When Personal Style Isn’t Personal 

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It’s not that personal style says EVERYTHING about a person, it’s that it says SOMETHING about them.

I feel that personal style is less who one is, but more how one wants to be seen in the eyes of others, like a form of nonverbal communication. One perceive the woman who wears Saint Laurent (lots of black, sexy, moody) completely differently to the woman who wears Courrèges (the polar opposite of Saint Laurent). Someone who is conscious of cultural perceptions of colour, shape and texture can use that to their advantage, regardless of whether they want to display their full true self, elements of elements of such, or even at times, the polar opposite of such.

In an age where everyone (including me) wants to have a personal style, honestly it’s comforting to hear that the ‘personal style’ many are pursuing is not actually real. I just wanna calm myself down, stop obsessing over this idea and letting clothes hold so much power over who I am. Rather than curating an identity / a version of self through pieces of clothing, I want to believe that the things I’m wearing for the day is actually all up to me.

A golden rule might be "aim to present yourself in a way that never needs apologizing". Meaning, if you feel comfortable enough in your style to never compulsively apologize for it, then you've found the "correct" style for you. Personally I have a friend who always apologizes for, in her words; "looking unkept, messy, a mess, not put together, too casual". No one ever says anything to her and there's nothing out of place with how she dresses. But I think those comments suggest that in her own mind there's something about what she wears vs. the vision of what she'd prefer to see herself wearing isn't lining up. And I think that being comfortable with yourself sometimes gets mistaken for confidence, when you aren't necessarily any more or less confident then the average medium; you've just curated your wardrobe in a way where there's nothing that triggers a personal sense of not being "right".

I mostly dress goth/punk (and a little emo sometimes) and because of that I costumise my clothes a ton. I love sewing patches onto clothes stating what bands I love, and what political beliefs I have. I think it makes me clothes more my own. Anyone can wear simple black pants, but no one on this planet has a pair exactly like mine with all the ideas I express on it. I also hand make most of the patches so I'll paint designs on them that are my own artwork. It's very disappointing to see a lot of fashion channels forget about alternative people, when most of us care quite a lot about fashion. But I have to say most of the points made in this video resonate deeply with me. Especially about wearing ideas of how you want to live. When I wear a goth outfit I'm expressing an idea of a "goth lifestyle". I express certain personality traits, music tastes, and interests. When I wear an outfit that I think perfectly fits me I actually quite enjoy the stares I get. I wear extreme makeup too and wear a mohawk/deathhawk sometimes. The people who I can't relate to at all aren't fooled by some persona into thinking I'm just like them. They don't assume I'll be the most normal person out there and then get disappointed when they realise I'm not. They see immediately that I have unusual interests. And the people who I relate to more know I have similar interests to them just by looking at me.

I believe on personal style. But I’m not talking about fashion. I’m more how you wear your hair, how you wear how you dress.

*IT TAKES ME 250 HOURS* to handcraft a bespoke suit, 10,000 stitches nearly all by hand, I source the vintage fabric, I choose the historical fashion plate, I draft the pattern and I make the suit - and I absolutely DO NOT care what anyone thinks about it, I do it for myself, for the love of the style, for the love of the cloth... The cloth that drapes like liquid silk and flows like passion... I think this probably _does_ say a hell of a lot about me. But I think very few people speak the language I am writing my story in.

in a way, your outfits are the shape that other people percieve you as. your colour, your silhouette and the context of the pieces create a vision of you that isnt just a first impression. once people get to know you better they might understand your style as well. your clothes arent an expression of your interests or personality. your clothes are YOU!

clothes are not about expressing yourself through them, they're about creating a part of your identity, they're pieces you're adding to the puzzle of a self, and through them you aspire to embody an ideal, built only by the experiences lived by someone and how they perceived and felt about it.

Just gonna slip in here currently writing my thesis, and in a part of it I touch on these points. Basically people often dress for there ideal self, it’s more of an individuals perception and if they feel they align with the garment. this is how fast fashion for instance addicts people so effectively, as through marketing and trends getting over saturated peoples ideal selfs shift. The loop just happens over and over from there

One thing that made a huge impression on how I think about fashion was a historian who made a video about how originally, the point of fashion was the opposite of expressing your personal style- it was to show how well you conformed to society. The point of keeping up with fashion was so that you knew what was appropriate dress for your class and status.

