ELEMENTS OF STYLE

SEASON TO TASTE

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SEASON TO TASTE 〰️

PART XV

Imani Smith

5.17.22

I remember being around 13 or 14 watching an episode of the Tyra Banks talk show (what a time!) and seeing a segment on makeup tips for a night out. She mentioned doing a smoky eye (the early 00s were all about a smoky eye!) and making sure to go easier on the lips. Initially, I didn’t understand why. In a split second, she stated that if you did a bold lip, you should opt for a simpler eye. In that moment, something clicked. There may have also been a visual to illustrate how overwhelming it would look if one was to do both. It was a simple rule of thumb, not a law, but an aesthetic guideline that rang true. I later conceptualized this moment and deduced that creating a pleasing visual often required balance. 

The most fitting Merriam Webster definition of balance is “equipoise between contrasting, opposing, or interacting elements.” Balance has become a virtue for me in every facet of my life. From the flavors of the meal, I prepare to the playlist scoring my day to my hair-makeup-outfit combo of choice, everything must feel right. No one element overpowering another. As I’ve stated in the past, there is power in customization, and I feel most powerful when I’m able to customize to a level that feels the most balanced to my sensibilities. 

Most importantly, I would absolutely consider balance to be a vital element of style. After many years of building looks with the guidance and direction of others, then finally having the privilege of being able to trust my own style intuition, through trial and error I learned. In order for an ensemble to feel complete to me, there must be a flow. A balance of old and new, a balance of proportions, a balanced combination of colors or hues, a balance of organic and synthetic fabrics. Like a chef or mixologist creating a new recipe, I alter the combinations until the flavor is to my liking. 

Most creators have probably experienced that moment of full alignment, that moment of YES! When things are firing on all cylinders, and everything feels flawless. When I curate or encounter a well-crafted look, I have a simultaneous mental and physical reaction of approval. I live for that feeling. Being able to experience that feeling may help to offset the heaviness of having a difficult day or to break up the monotony of a day that’s been less than stimulating. I seek that feeling to keep a sense of balance for myself as a visual being and a creative being.

Conversely, when a look feels off or incomplete, I have an equal and opposite reaction. I reflexively want to tweak and adjust each element until it feels right.

Coco Chanel once famously professed “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off” and I’m personally not a full-time student of that school of thought. There are times and places for certain rules to apply. Sometimes, that quote is the gospel. Sometimes, your look may feel too bulky. Only you can truly tap into your center and feel whether there is truly an imbalance. That’s where mindfulness enters the equation. Are you fully present in that moment when you’re looking in the mirror? Have you quieted all the excess noise in your mind so that you can truly hear your honest reaction to what your eyes are seeing? What is the occasion that you’re dressing for? How is this look making you feel? 

Ultimately, external balance can only be achieved if you have a certain level of internal balance. If you’re feeling frazzled and chaotic it’s going to influence the way that you make decisions. That chaos will also seep into your outward appearance sooner or later, whether you notice it or not. A prime example is that trope about women cutting their own bangs shortly after a bad breakup. It’s silly, but it’s not totally fictional concept. Sometimes we may feel like so many parts of our lives are so far out of our control that the only way to regain some of that control is to alter our appearances. That is one of our many innate attempts at achieving a more balanced existence. Sometimes those alterations can be freeing while other times, they can do more harm than good.

I am a firm believer in the overall balance of life. There will be just as many peaks as there are valleys for us all to travel. I genuinely do feel that everything works itself out in the end and that true balance is always achieved. Whether it’s visible to the naked eye, physically tangible or otherwise. That’s the logic that helps me to make sense of the nonsense that life often dishes out. 

I have a white pair of 6-inch Pleaser heels next to a pair of black Nike Air Force 1s on my shoe rack. Not every moment of my life calls for those individual vibes, but both of those women live inside of me. On a Monday morning, I can accidentally irreversibly ruin my favorite blouse and on Wednesday I can go to a thrift store and find a new blouse that becomes my new favorite. I can appreciate all of the ways that the old blouse enriched my life and brought me joy and mourn the untimely loss of it. I can acknowledge the void that it left in my wardrobe but also keep my eyes peeled for a piece that would be able to fill said void in the same way or even better! Balance.

On a macro level, I like to help my clients acquire a balanced wardrobe consisting of pieces fit for every occasion based on the lives they lead. On a micro level, I want my clients to have the tools to create looks that fit every single facet of their unique personalities. I want them to have a full palette of colors to paint with, figuratively and literally if they’re on board. When it comes to style, everything is great in moderation- even moderation. Balance!