Written by The Strategy

 

There are many questions when it comes to style. What is good style? What is bad style? What makes something stylish as opposed to out of style? 

Typically, the current popular opinion is what dictates the answers to those questions. When it comes to the question of what makes good style, however, the answer get muddled. 

Since style is so personal, there is never one way to see what is necessarily “good” or “bad.” But, speaking generally, can you learn good style? 

There could very well be a knack to putting things together in a way that always equals stylish. A t-shirt and jeans, a little black dress, silk and knitwear. These are the thought out formulas that are tried and tested. Street style star tested, sartorially conscious approved. 

Straying away from those blueprints into uncharted territory is where things get challenging. Sometimes inspiration strikes at the most unlikely of times, in the most unlikely of ways. A pile of wayward clothes in your closet ends up bringing together a combination you never considered before. You try the idea out, get a few compliments, and boom: you’ve been branded with good style. Often, you’ll be too you have “an eye” for style. And you very well might. 

If that eye can be trained is the question. In my mind, it can. To an extent.

The idea of training yourself to know style is fine when it comes to those blueprint outfits. There is nothing wrong with having a good knowledge of good, reliable go-to’s. Those are probably the basis or at least the starting point for every other look anyone wears. Getting down to originality, it’s difficult to say that it can be learned. In the same way that you can learn to paint but not be considered an artist, you can understand style but not have an eye for it.

Being able to pick up on a what is interesting, knowing when something could go from a chance to a trend, and having an instinct for style is a natural ability. The foundation can be learned, but where it goes from there is all up to you.

Like I said, the opinion of good and bad style is entirely subjective. 

If there is a magic formula that makes up good style, that is what The Strategy is out to find.

Written by Katrina Garofalo