buy the good, interesting, nice designs so even though they may not put that much effort into curating, they still look amazing because the clothes they’re wearing/working with is already amazing, not because they’re exceptionally gifted at creating looks. It’s also why fashionable people tend to stay on top of trends. They buy the trending Amina Muaddi heels. They buy the clothes they saw in the show and style it just like it was on the runway or on the mannequin in store, they recreate how they saw it styled somewhere. Much like math, they have a formula to fashion. It’s important to add that money helps. When you’ve got lose coin, it’s easier to buy the pretty dress, the sleek suit, the on-trend shoe. But what happens when you don’t have those things? What happens if I gave you and three other people the same t-shirt and jeans with no guide? How can you do it different and make yours stand out in the way that it’s worn? What if all I gave you were a trash bag dress? That’s where your ability to style comes in - a creative test if you will.

In the end, wherever you fall on the spectrum, iconic or aspiring, I’m here to guide, if you’re willing to learn. Style is a journey, and fortunately, I’m handing out GPS coordinates! Let’s laugh, refine our taste, and maybe retire that one outfit that’s been holding you back since 2012. Yes, that one.

Was it a cute ride or did I lose you at ‘trash bag couture’? Want more?

🔗 Follow us on Instagram @SUMIbyCO for behind-the-scenes styling chaos, random genius moments, and lots of style inspiration along the way!

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