"IT'S A LOOK"//

Everyone has a "look" whether they know it or not.  Your "look" is defined by the personality of your appearance - the tendencies you have in regards to what you wear, how you style yourself, and how "accessories" like hair, makeup, posture, etc. accompany your clothing choices.  I often find, when I am working with my clients to pick out new pieces for their wardrobes, that I use the term "it's a look" when I am trying to get them to think outside their all-too-comfortable box.  Just the other day, I was shopping with a male client and I took him to Billy Reid (http://www.billyreid.com/).  I had introduced this to him previously, and while he thought a lot of it was "cool", it was clearly a departure from his usual shopping experience.  While perusing, I suggested somethings that got a silent, cocked head response.  I wanted to say "Come on, this is fabulous and cool and totally wearable!!" but instead I simply said, "Well, it is a look!" to which he agreed and then conceded that it was really great but maybe not right for him.  I love that moment because it opens up a conversation.  If I am doing my job, at the end of the conversation, I have at least convinced my clients to try something.  Once they feel the fabric, try these pieces on, and get some guidance, a new door opens up and they begin to see their wardrobes and selves from a new and more empowered perspective.  
Building a look takes time and thought, and frankly, can go horribly wrong.  Think Jersey Shore (GTL - "good to laugh" at), Cher (tall and thin and famous or not, it's just never worked), or the "busy mom" (either trying to stay hip and trendy and ending up looking like their teenage daughers or not trying at all and looking 10 years out of date).  The "looks" that have the longest shelf-lives and feel the most authentic and chic are ones that are totally symbiotic with their inhabitants. 
The goal is to find your "look" but not get stuck in it.  I would call my personal "look" slightly tailored, effortless and street conscious, slightly edgy with a high-low sensibility and attention to detail.  Depending on the season, point in my life, etc. I might change up the layers of the look, but the core always stays the same.  I always stay true to myself but remain creative.  That, to me, is the pilar of style. 

from left: from Sartorialist; Anna Dello Russo; Mary Kate Olsen; Karl Lagerfeld

 

from left: Katharine Hepburn; Kate Lanphear; from Sartorialist; Erin Wasson

From actors to stylists to designers to models to everyday people, these people embody a look that is authentic and speaks to the power of embodying your fashion choices.  Each one feels effortless yet thoughtful and each oozes with personality.  By looking at these people, you know something about them without knowing them at all.  It's a beautiful thing when something as simple and seemingly superficial as clothing can communicate one's identity.