How To Understand Fashion And Where To Begin

Although fashion is subjective, most of us can look at an outfit and know if it works or if it doesn’t. But just because we can make that judgment when the clothes are on doesn’t mean we can figure it out when standing in the store.

Just like anything else, understanding fashion is a skill, but we are going to help you navigate through the trends to find your own style.

Before we start we want to give a warm welcome to all the readers from PoshGirlVintage.com. We have recently acquired the website, and are super excited to write to a wider audience and help more people understand their fashion potential

Rock Stars Look-Alike

Clothes

We are going to start this journey with the element of fashion that most people worry about – clothes. If you don’t understand how to pair clothes, then you might end up buying a lot of fabrics that don’t mesh well together. In the end, you waste money and your enthusiasm making it harder for you to get back into the game.

We are going to help you get out of that never-ending cycle.

Building Your Style From Nothing

The best way to build your style is to go into a thrift shop and buy a bunch of clothes. Although the quality might not be right, and the sizes are all over the place, you might be able to find a diamond in the rough.

Thrift shops often have a lot of different styles available, so you can pick up something from every genre. Take these home and play around with them until something feels right. Because their prices are super cheap, you don’t have to worry about spending a lot of money during this experimentation phase.

Before you start your shopping spree, you should know a couple of basics. Pairing ankle boots and skinny jeans are one of the first steps to creating a fashionable look without adding much effort. You can tuck in the hem to create a synced outfit or roll up the cuffs if your boots are oversized. Thigh-high boots, on the other hand, need to balance length with your top and jacket.

You may find that the aesthetic you want is right in front of you, but a lack of confidence in your body is preventing you from making the purchase. If that’s the case, try shapewear products to give you the confidence boost you need to make the leap into fashion.

If you would rather shop online, there are websites and apps that are just as cheap. You can find affordable choices or narrow down your search if you already have an idea of your style. For example, if you know you’re after the edgy look you can find shops in that link to bring you the style you’re after. Or if you like the French chic aesthetic you should keep the style in mind as you search for possible choices.

Remember that buying cheap options at this stage allows you to experiment more freely as you find a style that suits you.

Expanding Your Current Style

If you already have a style or manage to find something that feels right then the next step is to expand. Learning to tweak the clothes to fit new experiences can help you stay on top of your aesthetic. For example, if you know you like clothes from Madewell, finding other stores which make similar clothing can help you branch out. You’ll be sticking to an aesthetic you enjoy, but also allowing yourself to see how other combinations could work. 

The same goes for other shops like Urban Outfitters, or just concepts like the hipster look.

Alternatively, if you wanted to dress for a specific occasion like school and graduation or for a changing season, it can be helpful to pick up magazines or fashionable shows which focus on those niches. Pick up a couple from varying aesthetics, and see which outfits stick out to you. Browsing like this can help you learn how your current style mingles with the changing events.

Stylising What You Already Have

Starting with shoes, it’s best to have a variety of options so you can mix and match your tops and bottoms with the style of the day. For example, changing your converse and skinny jeans to sandals can turn a town chic vibe into a beach girl aesthetic. 

If you don’t want to or cannot spend money on extra clothing, you can instead adapt what you already have. Oversized shirts can become an amazing fashion point depending on how you use them. Give them a french tuck and you’ll have a floaty alternative look, add on a jacket that lies along your shoulders creates a care-free persona, and going completely oversized adds to a grunge makeover.

If oversized isn’t your vibe, but a cute stomach window is, you can turn your old clothing into crop tops. Simply cut open the bottom and hem the lines to create a whole new top from old clothes. But if cutting your tops seems too final, you can try our folding techniques instead.

Headscarves used to be the height of fashion in the 50s, and this trend is coming back around. If your family members still have their old headscarves, you can use our tips and tricks to bring the accessory into the modern era.

Ash Blonde Hair with Dark Roots

Hair

Everyone’s hair is different and although we can find similarities between some of them, that doesn’t mean our hair will act in the same way when we style them. Luckily, unlike clothes, we can play around with our hair without it costing a fortune.

Here are a couple of guides to help you figure out your style.

Figuring Out Which Hairstyle Is For You

For some people figuring out the best hairstyle means adopting the style of a celebrity or fictional character. Using this method can help you learn what you like in a style and allow you to play around with different options, however, that celebrity or fictional character will not have your face. So before you shave everything off, remember that the outcomes need to be in alignment with you, not your alter ego.

