Once upon a time there used to be a season for certain colors and an era for certain styles.

We can look back on the decades of our past and pretty much generalize the fashion trends for each era. 70s were the hippies. 80s was total hair. 90s was cutoffs and hip-hop. 2000s were punk rock and skater boys and babes. And now here we are in 2018, with the onset of social media’s Pinterest and Instagram. Photography and fashion are in full swing.

But here’s one thing I’ve noticed about this new digital world that we’ve all come to love and hate. It’s given us an outlet to express our individual style.

You can scroll through Pinterest and Insta feeds for hours and hit the like button on all different types of fashion. Why? Because the pictures look good. Because the ENTIRE LOOK looks good. You fall in love with the person’s overall style. The clothes, the makeup, the expression, the background, the lighting. Take all of that combined and the fact that a girl is wearing white pants in winter is pretty meaningless because, well, her photo completely ROCKS.

Fashion is a massive part of our modern lives, especially since so much of our lives have been shifted towards showing off our looks. And with any industry, some people have such a true passion and love for it that they dedicate their whole lives to it. (Think your major bloggers on Instagram)

Once upon a time we were also taught to dress a certain way for certain circumstances or occasions.

Interviews, weddings, corporate jobs. Shoot, think of the countries where women don’t even have a choice in what they can wear! And while times are changing for the better, the fact remains that if you dress outside what certain people consider “the norm,” you very well might be looked at twice.

Is that a bad thing though?

And honestly, what does it matter to people what you wear if it’s not hurting anyone?

Well the truth is, it does. Because your style speaks louder than your words. Especially on first glance. But just because people make judgments in a matter of seconds doesn’t mean you can’t tailor a polished look to reflect your individuality.

Freedom of expression is important for maintaining our identity as individuals. You can still totally do this even if you work a corporate 9 to 5 job by adding your unique favorite trends to a more conservative polished style. I explain exactly how to do this in fashion posts throughout my site. Crazy story but I actually work in a global pharmaceutical company and I can easily think of 4 coworkers that have tattoo sleeves. BUT they balance that with a more polished professional outfit so the whole look is just totally badass! (Side note, if you’re going a tattoo route, be sure to use barrier tattoo gel)

Remember that you should dress according to what you truly like and feel comfortable in, but by also dressing in such a way that makes others comfortable and shines you in the best, most respectful light. This is what Suits & Sneaks is all about! Follow along for loads more tips on getting dressed each day that gains you respect and authority in the workplace, but also lets the real you shine through at the same time.

Cheers!

-Kristin