Early signs of fashion taste: Where it all begins
My appreciation for all things beautiful came from a young age, to be honest it’s hard for me to pinpoint when exactly it started. In childhood it starts with things within your reach, it begins with curating your personal space if given the opportunity to, and extends to cherishing your toys, later clothes and other possessions such as records, CD’s, and whatever modern equivalent the kids these days indulge in.
My 6-year-old for one already has a deep level of regard for her personal belongings and even has personal collectibles, which I found impressive although not entirely unexpected, given she is a little copy of me. I however interested in all things lacey and shiny did not form attachments to my things, in fact I don’t think I started collecting anything till my mid 20’s but I was the little girl who argued with her mom about wearing a glove and not a mitten at just 5 years old because it fit my bell coat and beret outfit best.
I have never found it particularly difficult to put my outfits together, as far as I can remember I always had an innate love for clothes and a natural flair for dressing myself or those around me, in fact one of my favourite pastimes was styling my nannies and pretending they are on a runway, or myself once I was old enough to roam my mother’s closet.
I had an eye for detail and styling came effortlessly to me, I don’t just mean my own personal style – I am talking styling on request, whatever given theme, concept or subject. I like to think of it as having taste as opposed to style, the ability to make it happen regardless of whether the aesthetic suits me personally.
Style vs fashion: why taste trumps everything
In fact, I pride myself on the factor of having taste and switching my style up regularly, not having to adopt a forever, I guess this applies to me in interior choice as much as it does in clothes, and well, every other aspect of my life. I am an aesthete, and I find beauty in all things. When it comes to me there is tasteful and tasteless, there so no such a thing as this is ‘so me’. I always find it funny when SA’s try to pull the “this is so you” line, because none of it is and everything could be.
Most fashion stylists and enthusiasts like to stick to the “style is forever” rhetoric by quoting famous statements by various fashion designers like Chanels – “fashion changes, style endures” or Saint Laurents – “fashion fades, style is eternal”, while that may be, to me it is taste that remains, and style can be ever changing.
My style changes regularly in the short-term depending on my mood, but my style changes even further with coming years, new experiences, new knowledge, changes in social life, career and personal growth can all affect our personal style. Taste however remains.
Taste is what exists in every aspect of your life beginning with your morning coffee. How you put together your outfits or decorate your homes does not need to be regular, it may be a sign of reluctance to change and a comfort zone – which is fine too if it makes you happy. However, your personal style should grow and change with you, even if simply based on the stage you are at in life.
I delight in being able to dress myself or others in a wide range of styles, as much as I enjoy decorating my homes and properties in completely different manners reflecting the built, the architecture and the essence of the place.
Fashion taste beyond clothing: quality over trends
Taste goes beyond clothes, interiors and even the art de la table, it goes as far as the art of entertaining, event planning and even traveling. Daily routines can become little indulgences depending on how you curate them. Taste reflects what you eat and drink as much as what you wear, I have a hard time imagining someone who is unable to determine quality in food be able to distinguish quality in clothes.
And btw, Michele’s bold Valentino transformation is a perfect example of taste transcending trends!
The true essence of an aesthete is to be able to deliver on any style with poise, to appreciate various interior designs, admire all aspects of living but above all to be meticulous about the quality of the product. In truth all it comes down to is simply, taste.
Links to outfits