Short Hair

Just because your hair is short, doesn’t mean you cannot add style or effort to your look. You can make your hair fashionable by choosing a pixie look, a curly bob, short shags, or an undercut.

Each produces its own vibe, and (apart from the undercut) you can swap between them to match your mood of the day.

You can use a short shag when you are showcasing high fashion, a curly bob for the casual days and a pixie look for smart business meetings.

Bleach Blonde and Undercut

Long Hair

You might think that shoulder-length hair can’t do anything but sit on your shoulders, but that isn’t true. You can layer it to add volume and texture, shag it to create a “messy” look or even adjust the bob by adding small touches such as braids.

Even if you want your hair to simply be down, adding in 20 or 30 minutes of attention at the beginning of your day is all you need to give your hair some life.

Curly Hair

People with curly hair often have a struggle with frizz, but when you learn how to moisturize your locks and wear it in a style that suits the shape, the frizz should fade. You can choose an elegant updo, a hippie casual tie, or an edged bob.

Adding a shagged look to your curls can be difficult, but if you are willing to embrace the frizz instead of flattening it out, take on the challenge!

But if your curl is more of a wave, you might benefit from a wave perm. Check out the pictures to see if this style is for you.

Blonde Hair

Styling your hair blonde doesn’t have to mean giving it one flat color. You can add a balayage look or go half and half. Whatever style you go with, you can keep the dark roots look to add depth to your hair.

Although we recommend going to a salon, if you want to bleach your hair at home be sure to match the brand with your hair type. And again, you don’t need to dye it all one block color either. To make the color seem natural, you should aim for highlights as if the sun kissed your locks.

Shaggy Bob

Brown Hair

Our first suggestion for people with brown hair is to consider blonde lowlights. This only works if your brown hair is already pretty light, but with these lowlights, you can create a weightless look.

If you want to dye your hair darker, you can use box dyes, a salon, or our DIY kit.

Brightly Colored Hair

Brightly colored hair can really make you stand out from the crowd, even if you only add a splash of color to the underside of your hair. You can choose metallic pinks, pastel lilacs, or even an ombre of color.

With bright colored hair, you barely need to do anything to make yourself look good. However, taking the leap to do something that bold, can be scary. To see if this is the right choice for you, you could download one of the many apps which change the color of your hair in an image. This way you can try before you buy.

Red Shade and Bangs

Adding Variety To Your Braids

Depending on how tight your curls are, you can add a lot of style to your hair. Your options are limitless, all you have to do is learn.

Tribal braids look amazing with bright colored hair mixed with natural black or brown hair. People with loose hair and no curls should opt for the butterfly braid. Tight box braids are always a classic and will make you look like a goddess. While pigtails with cross braids can make silky hair look more defined. Bun braids have recently come back into fashion, and we are loving their variety.

Whichever style you choose, be sure to browse through your options first, as braids are not a short-term hairstyle. And when you do eventually take them out, do so with care, as you don’t want to hurt your scalp or locks.

Maintaining Your Hair

If you find that your hair is breaking, you might need to go through a revival treatment. This means changing your shampoo and conditioner to a product that focuses on damaged hair.

And remember that your scalp is part of your hair routine too, so it should be exfoliated and looked after just like any other part of your body.

Nails

Getting started in nail polish can sometimes feel like child’s play, but in reality, getting your nails done right can be the difference between basic and fashionable living.

Tips And Tricks For Beginners

Before we teach you how to paint your nails or what to pick, we should first explain how to remove your nails. Ideally, you should be using a gel cleanser to remove your nails, that way you won’t be left with a sticky residue or bumpy after effects. If the polish is proving to be difficult you should try finger cots. It’s a more dramatic solution, but it will get the job done. However, if you find that the acetone element of the finger cot method is too harsh for your skin, you can try the same effect with just hot water.

As you get started the first thing you should know is the difference between the base coat and the topcoat. One protects your nails while the other prevents dripping. For a professional-looking effect, you should use both.

However, if you don’t want to apply the nail varnish yourself, you can always start off with press-on nails. These are normally aimed at kids, but if you have small fingers you can play around with these designs to see what type of shape best suits your hands. Remember that using regular nail polish can take a while to dry.

Of course, you can always go with polygel nail kits or acrylic nails as an overlay, and these are designed to last a lot longer. It is a common misconception that to make sure the nails stay on, you need to use super glue. This isn’t the case and in fact, this method could harm your skin.

