What’s Your Style DNA?

style DNA

What’s your style DNA?

Personal style is influenced by many things: fashion magazines, bloggers, popular culture etc. Most of these influences come and go as your preferences change.

But your style DNA is something more permanent: the style influences you internalised at an early age and to such a degree that they still guide your fashion choices, whether you are aware of it or not. It could be the climate in the geographical area you’ve lived in most of your life; your culture or religion setting limitations on clothing; or the very stylish mother you looked up to.

I have written several blog posts on my mother’s style, but this time I want to discuss how her style still influences my personal style and sartorial preferences in many ways.

For example, I can see my version of casual or smart casual style as an updated version of my mother’s very relaxed but classic everyday outfits that always nodded to trends rather than  adopted them wholesale.

But maybe this isn’t much of a surprise. After all, she was the one who chose my clothes for a long time. And even though she avoided (most of the time, anyway) dressing me up as her mini-me, she certainly made sure our outfits were always coordinated.

vintage style

As a child my favourite colour was red. Not pink, not fuchsia, but bright red. My mother never tried to influence my colour choices, either. Red was simply ‘my colour’. And blue was hers.

And now if I think about my mother’s style, it’s mostly blue clothes I remember. The odd thing is that while I never wore anything blue (except for jeans) until well into my 40’s, blue seems to be my go-to colour these days.

Or perhaps that’s just my version of wearing neutrals… After all, besides hair colour, I don’t have my mother’s natural colouring. She had that pale skin with yellow undertones that tans easily (whereas my skin has pink undertones and burns easily) and green eyes (mine a very pale and sort of greyish blue-green). So, while she looked amazing in olive green and beige, I’d better steer clear of these colours unless I’m going for some sort of wasting-away-terminal-illness look…

But as far as blue is concerned, I’ve definitely adopted my mother’s favourite shades.

vintage style blue

wearing blue

My mother’s style was always very understated. While she paid a lot of attention to details, she didn’t like anything flashy. That was always more my style: find something to catch attention. Of course, my mother didn’t need anything flashy to get noticed: she was a very beautiful woman and would get noticed wherever she went. I, on the other hand, always felt like an ugly duckling, defiantly declaring that I wanted to be noticed because of my brilliant intellect but secretly wanting to be one of the pretty girls. Yes, having a beautiful mother can be bad for your self-esteem…

Anyway…

In spite of her preference for understated, classic clothes, my mother also knew how to claim the centre stage. And when that was what she wanted, colour was her best friend. But not just any colour: fuchsia was always her colour of choice. She would wear it with white or with something neutral, to maximise the impact, and kept the outfit streamlined. To this day, this is also my preferred trick: make one bright colour the centre of attention, and keep the outfit simple and elegant.

how to wear pink over 40

Just like your DNA contains the biological building blocks of your physical being, your style DNA is the basis of your personal style. And just like your health is only partly determined by your DNA (with lifestyle choices, environment and other factors having a huge effect, too), your style DNA is just the starting point, and it is up to you to decide what to do with it.

For sure, even for a (mostly) introvert person, I’m a million times more flamboyant than my mother. And no, that’s not an exaggeration. So, to feed the more exuberant parts of my personality, I have to look for inspiration elsewhere. But the building blocks of my style – casual, understated and comfortable clothes and attention to details – come from my mother. And I embrace that as my heritage, or her legacy.

What’s your Style DNA?

Tiina

PS: for more posts on my mother’s style, go to Style Icon

Linking up with:

Not Dead Yet StyleElegantly Dressed and StylishHigh Latitude StyleThe Pleated PoppyStyle ElixirA Labour of LifeDoused in PinkCurly Crafty MomFashion Should Be FunRachel the HatSincerely Jenna MarieMore Pieces of MeColor and GraceThe Wardrobe StylistNot Dressed As LambStyle NudgeCoco et La Vie en Rose,  Living on Cloud NineA Well Styled LifeElegance and MommyhoodPosh Classy MomNancy’s Fashion StyleShelbee on the Edge Over 50 Feeling 40 A Pocketful of Polka Dots Style SplashThe Fashionista MommaTina’s Pink FridayFake FabulousLazy daisy JonesVanity and MeSheela WritesJodie’s Touch of StyleGlass of GlamMummabstylish

10 Comments

  1. Nancy's Fashion Style
    19 July 2018 / 6:33 am

    What a fabulous photos! You ve got your mother s elegant style!

    • Tiina L
      23 July 2018 / 2:05 pm

      Thank you, Nancy!

  2. passion fruit, paws and peonies
    19 July 2018 / 9:08 am

    I have loved this post so much!! What a style guru you mum is!! As a fan of elegance I have loved seeing her style. Thanks for sharing her with us xx Maria

    • Tiina L
      23 July 2018 / 2:08 pm

      Thank you, Maria. Yes, my mother was a very stylish woman (unfortunately, she died quite young, a long time ago), and I the older I get, the more I seem to emulate her style. That's also a way of celebrating the mother-daughter connection now that she's gone, I suppose.

  3. Unknown
    20 July 2018 / 1:23 pm

    It is so very lovely that you wrote a post about the style of your mother! These old photos look so elegant and charming and she is so pretty:).www.editions-lumiere.com

    • Tiina L
      23 July 2018 / 2:08 pm

      Thank you!

  4. ramaal
    20 July 2018 / 8:15 pm

    gorgeous! I love her style 🙂 Glad you have pictures to record her fashion. I wish I had some old pictures of her fashion stylewww.chez-rama.com

    • Tiina L
      23 July 2018 / 2:09 pm

      Thank you!

  5. Jessica Jannenga
    30 July 2018 / 7:05 pm

    I loved reading this post! My mom has never been into fashion that much, it makes me think of all of the places i was influenced. Love that your mom knew her style and loved color as well. These are some awesome pictures! I love the bright pink on you with your kimono, fabulous!thanks for linking!jess xxwww.elegantlydressedandstylish.com

    • Tiina L
      1 August 2018 / 1:48 pm

      Thanks, Jessica!

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