The Power of Intuition to Create Great Style
As with many things in life, I really trust my intuition and inner compass when it comes to choosing what to wear. I have spent many years cultivating a practice of tapping into myself, listening and noticing to help guide my hand. It’s become a tool in life that I trust as reliable over and over again.
It’s also a practice that requires regular attunement. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to refine and strengthen my intuition, what practices can I implement that help me to find my cardinal direction when amidst the fog. This happens in life and also in my aesthetic expression.
Questions like: what should I be doing with my hair, do I grow it out or shave it again? I’m bored with my wardrobe and uninspired by what I have but don’t want to buy a whole new set, what’s next? I’m feeling tired and introverted but I have a networking event tonight, what do I wear?
Usually after some fretting about, making little sounds of irritation and disapproval I’ll get myself together and tap into how I feel. Most of the time I know it’s not do or die but it can elevate or deflate my sense of self which can have real world implications.
A few directions that I tend to go in that can help to get you started or growing:
Seek Inspiration: My favorite tool in my creative box is always…the mood board! I love getting inspired and seeing what I’m drawn to, curious about, and what’s giving me pause. Being non-judgemental about the Tanner Fletcher pastel, bloomer, blazer combinations that catch my attention and hold my imagination - could I wear that? who wears that? is it me? i like it, so i guess it is me? Maybe I pull a single element to play with vs trying to embody to whole look. Then, along with art, music and flipping through various magazines, blogs, clips etc etc I begin to see a pattern. Colors, textures, and details emerge. I see the forest through the trees. I take that distillation into my closet and seek to play, replicate and add a twist.
A recent example/obsession? Using my scarf and ring collection to create a wide range of bolo options.
Start with a Statement: Another style approach I like to take using my intuition is to find something in my closet that is fun and exciting that I haven’t worn in awhile. I use that piece as the anchor and begin to build around it. Is it a shoe, jewelry, accessory or clothing piece? Is it dark and moody or light and airy, is it edgy or interesting? What would pair with it? For example, when in Colorado I got a large silver medallion necklace with a rodeo image embossed and from that single piece I have concocted a whole mini season worth of looks. Dressing it down with simple denim and a t-shirt or dressing it up with button downs and heels. The single anchor item opens up a whole new angle to my closet, breathing new life into it.
Make it Clash: Pair pearls with a punk t-shirt, add heels to athlesuire wear, put two patterns together to create visual chaos, join complementary colors opposite the color wheel, wear a short skirt and a looooong jacket (jk, but not). Sometimes I find the joy of a good juxtaposition opens up new possibilities and shakes me out of my stuckness. It gets playful and I can enjoy the process just as much as the outcome. Why choose just one thing in life when you can have both and all?
Honor the Mood: I 100% dress for my mood. It makes me feel protected when I need it, comfortable in my skin and totally expressive when there’s too much fabulous to keep to myself. Put on music, feel the feels and let it guide you.
All of these ideas and practices are here to help and to get me out the door more often than not. And as a little bonus, it’s usually when I’m stuck or feel less inspired and allow myself the freedom to explore using these tools that I pull the most interesting, fun unique (and complimented) outfits.
A few resources to help with strengthening intuition along the way:
Practicing Yeses and Nos
Spiritual Woo Woo
Intuition Exercises