For many fashionistas, understatement is the root of styling nightmares. We want our style to be bold and dramatic: we want to make a statement. Of course, the crux of this is that we don’t all want to be making the same statement. This completely defeats the purpose of having a signature style. So, if your own, personal sense of style involves at least a little drama, but you don’t want it to seem exactly like everyone else’s version of drama, then it’s time to unearth just what makes your style, yours.
Thankfully, this sartorial excavation doesn’t have to be drawn-out, expensive or painful. Here are some easy ways you can suss out how to to rock your personal dramatic style.
What makes you unique?
This is probably the most important consideration. Women who really own their dramatic style have found their unique feature: perhaps it’s an unusual sense of facial proportion, where a chin or nose or eyes stand-out. Maybe it’s sharp cheekbones. Whatever you’ve got that makes your face a little asymmetrical, a little less than ‘balanced’, that’s what you want to play up. What makes you unusual is also what makes you beautiful. One of the most flattering styles to use to embrace your unique visage is the dramatic style.
Bold, NOT Tacky
The dramatic style can be recognised by its bold, sexy, heady and lavish attributes. You’re vampy, though never trampy. Sure, you want to use leather, silk, satin, lace, fur, and velvet, but you don’t dress like you’re the star attraction at a five-cent peep show. By all means, show some skin, but balance out that exposure with equal measures of coverage. A skimpy black lace blouse, for instance, could be brilliant paired with cream faux-leather pants and red stilettos. Not only are you balancing your look, but you are also using one of the other most valuable weapons in your dramatic style arsenal: colour blocking.
Colour Blocking
Colour blocking involves segmenting your body with distinct chunks of colour: a red skirt with a white top and gold corset belt; a purple sequin skirt with a navy blue tank and black ankle boots. You get the idea. Colour blocking amps up the drama of your style, giving you an equally chic and bold look.
Theme Combinations
When worlds collide. This romantic dress from Aje would look absolutely inspired with a pair of studded leather ankle boots.
Finally, consider combining different themes of style for dramatic effect. A flowy, billowing blouse with a leather blazer. A pair vintage heeled saddle shoes with a frilly party dress or super sophisticated LBD. All these are great ways to blend distinct stylistic themes and create a super dramatic look.
Of course, how you blend together these elements of dramatic style is what makes your dramatic style yours. Have fun, and be fearless!