Dress for Yourself
Dress for Yourself
Getting dressed can feel like a chore, or like a performance for other people. It doesn't have to be either.
When you're intentional about what you wear, something shifts. Getting dressed gets easier. You stop second-guessing. You feel good, more confident, more like yourself. It can honestly feel like a whole new you, even though it's just you, finally dressed like it.
Dressing for yourself doesn't mean one look. It means your look, whatever that turns out to be. Here are a few people who figured out theirs.
The uniform: Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs wore a black mock turtleneck, Levi's 501s, and New Balance sneakers nearly every day. According to his biographer Walter Isaacson, he liked the convenience of not picking a new outfit every morning, and the way it gave him a signature style. His turtlenecks were custom-made by Issey Miyake, and he had about a hundred of them. "That's what I wear," he told Isaacson. "I have enough to last for the rest of my life."
The takeaway: a uniform isn't boring if it's comfortable, looks good, and feels like you. Finding a formula you love and repeating it is a style.
Intense and ancestral: Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu dresses like it's art, because to her, it is: towering hats and headwraps, oversized jewelry and talismans, and layers of patchwork rooted in Afrocentric traditions. When she received the CFDA's fashion icon award, she said, "I expressed myself most clearly through the way I dress."
The takeaway: your clothes can carry your history, your culture, and your family. Going big is allowed.
Rock and roll: Kim Gordon
Kim Gordon's style has always leaned anti-fashion: leather jackets, striped tees, minidresses, and things that feel lived in. Asked about her style, she said, "I always like to feel like myself."
The takeaway: that's the whole goal, at any age.
Style over labels: Karen O
Karen O is known for wild stage costumes, many made by her friend Christian Joy, but her taste was always about expression, not brands. "I was interested in style," she told Nylon, "but not necessarily fashion labels."
The takeaway: a great look doesn't need a designer name. It needs a point of view.
Strength and comfort: Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis's style is rock and roll, thrifted, and fearless. Her definition of sexy is one of the best: "Sexy to me comes from strength, feeling comfortable and not needing approval."
The takeaway: comfort and confidence aren't opposites. They're the same thing.
Practical and chic: Maggie Gyllenhaal
On the red carpet, Maggie Gyllenhaal wears Dries Van Noten and Lanvin. Day to day, it's a different story. "I usually dress very practically," she told WWD. "I have a three-year-old."
The takeaway: real life counts. Dressing for school pickup is still dressing for yourself.
Know your tricks: Jewel
Jewel does her own makeup on tour and has one easy trick for her hair. "Hats are something I always bring," she said, "because I'm not so good at hair."
The takeaway: personal style includes knowing your workarounds. Everyone has them.
Classic and elegant: Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman's style is quiet elegance: clean lines, simple hair, and nothing overdone. She's also said her approach is about sustainability, telling People she buys vintage clothes, and only when absolutely necessary.
The takeaway: elegance often comes from buying less and choosing better.
Evolving: Victoria Beckham
Even Victoria Beckham's style has changed. Looking back on years of very tight, fitted clothes, she called it a sign of insecurity and said her style has become more relaxed.
The takeaway: your style is allowed to change as you do.
Find yours
You don't need to be any of these people. You just need to know who you are when you get dressed. Ask yourself:
When have I felt most like myself in my clothes?
Am I a uniform person, or do I like to change it up?
What do I want my clothes to say about me, if anything?
What makes me feel strong? Comfortable? Cool?
Is there a part of my history or culture I'd like to wear?
Your answers are the start of dressing for yourself. Everything else is just clothes.
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