All in the 'Jeans'?

Are we born with style as a trait we inherit or is it something we learn? This is a tough one for me to answer as I was the furthest thing from stylish in my adolescent years. However I do remember always liking clothes that were a bit unusual compared to my friends. I would generally buy things which were similar to my peers and wear them very subtly, in a different way. The problem with being a child/teenager is that we generally want to fit in so I wouldn’t always allow myself to wear the things I wanted to but more, the things that would make me blend in. Looking back I can see where my personal style started to emerge as a child and the ideas I would conceal are the same ideas that now make it fun to get dressed in a morning and allow me to happily stand out in a crowd. 

When I met a new found friend she told me how, as a child, she would watch from afar and admire the way my mother would dress when going to church every Sunday. We grew up in the same town yet never met until our children went to the same nursery. It was only when my mother was picking up my daughter from nursery that said friend recognized her from 20 years ago, as the woman who wore the beautiful red and black coat with heels and nice hair.

Now I don’t particularly remember thinking I had a stylish mother growing up however I can’t recall a time when I was embarrassed by what she was wearing, as I’m sure most children are at some point. It has only been in the last ten years or so that I have analyzed my mother’s attire and come to see that she is one stylish mature lady. Whilst some of her outfits may not be to my taste, I can appreciate that she is always well presented and dresses fashionably, knowing the limits age has imposed on her when it comes to avoiding the ‘mutton dressed as lamb’ look. In having such a trendy mother and a fashion loving daughter in one family, it suggests that maybe style is in the genes.

I have been lucky enough to live in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London where individuality is celebrated, especially in London where anything goes. Living here allowed me to experiment with different looks and find a sense of myself.  From my time in this cosmopolitan city I learned that everyone has a different idea of what looks good and that's okay. I would take inspiration from people in the street and adapt elements of their look to suit myself, creating my own image. This would insinuate that people can be educated when it comes to style.

After a lot of thought and changing my decision a thousand times, I have finally come to the conclusion that my style is a culmination of things. I certainly believe that growing up around a fashion conscious woman who takes pride in her appearance, subconsciously influenced me. This, coupled together with me soaking up my surroundings in buzzing, multicultural cities in Britain has undoubtedly contributed to the way I chose and continue to wear clothes. Whilst I don’t think natural style can be inherited or taught, I believe it can evolve through the experience of life. So the answer to the question, in my opinion is no, style is not in the genes.