How I Found My Own Voice Through Clothes

Fashion is a reflection of who we are, our values, and our personality. It's a beautiful way to tell our story.

The sound of an old Singer sewing machine was a daily soundtrack throughout my childhood. My grandmother was a seamstress and she made wedding gowns and cocktail dresses. I spent my summer vacations with her and at the age of 8yo, I earned a small allowance to buy candy by doing embroidery and applying sequins and crystals on beautiful bridal gowns.

When I returned home, I was welcomed by sewing machines that occupied the corridors of our tiny apartment. My Mom ran a small ready-to-wear dress company back then and we all lived in a cramped space with tailors and dressmakers who helped me with my assignments during their off-hours.

I didn't care much about what I wore as a child. I piled on whatever was available until a relative called me out in a huge family gathering as a "lousy dresser." I didn't know why that had an impact but those words followed me to my teens.

Our weekends were then spent hunting fabric and visiting a bespoke fashion boutique owned by a family friend who sometimes made our clothes.

Later when I morphed into my awkward teens, I had the false liberty of designing my clothes under the supervision of my mother. We chose fabric together and had them made so I don't remember experiencing clothes shopping for myself growing up. I was aware of the brands and the commercial ones I owned were mostly gifts from relatives.

Despite the illusion of independence, my Mom always had a say in what I wore and if it didn't pass her approval, expect the dress to be cloaked with ridicule and criticisms.

Looking back at family photos, the dresses I wore never expressed my taste until I left the country in my mid-20s. I gradually discovered my style while I was living on my own. Gone were the custom-made dresses, I learned to shop for myself.

When I worked for a luxury fashion brand as a project consultant, my after-work evenings were often filled with cocktail dinners at 5* and 7* hotels, and invitations to fashion events in Dubai were part of the job.

Surrounded by glitz and glamour, I instinctively stocked my closet with acceptable items that my colleagues and the fashion world would deem appropriate. Repeating clothes for such events was frowned upon and a trip to the salon before dinners was normal and necessary.

It was an interesting experience that educated me a lot about the world and people I used to only see in magazines but deep within I knew that behind the little black dress, stilettos, blow-dried hair, and carefully applied makeup was someone I haven't fully met yet.

The Power of Experimentation

Go with your gut. My wardrobe transformed into a collection of simple neutral palettes and simple styles. Understated, nothing too loud, and nothing that would draw attention to myself. Although I would have occasional quirky experimentations with reds, patterns, and blues, I was comfortable wearing them. Wear what makes you happy. Explore what expresses your style by trial and error.

When I came home to visit family, some of the dresses I wore were met with criticism but I finally stood by them. I started to defend my own fashion choices. Living alone and the exposure to the fashion world gave me well-developed self-reliance and confidence that being able to stand up for myself for the first time was exhilarating.

No one questioned my monochromatic minimalist style since.

When we packed our bags and left our comfortable ex-pat life in the Middle East to embrace the slow island life in the Philippines, I said goodbye to the cartons of glamorous dresses and naturally gave them away but I kept a few that "sparked joy" for those rare formal invitations.

Little by little, light clothing dominated my closet that was either black, white, grey, or blue. The loudest pattern I owned are sailor stripes and one animal print blouse. My t-shirts are plain with no inscriptions unless they hold personal meaning.

Own Key Pieces

One of a few fashion tips that I have acquired helpful in creating a well-rounded capsule wardrobe is to own timeless key pieces such as a denim jacket, a denim skirt, a good quality leather jacket, well-fitted jeans, cardigans, LBD, pashmina, statement blazer, a ribbed tank, crisp white shirt, classic trench coat.

Choose the Colour Palette that Harmonizes with You

Find the color that works best for you through Seasonal Color Analysis. Certain colors harmonize well with our skin tone, natural hair & eye color, features, our temperament, and our personality.

This will eliminate useless purchases and ensure saving time and money. The basic color analysis consists of 4 seasons but a more accurate version holds 12 seasons. However, there are exceptions to the seasonal color table. There are ones who fall under neutral but I will focus on the extremes for now.

Step 1: Determine Your Skin Undertone

The easiest way is to check the color of the veins on your wrist under natural light. Warm undertones have green or greenish-blue veins while the cool undertones have blue or purple.

Cheryl has warm undertones while mine is in the cool spectrum. Her extroverted and gregarious personality brings sunshine and warmth everywhere, while cool tones match my reserved and collected demeanor.

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Step 2: Determine Your Color Value - Light vs Deep (Dark)

Look at the overall image of a person and in a nutshell, describe someone with very light value as a blonde with blue eyes and a very deep color value as black hair and black eyes.

Step 3: Determine Your Chroma - Clear (Bright) vs Soft (Muted)

Imagine a color, the more pure a color is, it is considered clear or bright. Add grey to it and it becomes soft and muted.

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Here's a helpful table I have created referenced from my favorite fashion Youtuber Justine Leconte that illustrates the 12 seasons and click the link for a more elaborate explanation of the seasonal color analysis.

Check your dominant characteristics and secondary characteristics.

Disclaimer: There are exceptions to this rule such as those with ash blonde or grey hair with black eyes for example and those that have neutral characteristics.

Just in case, you find yourself under one of the season types, each one has recommended color palette as a guide for choosing clothing colors that would resonate well with you and would bring out the best in your features.

I found myself classified under winter, hence my preference in using strong solid colors, plain black and white hues.

What about you, have you encountered the seasonal color analysis before? Which season type are you? How did you discover your personal style and preference? Thank you for reading!

This is my post for Minimalist Wardrobe Choices Week 2 (April 14-16) Option 1: Do you prefer monochrome colors over florals? Why? Benefits of Keeping Your Outfits Monochromatic.

I'd like to invite Hive account@laviesm and Hive account@nikolina to join the challenge.

P.S. Above images are mine and my friend Cheryl agreed and gave me permission to be included in my post.

"I am an old soul who simply loves coffee, who finds joy and beauty in both tangible and the unseen."

@discoveringarni

_{Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, Roads Less Traveled, Minimalism, Authentic Living, Anything French, and International Cuisine. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.}