It's interesting how one's personal style can change so quickly and how it is influenced by the movies we watch, celebrities we love and even the books we read. It's a rare occasion when style is completely original. Although we all like to think that we dance to the beat of our own drummers and such, fashion certainly does repeat itself and we're all copy cats to a degree.....except for Lady Gaga's meat dress but that's a different story!
What makes up your personal style is how you take those influences, do a little copying and mix things up to make it your own and figure out what works for you. When you feel comfortable and confident with what you wear and don't feel like you're in a costume or wearing someone else's idea of what you should wear, I think you've successfully found your personal style.
I had a lot of people influence my style to get it where it is today. Even at age 27, it's still evolving, and I think it always will! Here are some of my style influencers from way back in the day....
Embed from Getty Images Maybe unexpected since she isn't really renowned for being a style icon but I always thought she was classically beautiful. I love her berry-colored lipstick, natural, well-shaped brows and I always wanted Maryanne's curly hair! Even on the red carpet and in real life, she dresses with simple elegance. Just love her! I thank Kate Winslet for reminding teenage Brittany that she didn't need to pile on mass amounts of eye shadow either.
My mom had a job coloring comics so we always had loads of comic books in the house as a kid. I always really loved Death and the above picture of her was in our kitchen. She's so cute and puts a sarcastic but truthful twist on life. The black pants, boots and tank top was kind of a uniform for me as a 13-14 year old and I even had the prettiest little ankh necklace. Strange as it is, Death was also a good influence on a young girl's outlook on life. After hanging around depressed teenagers who whine all the time about how terrible life is, Death reminds us that life is beautiful and precious and not to be taken for granted. Because of her, I laughed a lot.
Embed from Getty Images Oh how I adored Gwen Stefani when I was 14- but really, what girl didn't? I absolutely did glue bindi to my forehead and twist my hair into wild little buns and wear saris in public for no reason except that they were pretty. I really feel that every teenage girl needs some insane style icon to look up to and emulate. When kids can express themselves through style, they're probably less likely to do anything too crazy. Gwen never really categorized her style. One minute she'd be kind of punk rock awesome and the next, very girly and pretty. I loved that about her. Gwen also inspired my first experiments with red lipstick.
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Way back before my love of vintage fashion, Ann Margret had a big impact on my personal style. At 13 or 14, I decided to dye my hair red and mom and grandma agreed, "She looks just like Ann Margret!" Wondering who on Earth was this woman that I resemble, I looked her up and fell in love! A spunky red headed bombshell- again, with perfect eyebrows and that fabulous cat eyeliner. I immediately ran out and bought some liquid liner and perfected the art of application. Puberty hit me so hard that girls in the locker room gossiped about weather or not I stuffed my bra but while the rest of the girls were anxious and nervous about themselves, Ann Margret and her ample curves taught me to be comfortable with my body.
Who influenced your personal style?
Kate Winslet for SURE. I am happy to admit that I was OBSESSED with her - and still am to a degree. Her character in Titanic, The Little Mermaid and my mild fixation with Anne of Green Gables are all the reason I had red hair back in the day.
ReplyDeleteI was also very much into Gwen Steffani, rocked a bindi until very recently. Ahhhhh.. youth.
Those are some great style icons! My style still continues to change and evolve and Im soon to be 49 years old. I cant pinpoint anyone in particular whose style influenced me. Over the years I have just been all over the place, style wise, but I am trying to add more classic timeless pieces to my wardrobe. Hoping to ease into my senior years with more grace and style. =)
ReplyDeleteGreat post!!
I would have to say Joan Crawford and Dustin Hoffman. One of my favorite movies to watch when I was a kid was Mommy Dearest, I know, I know, what! I didn't like it because she was crazy and beat the crap out of her kid, I loved her clothes. I also loved Tootsie, again weird, but I just like how Dustin Hoffman dressed so feminine, always did his nails, always wearing dresses. So, there are my style icons, Joan Crawford and Dustin Hoffman.
ReplyDeleteWow, so many different people have influenced my style growing up that I can't remember. I know for a while I really dug the Edwardian period and got tons of 80s does Edwardian/Victorian pieces that helped. I also had super long hair, great for Gibson girl rats. Then I had sort of a punk rocker look with short funky hair and of course it was black. I also had my hippy bohemian style for a couple years. But my love of the 1940s always came back and it's still what I LOVE most!
ReplyDeleteDrew Barrymore and Courtney Love were big style icons for me in the 90s. I loved Drew's dark lipstick, pencil thin eyebrows, and daisies in her hair. Courtney wore cute baby-doll dresses, ripped tights, and little girl hair clips. I thought they were both the coolest, lol! Cher (Alicia Silverstone) from Clueless also influenced my style back in the day - hello knee high socks!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, Cher- YES!!! I wore mini skirts and knee-highs constantly in high school thanks to Cher! I have to watch that movie...like right this second! LOL!
DeleteHa, I was obsessed with Ann Margaret in my young teens too! Well, I still am ;) Her candy-colored vampy-campy look in Bye-Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas, and the Swinger was just too much; I had to emulate her!! I was mostly inspired by musicians as a youngster, though... Dusty Springfield, Morrissey, Loretta Lynn and Gaye Advert were big for me.