Incredibly insightful. As someone who has a pretty fragile identity at the moment, when I put together an outfit in the morning I'm really putting on a persona. A persona which is not a lie, just a part of myself, amplified. I choose an outfit which is cohesive in an aesthetic, in a representation, and I choose a playlist that fits. Art and fashion is so important to me and it's because these exact "shocks of recognition" are what are helping me find my identity. It's such an interesting topic to explore, great video!

Your style is a Facette of your identity I don't think anyone actually believes that something as simple as a shirt can represent a complex personality but the clothing you do chose to wear does still say a significant amount about you

Love how the camera very very slowly zoomed in when you were describing how art makes people feel less alone.

Missing the point there. The idea is not so much to showcase your personality for others to decipher but to dress in harmony with who you are inside because it's very empowering.

I'm a 40 year old Native American defense contractor, and probably not what you imagine with your typical Rick Head 😅 But, getting in to fashion "forced" me to lose 80lbs and slim down to fit the aesthetic i wanted to see in myself. I wear a uniform 80% of my waking life, so I like to build my own second reality with the clothes I wear during the other 20%. You're not always trying to become yourself through fashion; sometimes you are purposefully leaving yourself behind...

I really agree with this. Getting into fashion a few years ago. I’ve always been confused how my clothes can showcase who I am when I am someone of many identities. Recently I’ve given up trying to do that bc I don’t think clothing can do it as well as talking to someone. And this video has helped me put what I’ve been feeling into words

The fabric we wrap ourselves in is a second skin. We can't help but to feel that connection. Certain colours, cuts, design lines just feel "right". That undefinable feeling you just have in the middle of your gut. I love that concept of the 'shock of recognition' is seeing an aspect of another human being within yourself. Designer as the "see-er" of dreams. Absolutely love that, Mister Bliss. The Muses expressing the inner universe to the wider world. Fashion as collaborative art... - Cathy (&, accidently, Steve), Ottawa/Bytown/Pimisi

Every single choice you make reveals something about you, some piece of your identity whether you want it to or not. Objects you are attracted to communicate something about your taste, a less tangible part of identity. It’s impossible to choose your own clothes day after day and reveal nothing about you - even for those who are not “fashion people.” anecdote time: I went to a party this weekend and a stranger called me over to ask if I make music because I look like I do. Well … I do. But the function I was dressing to fulfill was to stay cool and be able to dance while feeling cute. In doing that I unintentionally revealed something else about my identity I wish you defined identity at the beginning

You made it very poetic, I studied fashion marketing and I think that marketeers have know about this for a long time just in a very sober way. They build target groups around group identities and make their product a token/identifier for that group. You buy a product to be part of a group that shares ideals. Especially people who are “into fashion” often go for identifiers like that to position themselves. The Blackmeans coin pouch is a good example.

Wear what makes you happy and fits your mood that day, regardless of what others think or what you think others will think. This is honesty.

Kurt Vonnegut wrote once in his letter to a school student: What I had to say to you, moreover, would not take long, to wit: Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow. For me fashion is one of those art forms that help me grow, every garment i purchase teaches me about form, shape, feel and human power to create and be creative.

I don't think I agree with you. If I understood correctly, you say the "clothes show your identity" means they literally show your whole identity, but I don't think that's what it's meant to say: obviously clothes cannot show your whole identity, but they do show what social class you belong to (by price mainly) and what image you want to convey. For example, a teacher will dress quite differently from a politician. And here's where I think it gets interesting: how I dress changes with the image I want to convey. When you go to work you wear different clothes than when you meet up with friends, yet both outfits will be, at least in my case, things that people will point at and say "oh yes that's the sorta stuff she wears". In this way, even though you cannot express your whole identity, you can express how you want to be seen by people in a certain situation. And that, I think, very much is a part of your identity that you are expressing.

