Let's Talk Style (Guest Post: Ashley from She Smiles, She Writes)

Hello, hello! Are you guys in for a treat today, or what?! One of my real-life (& blog) friends is here to inspire you today! Ashley has an incredible faith, and I am always inspired by her. If that's not enough, just wait until you see this girl's sense of style...oh my goodness. She is such a fashionista! 

Here's the lovely Ashley...

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So honored to be guest posting for the lovely Candice! She is a dear friend in both my online and offline life.  She has sure made an impact in my life. Thank you Candice for honoring our friendship and being such an inspiration!

Let's talk style, shall we?

Style: The basic idea behind style is personal, every person is entitled to their own style, and no style can ever be the ultimate; Style is the manner in which you present yourself, or anything for that matter.

Style is most commonly expressed through clothing, although it's much more than that. In order to define your style you must define your personality: who you are. In my case, I am a woman of God who loves to be modest. I did modeling as a child, growing up used to clothing as a way of art. I'm also into vintage clothing and colorful patterns. All these are elements of my personality and identity. You just need to be aware who you are and how you carry yourself. If you are presenting an image that isn't you, evaluate yourself and re-invent your image to faithfully reflect you!

When picking out an outfit I consider the following:

• Occasion: Is it formal? Casual chic? Sporty?
• Inspiration: Am I inspired by the weather? A photograph? A person?
• Place: A celebration? A date? Post office run? Picnic at a garden?
• Color Pattern: What colors compliment the outfit? 

I keep myself updated on fashion through lookbook.nu but I have to confess that I'm not always on the look out to have the "it" outfit. I wear what I like, what's comfortable, looks elegant and most of all in my price range.Which leads me to my next component: Shopping for your style.

You will rarely see me shopping at a retail store. I prefer thrift stores and consignment shops over any Forever 21 and H&M. Last time I shopped retail was for Kohl's super sale where I saved $177 (and proud of it) on Candie's items which consisted of cardigans & tops. But if you go into my closet, you will see an array of clothes from thrift shops (and I can tell you which thrift shop in what city it came from too, lol) that are in new condition. I shop at these stores because I have the budget of a college student and there's no need for me to spend $60 on an outfit I can put together for less than $20.

Here are my tips:

1. Shop for pieces: If you have more jeans than tops, focus on buying tops. If you don't have cardigans, focus on that. If you need skirts, look for skirts. When you bargain hunt, you need to be focused in order to avoid getting too many things (cause they are cheap) that you don't end up wearing (trust me, you convince yourself that you will but you won't). Shopping for pieces will give you more flexibility in your wardrobe, often just adding a nice cardigan or shoes to change an outfit.
2. Take your time: I cooked up an outfit for concert I recently went with my guy. I know I wanted to wear a skirt, but I had just given away my skirts. So I took a trip to a consignment shop and I found a new [charlotte russe brand] pencil skirt for $8. Now, I didn't have a top for this beautiful find and I knew I was looking for something in yellow. So I went to a consignment shop right down my street and I found the perfect top for only $6!!!!!!! Later, at the concert, a girl took a picture of me for her style blog
3. There are dressing rooms for a reason... try it on! If you don't feel 100% sure on an item, don't buy it. It all comes down to this part of the shopping because it determines if you leave with new stuff or not.
4. Give clothes away: When I buy clothes, I make sure I give clothes. It helps prevent me from having a tight closet and it enables me to be a blessing to others. Not to mention the fact that it makes you less attached to clothes! Your style has to be something that even in your bathing suit people can notice. 

 It's not about what you wear, but how you wear it! If you find who you are, you'll discover your style: that unique and individual manner in which you carry yourself that will inspire and make others do the same.