The Trifecta of Fashion, Style, & Taste
With so many interchangeably-used phrases circulating in the fashion industry, it's quite complex to define the terms “fashion,” “taste,” and “style.” Although the framework of this trifecta can often intersect, each one is also independent in its own meaning. We often define taste as the subjective, core opinions you hold that inform the clothes you choose to wear. In its purest form, taste comprises the values one assigns to the various design elements. We posit that taste informs one's style, expressed in our clothing choices. Thus, style is something true to your personal aesthetic, something timeless that helps express who you are. There are various style categories, and your taste allows you to lean into multiple without restriction. Lastly, for fashion, the emphasis is placed on the actual clothing. It has more to do with what’s being popularized through businesses, media, and global trends, reflected in what designers and stores promote, according to the time and place.
While knowing the distinctions between the terms can help tackle confusion, it's clear that they work together to influence what we buy, how we decide to dress, and, ultimately, how we present ourselves externally. By understanding your own style and taste, you can then apply those respective opinions and forms of expression to the current fashion, adding variety and personality. We may love certain parts of today's current fashion, but not others, and it's up to us to decide what parts we'll partake in.
To put this into perspective, we can analyze an example of my own utilization of taste, fashion, and style. For my features and lifestyle, I personally like darker hues, slim-fitted silhouettes, mid-rise bottoms, not mixing metallics, and sporty shoes, just to name a few. These would be opinions of my taste, and someone's thoughts on that might differ based on who you ask. When applied to style, these opinions inform my preference for bodycon dresses as opposed to a-line dresses, exclusively silver or gold jewelry as opposed to mixing, athleisure as opposed to classic vintage, and street style as opposed to preppy. In fashion, the same types of clothes are popularized all around the world each season, yet not everyone gravitates toward the same pieces. For example, if I'm talking strictly based on today's trends, I may feel subject to buying a tight, black top paired with silver hoop earrings, a silver watch, mid-rise jeans, and platform sneakers. This outfit has dark colors, is slim-fitting, and has consistent metallics, all while being street style and athleisure. It mirrors my own taste and style while also reflecting current fashion shown by millennial celebrities; yet there are other popular trends I wouldn't dress in, and opposite to that, there will undoubtedly be people who wouldn't wear something I might wear.
Based on my own example above, it's apparent that because everyone’s personal style is different and completely personal, as long as you’re true to yourself, bad style arguably doesn’t exist. Clothing is more than merely outer appearance - it can help us with introspection. Knowing this, we can conceptualize our closets through the changing of the seasons and times without giving up what we enjoy and feel most confident in.