Yahoo Lifestyle I’m Not Changing My Personal Style, and Neither Should You
“New year, new you”—sigh.
Every January, there is an onslaught of corporate messaging claiming that the path to a better year is just a shopping spree, gym membership, or cleanse away. We’re programmed to believe that on January 1st, we need to be different, to change up the way we act or think or look. We’re inundated with prompts from our Instagram and TikTok feeds telling us to refresh our wardrobes and try out entirely new fashion propositions. It’s exhausting.
With the din and decadence of the holidays in the rearview, however, there is an undeniable allure to considering what a new version of yourself might look like. And although I am someone who likes to experiment sartorially, I still have to wonder: Isn’t there enough change in the new year? Do we really need to switch up our style? Schools open up, people “circle back” over email, and fresh business goals are set. Who wants to add one more variable into the mix? Not me.
Last year, fashion fans and commentators online were consumed by a fervent conversation about attaining a sense of personal style. (“How to wardrobe-build!” “Find your uniform!” “Try this 3-word style identification method!”) It framed personal taste as a commodity that was always just one add-to-cart away. But in all the chatter, most of which came through peer-to-peer shopping suggestions on affiliate-linked Substacks, what I found to be missing was a sense of why personal style matters and, more importantly, the joy that can come from embracing it.
Good style isn’t inspiring because it streamlines a morning routine, but because of how it makes us feel. Rather than succumbing to the call for constant reinvention, I find so much more potential in leaning into what makes us authentically ourselves. I love when a friend sends me a link for a dress or a coat or a funny hat with a note that says “This is so you”; the soul-soaring bliss of being seen and truly understood by others is the ultimate pay-off from fashion.
So rather than panic-shopping and starting over this month, as my late grandfather used to say, "If you’re red, be redder.” This means listening to the truest parts of yourself, digging deeper into your particular curiosities, and seeing where it takes you. The concept of curation has become overwrought, so what if we instead explored obsession? What if we all prioritized internal excavation over aesthetics?
That form of intuitive, unbridled dressing was explored by designers on many of the Spring 2025 runways. In place of a distinct “look,” three of fashion’s agenda-setting brands proposed a parade of “characters,” centering individuality over trend.
Matthieu Blazy’s success at Bottega Veneta was partly due to his gift at creating a “monument to the everyday,” with his models wearing exquisitely-crafted iterations of familiar pieces in our closet. Through excellent casting and charming accessories, each look felt completely unique, despite being fully rooted in reality. Backstage, Blazy observed that “everything you get from a journey transforms you,” and a well-honed style can be an outward celebration of that journey. I think his work inspired so many (and earned him the top Chanel job) because he created a beautiful world we not only wanted to live in but already recognized.
At Prada Spring 2025, Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada showed an intoxicating mix of ideas, many of them self-referential twists from previous collections. The result felt recognizable but also startlingly fresh, an approach that goes back to Simons, who has always insisted he finds the future to be more romantic than the past. The show was a reminder that if it’s a good shoe, it’s a good shoe! No need to CTL+ ALT + DELETE without cause. We carry memories and experiences with us, so why not do the same with the most-loved pieces of our wardrobe?
At Miu Miu, Mrs. Prada has put forth a convincing idea of who her woman might be, creating a slew of It-items like barn jackets, micro minis, and boat shoes in the process. Details like overstuffed handbags and messy hair emphasized the fact that the Miu Miu woman is cool but also rooted in reality—busy and barely holding it all together in a deliciously normal way. These collections always come with small styling winks derived from the nuances of living and being as a woman.
It makes perfect sense that the two people behind the current cult of Miu Miu are, of course, women, each with epically well-honed personal style. Mrs. Prada’s unexpected color combinations, crisp tailoring, and mannish accessories exist in electrifying tension with the vision of stylist Lotta Volkova, who notes streetwear, fetish, clownery, kitsch, and punk as sources of inspiration. Both women refuse to be boxed in, and both maintain a deep understanding of who they are, which comes through in the confidence of their work. Together, their combined points of view are completely original. It’s like personal style porn.
So where does one begin in their efforts to just be? My recommendation is to think of this as the fashion equivalent of refining your sound. First, pay attention, not to Instagram ads or email subject lines, but to the things that move you. Those things can be songs, shapes, films, art, colors, or people on the street.
For example, after a long walk listening to Fleetwood Mac, curiosity led me to a Stevie Nicks documentary, which then led me to take a research deep dive into Margi Kent’s work, and, ultimately an Etsy search for vintage top hats. I liked the cheeky contrast of a formal Dickensian accessory with Stevie’s mystical, wild femininity. Note: Paying attention requires selective hearing. While Reddit users described this look of Stevie’s as “bizarro chimney sweep.” I thought she looked fabulous.
During a recent period of personal change, I found it critical to listen to my gut to fine-tune what I wanted to shed and what made me feel strong, even provocative. When I saw that taking a small sartorial risk felt good, it empowered me to take more significant chances. These risks weren't all successful, but they built momentum that kept me moving forward, and opened me up to experiences and people who were passionate about the same things.
After listening to and indulging in what moves you, prepare to experiment. The best part about this step is that that it does not require a single cent. Put on music or call a friend and just start trying things on. Again, notice what feels right and challenge yourself to unexpected combinations—a critical component to finding newness.
And remember, this is a deeply personal exercise. While something about Nicks recently resonated with me, I am not a ‘70’s rock goddess. We are emulating here, not imitating. So I think I’ll try that top hat with a tuxedo jacket, t-shirt, cargo pants, and a pump. A little weird, a touch tailored, a dash of androgyny…more “me.”
When I feel most like myself, it frees up my energy and mental space for more important things. And the inverse is certainly true: We all know the feeling of tugging and twisting a piece of clothing that is just not working. It’s distracting and depressing.
Most importantly, by fortifying our understanding of self, we can better show up for others. This year will ask a lot of us, with the first weeks of January already bringing tremendous challenges and heartache. So why add the pressure and distraction of finding the “new you”? I have a feeling that the you reading this is already pretty great.
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