I feel like personal style is less about the brands you wear and more the decisions you make with those pieces. The materials, colors, patterns pairings an individual gravitated towards says more than being able to afford certain pieces. Tho affording expensive pieces can say something about your socioeconomic status or what you prioritize. Dressing for a function is something that might be more popular as it just makes sense. I need X outfit so that I can X. Especially for people that don’t fall in the “I care about fashion” camp. As a designer myself I find that I like pieces that have a unique element to them or understand the design moves and start to have that dialogue with said designer even tho I may never meet them or asked them about the piece. Tho there is the separation of I like it but it’s not for me to buy. Especially when I’m in an area that is ridiculously hot all the time and I don’t go out much.

Respectfully, I think what missing in your analysis is the notion of “identity.” I say this because I think your analysis (which I agree with) is still tied to a notion of identity. The idea of being recognized and that shock of recognition is tied to you identity. No, fashion cannot fully express an identity. To that end, no mode of expression can. Words, art, non verbal communication, jobs, hobbies/interests - none of these can do that as they are all too limited. Identity is kind of inherently ineffable. Still some aspect of identity is being recognized. Some notion of your self being *recognized* by others is important to you. Thus, how you are being perceived (at least, how you think you are being perceived) and the value of that perception to the person ties back to the aspects of their identity they find meaningful. The aspects of fashion that communicate outward my have different mileage for different individuals, but it remains true. For instance, I feel at home in clothes that are deconstructed, worn, “messy.” I do feel (in ways that words fall short) that these aspects of my clothing choices reflect some aspects of my identity. I think even people who “don’t care” about fashion are attempting to communicate that in the ways in which they dress. Maybe they wear workers wear or hiking accoutrements to signify that detachment from fashion. But that choice (often times unconsciously for all people) is still expressing something. This is a jumble of words. But this topic is certainly thought provoking. ❤

I like to think of the outfits that I create for myself as drawings that I can carry into the world. Just the silhouettes and color combinations make me feel like I have a creative choice that I can show people and most of them seem to appreciate it.

Your conclusion made me think of how I view dance with live music. The musician is making a proposition (the music) that you as the dancer can interact with. In the case of fashion, the garment is the proposition. When you wear it, you are interacting with the proposition (garment) of the designer. Both result in something distinctly collaborative between the dancer and music or the wearer and designer

This bit about worldbuilding... THIS gave this shock of recognition, because all my back history being a publisher of fantasy books, RPG player and being a fashion photographer just made the more sense.

Building out an archetype and a world for it to live in as a necessity in design is one of the most validating things I've heard. Feels like my creative reflexes were built for fashion. We dont need another brand offering graphic basics, we need ART and a story to go with it.

I cried at about minute 12. I needed to hear this. 90% of my life is dressing for practical, functional reasons, and then that 10% left leaves me feeling overwhelmed. I have a wild deeply connected moment to a designer, their vision, an article of clothing, and i get excited about expressing myself that way, but feel it is a part of me that gets shoved to the back corners of my life, pulled out in rare moments while I wish it could take more of a center stage. I am okay with it right now, and this video reassured me in an unexpectedly bittersweet way.

REALLY loved the deep end stuff here. Absolutely spot on.

Funnily enough I had a similar reflexion the other day. I was thinking about how to me creating art was creating stories and that what we were drawn to, before anything else, was a specific story. And how deep that felt when we find an artist that creates a story that feels like ours, or that we want to be part of. And even when it comes to trends, on a more superficial level, I was wondering why certains pieces would be so loved and then consider "dated" and then loved again. I think people aren't buying garnments, they are buying stories, and without a story (or with a completely new hot story trending) to some the "old" pieces feel empty. What I love though is how each individual will experience a story differently, even from the same art piece or artist's choice. I like the fact that stories are universal yet always personal and that through the experience of them there is place for both the individual and the collective.

I have to do the masterclass about styling and this channel never disappoints me.

oh damn, that was deep! so, a designer has a vision, and then the people who wear the clothes made from that vision turn it in reality.

The idea of shock off recognition hit me personally. Acknowledging that a brand ( for me it was All Saint) perfectly captures my everyday needs and my own desires is definitely a powerful thing. To hear you voice this shock off recognising has given me a depth of understanding about personal style that I subconsciously know but hadn’t verbalised it. you’ve cemented my understanding of personal style and to this is undeniably great full of your channel.

