The Art of Developing Personal Style

keeping original thoughts original and protecting your creativity at all costs

I was recently getting dressed for the day when I opened Instagram. I scrolled, seeing outfit after outfit, many of them looking quite similar to the last, and I suddenly felt completely overwhelmed. Almost like my brain was being creatively hijacked by what I was seeing. Should I, too, wear flip-flops with board shorts?

This got me thinking about how, in 2026, consuming less content can actually help preserve your personal taste. Looking at fewer outfits. Listening to fewer opinions. Seeking less advice on how to curate the perfect trip to [insert trending European destination here]. All of it protects your uniqueness more than you realize.

What makes personal style — and any creative expression — interesting is not total originality (that doesn’t really exist), but the slow formation of taste over time. Your point of view emerges through years of exposure, learning, noticing, rejecting, revisiting, experimenting, and living.

I went to art school, so I think about choosing one’s visual identity the same way I think about an artist’s participation in an art movement. You don’t have to know (or care) about art history to recognize the idea, but many art movements overlapped in time, yet artists gravitated toward completely different visual languages depending on what resonated with them emotionally, aesthetically, and politically.

Artists absorb inspiration, references, and philosophies, and then filter them through their own point of view.

Three distinct art movements that all overlapped in time: Bauhaus, Surrealism, and Art Deco

I think personal style works the same way!

Those whose personal style really resonates don’t necessarily post content constantly, nor are they full-time influencers (or influencers at all). I think of people in or adjacent to the fashion world like Jenny Walton, EMILY DAWN LONG, Crystal Anderson, Madeline Swanson, Chloe King, Ashley Moubayed, Blanca Miró, and Jo Rosenthal. Each of their styles comes across as deeply personal rather than overly shaped by trends, brand gifting, product seeding, or the internet cycle.

But I also think great personal style exists far outside the fashion industry. Some of the best-dressed people I know are gallerists, lawyers, therapists — even my OBGYN (true story; incredible style). They have very specific perspectives, and none of them seem overly reactive to trend cycles or the speed of the internet. They just wear what they like.

These people re-wear their clothes. Their style feels lived in. Maybe they bought their straw bag for the equivalent of five dollars in a tiny beach town years ago, or inherited a necklace from their grandmother or a friend. They pair that with something new they invested in because they genuinely loved it, not because the internet told them to. Their wardrobe reflects a life actually lived, a taste that’s been formed, not one optimized for engagement.

This feels increasingly rare in contrast to the urgency created by digital fashion media. First, online magazines and blogs sped things up, and now social media has turned style into an endless stream of micro-trends, aesthetics, “cores,” style “rules,” and consumption cycles.

Are you lucky enough to remember revisiting the same editorial in a print magazine over and over again? Staring at the styling long enough to notice something new every time? It just all used to marinate a little more. And scrolling strips you of that time to think and absorb.

And in fashion specifically, the constant urge to consume — both digitally and physically — can make your personal style feel as temporary and disposable as a social media post.

I started doing my Therapy Walks during Covid because I needed a reason to stop scrolling. Going for a walk also happens to give you an excellent excuse to get dressed. Walks = Outfits.

I still do them for this exact purpose.

I also care less about repeating the shit out of what makes me happy. Repeat away!!!!

A feel-good outfit is not necessarily meant to be seen. Sometimes it’s just meant to be for you on your walk. And I know for certain that limiting my intake makes me more creative, more original, and more me.

And if you need some additional dressing inspo, physically scroll through your own wardrobe. See what story it tells (which I wrote about ⬇️).

Your Personal Style Is Not on an App

It’s a skill to stop yourself before opening an app. It’s a skill to go on a walk and think (I still listen to music and sometimes podcasts or audiobooks; I’m not a saint) instead of constantly absorbing everyone else’s thoughts, aesthetics, and opinions.

Protecting your creativity requires protecting your ability to hear and see yourself.

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I wanted to get poplin pants from a small brand, and I am pleased to report that the three pairs I found are fabulous. So, if you don’t want what everyone else has…

1. My Mum Made It

   

   Styled with Flore Flore tank, Drogheria Crivellini flats, KULE headscarf, Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses

   These come with a detachable ruffle waistband, which is fun! I’ve worn them with and without. They’re medium-weight cotton (so I’d suggest wearing them on days under 80 degrees). I’m wearing a size XS, and I would recommend sizing down.

2. Brooke Callahan

   

   Styled with By Malene Birger tank (the absolute best tank top I’ve ever encountered!) over Emily Dawn Long dress, Softromaine shoes, Heidi Wynne straw tote (similar here)

   These poplin pants come in 13 delicious colors, but I naturally chose the cherry red. They also come in three inseam lengths for you gorgeous tall folk! I am wearing a size S/30, but per my friend and shopping advisor Maddie Bailis, sizing up for a more relaxed look is a good idea too.

   

   P.S., you can catch them on TRR if you move fast enough!

3. Cadets

   

   Styled with Éterne halter, Odissi crochet shoes, Nannacay basket (similar here)

   I first saw these pants on Sarah Clary and loved that they are a little bit preppy, a little bit 70s. They can veer pajama-y, so styling them with contrasting elements is key (I was originally wearing crochet flats but changed them for walking). The site says they’re heavyweight, but I wore them on a rather hot day and was perfectly comfy. They sell quickly, but the brand says they are “constantly restocking.” 👀👀👀

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My next post will be less essay-y and more focused on a specific styling technique. I have a few good ideas that I think you can adapt to step your summer lewks up a notch. Sequins for Summer are still a good idea, btw.

Have a great weekend sans being influenced :)

xo,

Eliz