ReplyDeleteI think you had lovely role models. I never had any female idols in my teens perhaps Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice and The Heathers. I felt related to her in these movies. Always was kind of an outsider and still is. Kate Winslet and Gwen Stefani are wonderful females :)
ReplyDeleteHow funny I have been thinking about a similar post myself for a little while now, but more on how I started dressing like characters from films at different occasions through my life.
ReplyDeleteYes, do it! I'd love to see it!!
DeleteI love this list! I became obsessed with Kate Winslet right after Titanic, and also had a real fascination with Clare Danes as a teenager fixated with Romeo and Juliet. I think I must just have been obsessed with Leonardo Di Caprio to be honest!
ReplyDeleteIn the 90s I loved All Saints style, those baggy pants and tight tops I thought were so cool!! I also had a taste for vintage at that age and was fixated with every single outfit that Madonna wore in the film adaptation of Evita. As a vintage store owner I still am! Stunning costumes in that film!
A big yes for Gwen Stefani. I was never to much of a fan of her or No Doubts music but her style very often appealed to me. Especially when she went a bit crazy with her hair colour. The pink, oh my did I love that! And the bright red lips with the platinum hair! I also agree on Kate Winslet, not really style wise (although I always like how she dresses and can´t think of a more classic face) but because of her amazing curves.
ReplyDeleteIronically the biggest influence on my look had a man: A punk rock drummer with black and green hair. No matter how hard I tried over the years I always return to green and black in the end.
How cool that your mom was in the comic book book business? Which comics did she work on? Did you go to a lot of comic book conventions? Did she ink or do computer generated coloring? It's so interesting the evolution of comics. I love comics growing up and I still really enjoy vintage romance comics. It's really quite interesting how much older comics can go for! Great post about your influences. In my late teens and early twenties, I was totally into alternative music so I wore a lot of silver, black, and boots:) Read a lot about the Beatniks. My late 20's was all about my career, travel, and going to dance clubs so I'd say sparkly for the dance club and refined for work:) I've always loved Audrey Hepburn as a style icon and also Marilyn Monroe.
ReplyDeleteFantastic style icons, I absolutely loved Gwen stefani growing up, she was the girl everyone wanted to be! So pretty and yet totally quirky and individual.
ReplyDeleteAs an adult I've always liked really classic styles and am more influeneced by my glamourous female relatives than anyone famous, but I certainly look to old films when looking for vintage inspiration.
LOVE this post! You have inspired me yet again!!! xox
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post, it was so fun and inspiring to me. It really got me thinking about my own early style inspirations. I wrote a post about it and linked back to you. Thanks again.
ReplyDeletehttp://frocksandfrivolities.blogspot.com/2013/01/my-early-style-inspiration.html
As an adult, my style influences stem more from what I see on the streets than famous people or movies. As a kid though from as young as five I was fascinated with clothing from other eras (I went thru a huge little house on the prairie stage), and clothing from other cultures. I had a close friend back then from India and was fascinated with her mother's sarees. As a teen though, I was definately influenced by pop culture. Madonna. And not the Marilyn Monroe Madonna, or even the like a virgin Madonna. I'm talkin the punky ragamuffin style she was rockin when she first burst onto the scene. Sheila E. Flashdance. Beat Street, Breakin, and Electric Boogaloo (um yeah, I was big into the breakdancing scene). Lowrider culture. Vanity from Vanity 6. I used to watch "Soul Train" every Saturday, and the ladies on there definately influenced my style. I was definately an Ann Margaret fan too, I think she was the most beautiful movie star ever. Old pictures of Jane Fonda in her Barbarella days.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post! I've thought about this topic many times myself, too, and find it interesting that all these years later I still find inspiration in many of my early vintage influences such as Geena Davis and the other ladies in A League of Their Own, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen in White Christmas, and just about all of the characters on the Canadian TV show Road to Avonlea. There's something endearingly sweet and lovely about reflecting back one one's early influences, isn't there?
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica
Love this post. Very interesting choices and I love all the interesting comments too!
ReplyDeleteHow utterly breath takingly beautiful was Winslet in Titanic no matter how many times I watch it. I am taking back by her flawless alabaster skin, perfect red lips, gorgeous curled hair, and the wardrobe oodles of lace, satin, gloves,hats, and lovely accessories. It's How utterly breath takingly beautiful was Winslet in Titanic no matter how many times I watch it. I am taking back by her flawless alabaster skin, perfect red lips, gorgeous curled hair, and the wardrobe oodles of lace, satin, gloves,hats, and lovely a dream wardrobe!! Growing I was a total and utter crust punk growing up in DC with the bands if Sick of it All, Bad Brains, and so many others that was my major influence going to small clubs and house watching punk bands and being influence by the culture I was surrounded by in DC and New York. I have grown more feminine as my
ReplyDelete20s past giving the patched pants and ripped clothes. Still wear my doc martins, color my hair purple, and dress punk but with dresses, makeup and flirty touch.