I like to think of clothing as a playground. When we have a world that calls to us, either through a designers curation or simply an tiktok trend, we get to imagine ourselves as someone else, pretend to be the sort of person we imagine inhabits those clothes. The grown up version of a kid wearing mommy's high heels. That's why it feels like armor to some, or personal expression to others. It is your imagination made manifest and in a small way you get to shape the world you live in. I do a lot of role playing games and costuming hobbies, so to me clothing is the joy of playing pretend. I do not wear my clothes to speak to others, I wear them either for function as you said or, when I have the time, to inhabit a feeling or persona that is hard to reach in the day to day. Yet, the choices of pretend we make tell others a little bit about who we want to be, and when we see others wearing clothes that we like for ourselves that becomes a form of community. A shock of recognition not between designer and wearer, but between two wearers.

This is your magnum opus. You've managed to analyse this relationship between clothing and a human being in such deep and insightful manner that it made me feel weirdly emotional at some point. I had a similar reflexion the other day but I couldn't fully verbalize my feelings and thoughts and that's why your video came out so helpful to me (and many others I believe). Thank you

The world building theory of personal style is something I never really considered, but it's so on point. Most of us can't live in a world we want to live in, but we can embody that world on ourselves physically.

Idk if anybody is like this, but i feel a need to express myself and how i feel on a certain day into my clothes. If i don’t, i feel like im naked or completely uncomfortable and this can even lead to a panic attack before even leaving the house. So thats why i like fashion😅

One thing i love about bliss that nobody talks about is those little segments where he draws our attention back in the video. Close the tabs, focus here, etc. You can tell that he's not only passionate, but that he WANTS his message to get across, not just be out there. There's really nobody doing it like him. thanks bliss

When I worked for a Fortune 500 company in management, my clothes were my armor. Clothes communicate and mine said,”Don’t mess with her.” That was exactly what I needed then. Now I don’t work and my clothes are softer, more classic, and mostly neutrals. I’m much more approachable because I can be. I don’t think they have to be designer but I do love a well tailored blazer more than anything.

I like how we unapologetically love Rick here. This is a safe space

amazing video the end "thesis" is so accurate to how i would describe it as wel but could never put it together so clear and so eloquent

Not to mention, most people are so in their own heads with their own lives that they don't even notice you, let alone your outfit.

This was so surprisingly no-nonsense, love it. I appreciate people who are willing to look beyond artistic pretense and are accepting of meaning within the mundane.

I just found this channel, I’m definitely not a fashion person, I can respect that it’s an art form that I am not particularly versed in, but like I have been thinking about clothing and personal style and like trying to design a wardrobe for myself for years and gone in and out of phases of thinking on this stuff, and I do really connect with a lot of what you say in this video. I don’t think the shock of recognition in fashion you talk about here is entirely unique to fashion, like the aspect of it where it’s art that becomes part of you is also true for tattoo artists, for hairdressers that create art with their skills, and to some degree in like role playing game design, like I’m not saying it’s not amazing and transcendent just that its part of a bigger amazing transcendent thing that goes way beyond the specific art form this channel is focused on. Like the rpg thing is what your description really invoked for me in a way that I’ve never really been able to articulate well, and I’m not sure I can even now articulate why I feel like there’s a connection there, but oh boy is my brain buzzing now. I am really glad I found your videos, I subbed and I’m super excited to learn a deeper appreciation for fashion from you because like… you love art in a way that is congruent to how I love art and that’s something that can make up for a lack of understanding of the specific type of art idk. I also think that like, short of transcendent artistic experiences, but beyond pure utility, some of our clothing choices really are aesthetic choices. I think the drive towards beauty fundamental and while you can make arguments about wanting to look appealing for reasons I think the drive behind aesthetic decisions can be (but needn’t always be) intrinsically valuable. Like sometimes you want the overalls with the little gnomes on them because hehe gnomes! You can argue that the utility is it makes me happy, but it makes me happy because it satisfies my aesthetic joy sparkles. I don’t know how attached I am to that idea but like dang I appreciate how much just this video gave me to think about thanks for caring so deeply about art

Loved the video, but I personally deeply think there is a world between style and allegiance to a designer / artist's vision. Even though it might overlap.

one of the most well spoken individuals when it comes to communicating fashion. never stop, Bliss!