Instead, you should be cleaning your nails to keep them healthy and stop them from peeling off. This is true for pedicures as well as manicures. Ideally, you should be getting your nails cleaned and shaped at least once a month to maintain healthy and beautiful shapes.

You can get this all done by a professional too, which is the best advice for beautiful and long-lasting nails.

Doing Your Nails At Home

There are so many styles of nails for you to try at home. You can attempt Russian manicures, acrylic nails, a clear style, dip powder, and even the gelly sandwiching technique.

You can use our guides in the links above to learn how to take on these methods, or you can use simple at-home kits with pre-made designs ready and waiting for you.

If you want to take your nails seriously though, you need to learn how to use a nail drill bit, to smoothen your canvas. You also need to learn how to remove cuticles to create a clean surface. We have a method to create your own nail primer and dehydrator to at least make this necessary addition less expensive.

You might think it’s silly to attempt a professional job yourself, but you don’t need to go to school to become a nail technician. You just need to have the tools and the drive to learn.

Different Nail Styles

There are so many amazing nail styles for you to choose from, one for every feeling under the sun. Although most of them will be shown in acrylic, there are gorgeous alternatives for you to consider too. These include dip powder, silk wrap nails, glow in the dark, liquids, and color-changing effects!

Whichever form you choose, you can buy a kit to try them at home or ask a professional to apply them for you. For your first couple of attempts at wearing well-made nails, we suggest using a professional simply so you know what you should be aiming for. Otherwise, you can end up with bumpy nails and bad streaks.

They can also help you pair your colors with an event or outfit you have already picked out.

If you are going to apply the nails yourself, be sure to choose strong glues so that the beautiful style you end up with stays on all night long.

Keeping Your Nails Healthy

Although getting your nails done is a lovely experience that can really boost your self-esteem, it can do a number on the health of your nails. This is especially true if you have used acrylics. You have to make sure you clean your cuticles, keep your nails short, moisturize the skin around your nails and exfoliate the whole area. Ideally, you should take a large amount of time away from painting your nails to allow them to repair.

If you find that your acrylic nails are turning yellow, this is not due to dirt or fading. Unfortunately, the materials used were of poor quality, or improper technique was used to apply them. Either way, they have become damaged and dirty due to the way in which they were applied. Luckily you can use remedies such as lemon juice to remove the yellowing areas.

To help boost your nails health we suggest digesting more B-12 supplements. These strengthen your nails ready for their next application.

Makeup

Most make-up users start their journey when they are young, but just because you know what eyeliner is doesn’t mean you know how to use it properly. You shouldn’t consider makeup as a tool to make you prettier, instead, it is a tool to shape your face for anesthetic. 

Lusciously Lilac

Quick And Natural Looks

When you take makeup seriously, you should begin by enhancing your natural features. “Natural” makeup styles can help you find the beauty in your face without changing it. You will look like yourself but on a great skin day.

However, just because a makeup set says it can give you the natural look, that doesn’t mean it will. You will need to find the perfect match, depending on your skin tone, rosiness, and freckles. 

For example, if you have black skin and want sheer coverage, then you need to use a damp sponge for a hydrated base. And those from an Asian heritage should use foundations that have yellow tones to bring out the beautiful color of your skin

To make sure the natural look doesn’t harm your skin, you should remember to use toner to cleanse the area. Your skin should always be protected from dirt to make your makeup journey as easy as possible.

The Difference That Eyeshadow Makes

No matter what type of aesthetic you are going for, adding well-chosen eyeshadow to your design can be all you need to create the atmosphere that you’re after.

For example, a red lip can make you seem elegant, but by itself, you’ll notice that something is missing. Add a gradient of light to dark eyeshadow and a real 1950s glamor enters the room.

The color of your eyes can give you inspiration for the shadow design. If you have brown eyes, then using a taupe eye shadow can create mystery but rose gold can create a sense of fun.

Lastly, if you have an outfit in mind, you can match your makeup to your outfit, to create a well-constructed ensemble. Pink, purple, green, or even a mixture of colors can be easily enhanced with the right balance on your eyelids.

Spaced Out Purple

Summary

For the most part, getting into fashion means trying out as much as you can. You cannot learn about your style until you jump into a bucket full of clothes and see what looks right to you. 

Once you start experimenting, you can figure out what aesthetic fits your vibe and then learn from others how to pair the style with other items. Ideally, you should find a stable outfit choice which you can change slightly for every new day. Like our example above suggests, pairing skinny jeans with ankle boots gives you a chic look, then you can pick whichever top you want to bring the look together.