Some people think that personal styling has to do with being a fashion forward person. I, by all means oppose that definition at all costs. Webster's dictionary describes a Fashionista as "a devoted follower of fashion"... If this was the true definition of one then I guess there aren't many Fashionistas. A lot of the people I know personally or people I follow on Instagram follow these little fads or they get into a phase where they see one person wearing a particular item and they go right for it, would they be considered Fashionistas? I guess thinking along the lines of what others truly feel a Fashionista is helped me to understand what one really is.


Typically, I thought a Fashionista was someone others would classify a 'label whore' someone who is into name brand everything, one who shopped in high fashion boutiques or stores, someone who holds a high standard in what they look like in the mirror and how others "perceive" or socially want them to look! Growing up in a household with a single mother didn't limit me to the things that I got fashion wise. I wasn't into the high end fashion but if you saw me years ago if I wasn't wearing a pair or J's or had something name brand something was missing. A lot of the clothing I chose to wear it might not have looked fashionable at all to society but I thought I looked great! At a time in my life I covered myself up in this huge hideous Perry Ellis jacket my uncle gave to me. I could have something cute on and all you would see is this huge jacket, lol! I wore the jacket until it fell apart, my mother threw it out... After that I had to learn what fashion was! High school opened my eyes to tons of fashion... I went to a prestigious high school here in Orlando, FL there was tons of rich kids sporting Louis Vuitton, Coach, Chanel, etc. I knew of these designers but even though I had a taste for some of the things they had I never found myself having to have what everyone else had. I was the girl who would throw on jeans and some knock off Timbs, until I started seeing the quality in items! I would get the same things that were non name brand and make it my own... If at certain times I wanted the real thing I would convince my mother into buying it for me. At the end of the day, name brand or not if I had it I made it my own and I feel that's what a Fashionista is.

A Fashionista is one who makes their own style! They don't follow trends they are the trendsetters... They may have things in certain trends but they will do something different to offset themselves from the rest. Whether a Fashionista decides to get what's hot or what's not they set their own expression! They know certain trends, they know the new and old designers, they see things they want, they buy whatever they want and like I said before create their own monster! Yes they are followers of fashion, but they don't let these trends of fashion consume them at all...

After reading this article do you feel the same? What is your definition of a Fashionista?