4:30 I’m not a real fashion head, I’m just mesmerized by the way your hair moves ✨

One thing I enjoyed through time about never fitting in is being able to look introspectively at who I really am, and what my fashion sense is. I am very very much a relaxed dresser who prioritizes utility and comfort

YOU’RE SPEAKING COMPLETE FACTS.

Uhm. I'm crying?! You put words to something I had none for. Strangely, or not, I have felt the shock of recognition with my tattoos/tattoo artists.

Wow wow wow! Beautiful concluding thought! The moment of shocking recognition is a magical moment of match that happens between your identity and a piece of art to create your own interpretation of yourself. I felt it with art, music and films and garments could be a part of it too

Bliss this is your best video I almost cried 😭

Unexpectedly incredibly moved by this. Perhaps one of the most insightful fashion commentaries I’ve ever heard.

I did not expect this to go deep. This actually changed my perspective. Very well executed.

Congrats on 200 videos. I truly appreciate your work.

This has to be the most succinct, accurate description about the everyday of dressing that I've heard in a long while! Kudos...enjoy the channel.

For some reason the end of this video reminds me of the glee quote "being apart of something special makes you special."

I love this exposition sooo much. I live in uniqlo plus some pieces i collect here and there bc i dont make a lot of money, but i am passionate about fashion in a way that people around me cant tell. I am so glad i found your channel..

this video used to hurt my head it was so complicated but I finally got it and I can say this video is perfection

i thought this was going to be like a post a friend shared yesterday about us just being carriers of info coz cities look like insides of computers (and therefore not as original as we think) but the swerve! all rise! thankyou, bliss 🙏🏻

This is the most coherent video I have seen and hear about style. Spot on: we are individuals. Aplause and ancore!!!! My total admiration!!!! PS: BRILLIANT ❤

i see that 10 second clip of the ERD "my private underground" clip @2:44 and I love it

I love your content. I really do get value from it. You make fashion relatable rather than pretentious. I love clothes, although I doubt I would be considered “fashionable”. You discuss clothes and their larger function in ways that broaden my understanding and appreciation for them. Thank you very much!

I'm blown away, thank you for your insightful perspective.

Desperate to look authentic that we fail/foget to actually live it.

People also use clothes to express which group we (want to) belong to. It serves as a social mechanism, which you can’t break free from. You’ll always communicate something with your clothing to someone else. Thanks for this video, it was very interesting :)

I thought this video's message was going to be ego driven but what I actually got was a thoughtful dissection of what I love about fashion. I could never put it into words... but Bliss did!! Subscribed.

I really enjoyed this video, never really understood why I was so naturally interested in fashion, in a way that I thought as weird, because there were feelings that I related to design, painting and music. This video is pulling me to know a little bit more about this apparent niche thing that we call fashion and maybe think of it all less cynically and with an honest curiosity. Thank you!

If you want to take the analogy of "the clothes makes the man" and apply it to me. From a distance I look scary, I Where baggy jeans, an oversized t-shirt and a zipper hoodie, all of it dark colors or black, I have had people change sidewalks when I walk past, but don't judge a book by its cover, if you look closer, you will realize I sewed my own jeans, the lining at the pants leg is textured and a completely different fabric, with a pattern, the pockets are deeper, than what is normal and made out of green canvas and they has no zipper or buttons, except for one. What does this tell us: The way I see it creative, depressed, introverted, concerned about comfort and utility, yet a colorful interior.

Poetic. You’re easily the best fashion journalist on RU-vid. Also the hair was looking immaculate???

Great topic Bliss Foster! Want to share with you something Bill Cunningham a Street Style Photographer once said "Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life".

the part where you say "i'm looking at myself and i can see a piece of someone else in myself" reminds me of Lacan

Wow, I think I found out something about sense of art through this video. Incredible work.

There is definitely a strong feeling behind the Clothes thank you Rick Owens

First-time viewer here and already a fan! This helped me understand why us Patti Smith fans also have a tendency to gravitate toward Ann Demeulemeester's designs.

I respectfully disagree. Style may not be an all-encompassing direct representation of who you are, but it really can be a creative and fun way of communicating your sensibilities, if you want it to be. I think I'm qualified to say this. I've been sewing clothes for myself for over 20 years. I have a very specific aesthetic. Directors have style, musicans have style and our clothes can have our own special style especially of you don't just buy into every trend. There are shifts in perspectives that happen socially and culturally that are reflected in changes in how we dress. These changes are not always started by designers sometimes designers are inspired by those things and yes sometimes they start them. But we can absolutely communicate or affiliations though what we wear. Having said that the meanings do change.

