LiveWise: Style or Fashion? A Guide On Why You Need Both
"Fashion fades. Only Style remains the same" - Coco Chanel
From our clothes, shoes, bags and hair to the accessories we choose, style reflects our personality and values. Style isn’t limited to what we wear — it shows up in our electronics, the car we drive, even how we decorate our home. These choices reflect our personal lens and preferences. Style influences how we feel, how others perceive us, and how we move through different spaces in life. Style is about self-expression.
This blog focuses on style from a personal grooming and
wardrobe perspective, while also helping you understand the difference between
style and fashion—and why both play a role in shaping a confident, authentic
lifestyle.
👒Difference between Style and Fashion
The difference between fashion and style? It’s like seeing a blazer on someone and saying, 'Oh, that’s in right now' (fashion), versus thinking, 'That is so her' (style).
Fashion is constantly changing but Style is
long-lasting.
- Fashion is what’s offered to us — seasonal trends, color palettes, silhouettes, and the “must-haves” of the moment — by designers, fashion houses, retailers, and online platforms
- Style is what we choose — how we put things together and express ourselves through what we wear. It’s personal, consistent, and not dependent on trends. You don’t have to figure it out alone; personal stylists, image consultants, or in-store advisors can help build a style palette that reflects your personality and lifestyle
Think of fashion as the toolkit and style as the personal blueprint.
👗 Style Comes From Within
Style starts with how we see ourselves — our preferences, comfort zones, culture, lifestyle, work, life experiences, and even our mood. These factors influence what we buy and how we dress — whether it’s for work, a social gathering, or simply relaxing at home.
Style leads fashion. When personal style is distinctive enough, it can inspire fashion movements that echo for decades. Fashion gives these style moments the fuel to evolve and spread. Here are three examples:
- Classic style, championed by Coco Chanel. She introduced her sleek, liberating tweed suit at a time when women were still expected to wear corsets and gowns. The suit was fashionable, but more importantly, it was functional — designed to help women move comfortably through their day. Chanel also created the iconic little black dress (LBD) in the 1920s as a chic, affordable option during a time of post-war austerity. Made in wool or chenille for daywear, and satin, crepe, or velvet for evenings, the LBD became a wardrobe staple. Chanel’s own story — from humble beginnings to challenging societal expectations — shaped the style legacy she built.
- Street / Hip-Hop style was born not on runways, but on the streets of NYC and LA. Oversized silhouettes, bold prints, gold chains, and fresh sneakers weren’t about designer labels — they were about pride, resilience, and individuality. Decades later, high fashion draws heavily from these street-originated looks, and this fusion has even influenced athleisure trends seen across global brands
- Bohemian style grew from a rejection of convention. Worn by artists, poets, and free spirits, it favored flowy fabrics, earthy tones, and layered accessories, celebrating personal freedom over fashion rules. Today, this style lives on through spring/summer collections that reinterpret boho looks year after year.
Whether your style leans classic and structured like Amal Clooney or Audrey Hepburn, expressive and streetwise like Billie Eilish, Rihanna, or Pharrell, or eclectic and romantic like Sienna Miller or Florence Welch (dubbed “the Queen of Bohemian Style” by Vogue), it reflects who you are regardless of what’s trending.

🧵 Fashion Feeds Style
Every season, designers offer something new for e.g. woven
fabrics, metallic tones, asymmetrical hemlines, blingy sandals, heeled loafers,
bold colored fringe trimmed bags, East West bags, chunky jewelry, beaded
chokers etc. Some of it sticks. Most of it rotates.
You don’t have to wear it all. In fact, please don’t. Perhaps this year’s high-waist, wide-leg
pants do flatter your body and fit your vibe — that’s a fashion trend
becoming part of your style. Or perhaps neon revival isn’t your thing, so you
skip it and stay true to earthy tones or soft pastels. The goal is to filter intentionally, not
follow blindly.
🪞Style Evolves And Adapts
As your life changes, your style evolves to reflect your new rhythm, whether it’s a shift in career, environment, or social setting. Perhaps you once lived in head-to-toe boho, but now your wardrobe leans more structured.
Or perhaps you preferred neutral tones once but are now experimenting with colors, pairing a tailored creation with
sneakers, or mixing minimalist pieces with one loud pop of color.
The Fashion industry is deeply tuned into the factors that shape personal style — things like lifestyle, habits, preferences, demographics and social media influences. Designers draw from these insights to create collections that align with how people live and express themselves. As your life changes, you may adapt what you wear, but your core styling instincts often stay the same. Whether it's a love for structure, a flair for bold accessories, or a preference for timeless pieces that stand out without being loud, your personal style tends to follow a familiar thread, even as it evolves.
🌟 Style as Personal Branding
Style is one of the most effective tools for personal branding. It helps create a consistent visual identity — a kind of shorthand for who you are and what you stand for. For public figures especially, style becomes a silent but powerful form of communication. It shapes personal optics, allowing them to express confidence, creativity, authority, or individuality without saying a word.
Think of Steve Jobs, whose minimalist black turtleneck and round glasses became synonymous with innovation and focus. Anna Wintour’s sleek bob and oversized sunglasses signal fashion authority and editorial sharpness. Their signature looks do more than turn heads — they reinforce identity, tell a story, and turn personal style into brand strategy.
🧳 Style Varies by Environment
You can have more than one style and that doesn’t make your
expression less authentic.
Your work style might be tailored, your social style could
lean edgy or relaxed, and your weekend look might be all about comfort. You’re expressing different sides of you, adapting,
not pretending.
👜 Style can be Luxury And Value
Style isn’t about price, it’s about what resonates with you. A simple canvas tote from a local shop can say just as much about your personality, lifestyle, or sense of humor as a high-end designer piece.
At the other end of the spectrum is a brand like Goyard tote — understated, patterned, and instantly recognizable to those in the know. It signals quiet luxury without shouting.
I once complimented a woman on her Goyard tote. She smiled and said she’d never heard of the brand — I helped her locate the brand name on the bag. It had been a gift from a family member, and she carried it because she liked the size, unaware of its luxury status or value. She assumed it was a generic, ordinary bag 😊. I gave her a quick overview of Goyard to add some context to the thoughtful gift, and she genuinely appreciated this gesture.
The interaction left me with two takeaways:
(a) Style is about intention — not about price or labels.
(b) It also reminds us to know our audience when gifting. The person who spent thousands on the Goyard tote saw it as a meaningful luxury item, while the recipient used it simply for its practicality
💡 Final Thoughts
Style and fashion aren't interchangeable, but they work together to give you the tools and the voice to express who you are.
Style is the constant — it adapts as you evolve. Fashion is ever-changing — offering new pieces to complement your self-expression.
You don’t need to follow every trend to be stylish. You just need to know yourself and make choices that speak for you, not over you.
Takeaway? Use fashion to serve your style, not define it.
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