I’m all for creative expression, innovative designs and experimenting with new styles, it’s what this industry was founded on. However, I’m the first to put my hands up and say that there are some styles and trends that I just won’t even entertain – not because I don’t like them or think they don’t look good on other people, but because they just don’t work for me and you should never pretend to be someone you’re not, simply to fit in with a trend or style that is popular in that moment.
I recently filmed that TikTok video where you lip-sync to the words;
“I don’t dress cool so men will pay attention to me. I dress cool so that 13-year-old girls will walk by me down the street and whisper to their friends, ‘did you see that girl’s outfit? She looked so F**king cool’”
And I realised that I would never describe the way I dress as cool, but the more I thought about it, I figured that maybe there would be some 13-year-old girl out there that thinks that I do…
I’ve always tried to live by the moto that style isn’t as much about what you’re wearing as it is about how you wear it. It’s more than likely that any of us could wear anything we wanted to and look great, as long as we felt confident enough in doing so. That being said, it’s perfectly ok not to be a cool dresser. I’m pretty settled in the fact that my style isn’t particularly cool, or at least not the Instagram definition that comes to mind when I picture the word. It’s an internal battle that goes pretty well in hand with defining your own style – a topic I think I’ll cover in its own blog at some point – but I suppose what is cool to some people, will be completely uncool to others. Gosh it’s a minefield, isn’t it?
Finding the right version of cool for you is what matters, and if nothing fits that category for you, then that’s your cool – do that and do it with confidence. There’s a difference between Rosie HW cool, Danielle Bernstein cool and Lizzy Roddy cool – they each know their style formulas and stick to them, and each inspires their own tribe of followers.
Recently there have been a lot of trends that I’ve seen online and thought how cool they are, yet not been sure how or if they would work for me and my wardrobe. For example, the chunky “ugly” trainer trend. Yes, these look amazing on lots of people across the industry, but on me it just doesn’t really work. I did dabble in it once the other summer, where I tried out a pair from Zara (the kids range not women’s, just to save myself an extra bit of £££ since it was a bit of an experiment) but I think it’s clear by the fact that I’ve worn them once since that week on holiday, that they weren’t for me. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pair of trainers, but this style trend feels just a bit too cool for me, and I’m fine with that.
Like many others I’m sure, I spend hours scrolling through Instagram feeds and Pinterest boards, thinking damn that looks so cool on her, but similarly to the chunky trainers, bright neon colours, extremely cropped sweatshirts, cycling shorts and even Dr Martin boots are all just too coolfor me. It’s not my style and I doubt it ever will be (but never say never, right?) But how do you know what’s your cool? Well sometimes, you just need to click that order button and try on!
Straight leg jeans and silk skirts were a big one for me – I LOVE how they look on girls on the ‘gram, but I just wasn’t sure if this trend would work for me, but like with so many styles, you have to make it work for you. So naturally, I ordered these styles in multiple colours, and stuck with the beige and the black– still giving the cool silhouette, but in a colour palette that I’m comfortable in.
See that’s the main thing, being you and sticking to the styles that make you feel good. In wearing something that makes you feel great, you’ll look great and undoubtedly cool in someone’s eyes, be it those 13-year-old girls walking down the street or not!