This is such a beautiful summary about what fashion means to most of us here and I wish more people understood that. Keep going, your content expresses the ideas that I couldn't put to words otherwise. Much love from Brussels!

I love the intro to this video. "Here's something I don't understand. Let me criticize it," makes it very easy to click off 😅

I honestly just liked and listened to your videos before this one. I’ve been a subscriber for years and this honest answered so many questions for me. Very insightful, very reassuring to my own thoughts, and the most transparent analysis I’ve ever heard regarding everyday style and life.

i had to go back to the start of the video because i spent the first five minutes mesmerized by your hair 😭 sorry thats all i have to comment but damn its healthy and shiny as hell. amazing

This got real deep and philosophical and I LIVE 🙌

nah but for real this vid gives a whole new lense to the word lifestyle brand that i never really thought of its kinda neat.

some of your explanations give me genuine goosebumps. you have an incredible way with words.

this channel is for the fashion ppl and I love it

Alfred Hitchcock said it best: "Style is just self plagiarism."

You nailed it with this one, bliss. Thank you!

i used to think about rules and whatnot, maybe i still do if there's a reason to, but when it comes to what i actually want in my wardrobe and why, it's usually just because i like the fabric or the look or it will go with most of what i have. not everything has to be an immense statement, it can just be visual marker of the kind of archetype you think is cool or cozy or approachable or whatever. i think people lose that when they start to care about their clothes to a certain degree, like you start buying clothes not because you want to wear them but because you convinced yourself it was a necessary addition to your wardrobe, even if you have everything you already need

I got chills watching this

i don't understand how style can be not personal. you firstly chose the clothes, made a decision to buy and wear them. you wore those shorts and got a stain on them, and you wore those sneakers and got them dirty. you lived in those clothes. creases on your shoes show how you walked and how your feet moved, it should be fascinating. imperfections make it personal. sell 100 same shirts to 100 people each shirt will be personal. like what? how is your style not personal you literally chose clothes and put them on yourself. and if other people chose them for you it's curated identity, it isn't you. if you chose to present a curated identity instead of you it still is personal as it reveals you as person who wants to be that

So insightful! I think that perhaps the shock of recognition is reversed (seeing a piece of someone else in ourselves rather than seeing ourselves in something else) in the case of fashion because it gives everyone the opportunity to create their own small-scale art piece through what they wear. Kind of like how if you write music and take a step back to observe what you’ve created, you might see how many different artists have shaped your sound or your lyrics. However, not everyone makes music, not everyone paints, not everyone writes, but everyone has to get dressed somehow, which is why fashion has such an impact. Though the “mini-art pieces” we create through dressing ourselves may not even be consciously chosen, and are definitely not always as meticulously thought-out and informed as the designers’ works themselves, they do give everyone a chance to create something with the means they have.

It's interesting that you would raise this point at a time when we're witnessing a shift in the fashion cycle, embracing a more essential and simplistic way of dressing. This strongly resonates with the video where you depicted Gap's vision. It's remarkable how fashion cycles, and your video captures this moment perfectly.

Wow … I can’t wait to find my world builder .. that was truly beautiful thanks Bliss.

BLISS I WOULDVE CRIED AFTER THAT LAST 2 MINUTES GODDAMN YOU HIT A CHORD RIGHT THEREE

I almost agree 💯 with what you said except it's not just about "not feeling alone". Like, for me art can always express your thoughts and feelings in a shocking, beautiful, admiring etc. ways that you never thought the "thing" that you've experienced could be expressed in a that EXACT and SHARP way.

The best fashion related video ever.

1min into the video and i just gotta say i love the flow of pronounciation you got going. feels very spoken word-ish (in the best possible way)

This reminds me of this one time I listened to a podcast where the host said that he just wears a t-shirt and shorts when giving presentations (he had a PhD in exercise science) partially because he didn't have any fashion sense, and partially to weed out shallow people that wouldn't take him seriously because he wasn't dressed up