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Mirror selfie of me wearing a hot pink top, light pink maxi skirt, and gold-and-pink jewelry, capturing a bold, feminine moment in my personal style journey as I explore expressive color and delicate accessories.

introduction 

Fashion plays such a huge part in my creative expression and identity; however, it wasn’t always that way growing up. This blog post delves into how I fell in love with fashion and how my personal style has developed over the years.

With the rise of social media, people are more worried than ever about their self-presentation, and personal style is a key component of that.

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Okay, so how do you build yours?

Well, there are multiple ways to do this:

It doesn’t start with opening Instagram
It doesn’t start with you looking at Shien
It doesn’t start with comparing yourself to others
It always, and I mean always, begins with you.

Let me start you off, and hopefully by the end of the blog, you can take over.

Secondary, 2014-19, ages 11 – 15

Photo of me in a red Ralph Lauren jacket layered over a black hoodie with black jeans and Vans, representing a sporty, casual chapter in my personal style journey centered on timeless streetwear basics.
This is one of my best for this era, which is saying a lot...
Photo of me wearing blue skinny jeans, black fur boots, and a black floral bodysuit, showcasing a cozy-meets-feminine outfit that reflects my exploration of texture and bold prints.
This was definitely a choice....
Mirror selfie of me in a black puffer jacket, yellow striped tee, and black cargos, highlighting a streetwear-inspired stage in my style journey focused on comfort, edge, and everyday outfit experimentation.
Hmm, this one isn’t bad, but it also isn’t great.
Photo of me wearing a red wrap top and mom jeans, capturing a simple yet confident outfit that marks a shift toward more effortless, classic style choices in my fashion evolution.
Okay, this was acc cute. I let go of the skinny jeans at this point.

I studied in the UK, so like most school children, I had to wear an itchy and unflattering uniform. I used to hate having to wear a school uniform, as my primary school didn’t require me to. However, in hindsight, not having to deal with my outfit being picked apart and constantly scrutinised probably saved me a lot of torment. Not saying I didn’t receive any forms of unsolicited comments on my appearance, but I definitely had one less thing to worry about.

Outside of school, whether that was the rare meetups with my friends, family functions, my older sisters finally inviting me out or church, those were the places where I could wear what I wanted. Looking back, it most definitely looked like I did wear whatever, as rather than making fashion statements, I made mistakes, many of them.

However, I was a child who was still coming to terms with how my body was changing, still trying to convince myself I was worthy, with what felt like the world telling me otherwise. A barrier that many young people and adults face when trying to develop their self-esteem. When I look back at this version of myself, I often have a heavy heart. I see a young girl struggling to find clothes that make her feel comfortable. Clothes that made her feel as beautiful as the women she saw on TV. Branded clothes that would finally allow her to stand out for the right reasons. Instead of the hand-me-down and second-hand clothing I had to wear.

sixth form, Ages 16-17, 2019-21

Photo of me in a white crop top and light blue skirt, embodying a soft, minimal, and clean aesthetic during a period of discovering lighter, airy elements in my personal style.
First day of Sixth form, I acc love this fit 8/10
Photo of me wearing a blue jacket with a backpack, black cargos with a chain, and white Air Forces, capturing a practical yet stylish streetwear outfit as part of my evolving fashion identity.
School trip fit, I loved it before, now I think hmm 6.5/10
Photo of me in a red wrap top and flared ruffled jeans, reflecting a playful and expressive moment in my personal style journey with bold shapes and statement silhouettes.
Ouuuuuu I love, I ate this 9/10
Photo of me wearing an oversized graphic tee and jorts, showing a laid-back, relaxed outfit that highlights my experimentation with comfortable, everyday personal style.
THE BEST, 10/10!
Photo of me in a green bodysuit layered over a white undertop with a black pleated mini skirt and chain, capturing an edgy, layered look that showcases my shift toward more alternative and expressive styling.
Hmmm, I really liked the soft girl aesthetic at that point, 6/10
Photo of me wearing a white cropped vest top with embroidered flared jeans and white Air Forces, representing a blend of classic and trendy fashion moments in my style evolution.
Simple, but love, 8/10
Photo of me in an oversized camo puffer jacket, black graphic tee, cargo pants, and black Converse, highlighting a bold streetwear look that reflects the more experimental phases of my personal style journey.
Oh I loved this jacket 9/10
Photo of me in a white crop top and jorts over a bikini with white and yellow Converse, capturing a relaxed summer outfit that reflects my love for carefree, warm-weather personal style.
Birthday Beach Day 9/10

I always label sixth form as the turning point in my journey to develop my personal style. My sixth form, unlike many in the UK, didn’t have a smart casual dress code. This allowed me two years of experimentation before my adulthood and university began. Sixth form was very different to secondary school, which for the most part felt very hostile. Sixth form had a more mature and academically focused atmosphere, where direct, unsolicited comments on others’ appearance were, for the most part, frowned upon.

Sixth form was when I collected some of my favourite items and fashion staples for developing my personal style.

1. My platform low-top Doctor Martens, gifted to me by my older sister. These are still my favourite shoes and the best Christmas present to elevate 16-year-old me’s style.
2. My first pair of flare jeans, found in a car boot sale for £4, and still my favourite and most worn jeans (they are literally fraying now). These started my current Y2K aesthetic and obsession.

My sister’s hand-me-downs.

(The best thing about being the youngest sister of two creatives)
3. My first pair of cargos, although I don’t have them still with me, represent the beginning of me exploring streetwear. I actually started wearing these at the end of secondary. 
4. My Windbreaker, I love this jacket as it is so versatile and a staple for my streetwear journey.
5. My jorts, I loveeeee these, and I pride myself in wearing them before their resurgence (I’m being pretentious).

A catalyst for the development of my style in sixth form was the lockdown period. Like many others, this was a time to experiment with your appearance and gave me hours to create new outfits, as yes, I was one of those people who picked out my outfits before school.

Also, I started to take pride in my pre-loved clothing as it allowed my style to remain unique and personalised to my taste, rather than what was trending on social media. The best thing about thrifting is that it’s a one-type buy, and chances are the people you meet won’t have it, which is a great way to stand out.

Sixth form was truly my formative years when it came to developing my fashion sense. But this could not have been done without the prior development of my self-esteem. This allowed me to feel confident to make mistakes and take risks within my style.

You can’t skip this step!

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